My motivation to run for the New Hanover County Board of Education stems primarily from my fervent desire to see that my grandson Lucas, and all of our children and grandchildren, receive the best education possible, and grow up to be well-rounded critical thinkers, who are kind and successful.
Since his mom (my stepdaughter Lakyn) works a lot of 24-hour shifts at her job on the New Hanover County Fire Department, Lucas comes to my house often and I have been given the responsibility of having to help raise him. But sometimes a kid just needs to have fun, and nothing spells “FUN” like a boy and his dog!
I recently asked Lucas what one thing he would like to change about his school (Codington Elementary)? He immediately replied that he wanted to be able to bring our dog “Captain” to school with him sometimes. You see, like all our pets, Captain is part of the family. However, unlike other human members of our students’ families, the pet members of their family never get a chance to come to our schools. Our students never get a chance to introduce their pets to their teachers and classmates, and our pets never get the chance to cheer their student on during athletic or other public-facing school activities.
I told Lucas, that while it might not be feasible for pets to come to his school on a regular basis, that our school district ought to set aside one day during the academic year for “Take Your Pet to School Day.” He liked that idea, and I promised him that I would incorporate that into my platform and campaign on it. And so here we are!
I realize that there will be safety and logistical concerns. However, I don’t believe the task of meeting those concerns is insurmountable. Perhaps we need to schedule “Take Your Pet to School Day” to occur on a warmer date and be an outside classroom day. Perhaps we need a screening process for pets who will be attending, and recruit volunteers who are animal experts to help coordinate the day’s activities. I don’t have all the answers. However, I vow that once I am elected to the New Hanover County Board of Education, I will instruct the Superintendent’s office to make this day a reality.
Got an Idea?
Do you have an idea on how we could make “Take Your Pet to School Day” a reality? I would love to hear it, and so please Contact Us. I will always make time to listen to voters!
