Meet Your Candidate I am running to serve on the Pitt County Board of Education (District 6). Pitt County has been my home for 19 years. As a K-12 public school teacher in Pitt County Schools for 11 years and the Pitt County Teacher of the Year in 2016, I believe in this county and the school system that grew me to be the educator that I am today. My husband is a high school science teacher within Pitt County Schools, and our 2 children attend Pitt County Public Schools. My husband and I are both graduates of East Carolina University. As a university, ECU helped shape me into the educator I am today and provided me the tools to support future educators. Now, I teach within the College of Education at ECU where I am a teaching instructor in the Literacy, English, and History Education Department. I believe in supporting my community through volunteer efforts within the schools, the recreation department, as well as nonprofit organizations. I am here to support and be a voice for ALL in my district as I run for a position on Pitt County Board of Education, District 6.
Values
Teacher Retention, Acknowledgement and Growth Opportunities Pitt County Schools has some of the BEST educators in the state and it is my goal to keep them in our schools to provide the best instruction for our students. In order to retain our teachers we need to:
provide opportunities for growth
acknowledge the work our teachers do every day
ensure they have access to the resources they need
collaborate with our community to offer support services in the classroom
Equitable Resources for ALL families to support student learning Ensure that ALL families in the schools feel that they have equal access to support their students. To support our families, we need to:
provide multiple methods of communication between schools and families
create opportunities for families to see what their children are doing and learning in the schools.
acknowledge that we have a diverse community with diverse families in our school system and provide resources that meet needs based on language, ability to travel, and more.
Building Community Amazing things happen in all of our schools, and creating a shared community between school will provide better access for ALL our students. To build a district wide school community, we can:
provide opportunities for school administration, teachers, and staff to visit other schools and see new ideas being implemented
creating a partnership between schools and keeping an open line of communication for all levels of staff in the school to share in ideas and problem solving
Helping ALL Students find a Road to Success Students need to be provided the chance to view the multiple paths of success after leaving the K-12 system and develop those interests at a younger age. This will allow them to set goals and build interest in specific areas which will allow students to build a drive of wanting to achieve. Utilizing the many partnerships within our district, students can begin early experiences within areas that interest them.
Stay informed with upcoming events through Erin Kessel's Pitt County Board of Education - District 6 Facebook page.