Ken Marsh is a candidate for Sarasota County School Board District 1

I declared my candidacy for the Sarasota County School Board District 1 seat because of my commitment to continuing our status as the best school district in Florida. This commitment stems from my deep understanding of the needs of our schools and families, gained by my years as a school social worker assisting parents and teachers. This commitment has been strengthened by my 35 years in local education, working in settings such as school choice and charter schools, and concluding with 11 years as Sarasota Schools’ Director of Long Range Planning.

The single, defining issue in this election is candidate qualifications. The School Board is big business—a $700-million-plus budget, the County’s largest employer tasked with educating the next generation of workers, entrepreneurs, parents and local leaders.  The District 1 seat should be filled by the individual who already knows the school district, who already has trusting relationships with local governments and civic leaders, who already knows how to lead large, complex organizations. A School Board seat is not an entry level position.

So here is my Year One agenda:

1. Engage the Board, district leadership, schools and parents in School Safety forums, with the goal of implementing a comprehensive school safety plan for the 2015-16 budget
2. Work with local governments, preschools, foundations, parents and others to develop and enhance programs to better prepare rising Kindergartners
3. Lead efforts to reduce the loss of skills during the summer
4. Work with our Career Technical Education leaders and local employers to identify training needs, and then implement what our employers need
5. Listen to local organizations, parents, school staff and others as there are many great ideas out there.

Please vote for me, Ken Marsh, on Nov. 4 to ensure that our wonderful school system becomes even better.

Ken Marsh is a candidate for Sarasota County School Board District 1