Current Issues and Positions

This page will be updated frequently as policies and topics come up at school board meetings and in the community.

All Kids Have Different Needs

All students have different needs, varying abilities, different backgrounds, different experiences and circumstances. They have differing IQs, areas of strength and areas of weakness. Some are gifted, some have IEPs, some kids are neurodivergent and some are typically developing. They have different interests. Some have a natural ability to learn 2nd and 3rd languages, while others are gifted in music or sports. Some kids need Reading Specialist support, some never do. Some teenagers are on a college track and others pursue training for careers through MTC.

Because of this, education can not be a one size fits all.

I have many concerns about how we are grouping students in classrooms as a parent and as an experienced teacher. I'll have more to share on this topic of streaming vs. destreaming soon!

Door-to-Door

I started going Door-to-Door this evening with a small, but excellent crew. If you see a Sara Horst for School Board volunteer in a Red Shirt, they are sharing information about me....and I'm in the neighborhood too, meeting as many people as I can. Give us a wave!

Endorsements Matter

VA School Board races have been presumed to be non-partisan for a long time. But it isn’t true anymore.

Local Democrat voters like the current school board majority. Why? It is supposed to be non-partisan. Our local Republican voters do not like the majority. Why? Because we can see clearly that it is not non-partisan any more, and we have board members obviously who do not represent our conservative county values. This opposition illustrates my point, which is that School Board races are no longer non-partisan, probably have never been, and we can’t continue to pretend that they are.

This is why you are seeing endorsements for the first time for School Board Candidates in Rockingham County.

So here is the first of what I hope to be many endorsements.

I have been endorsed by the Rockingham County Republican Committee. This isn’t easy to obtain either. Candidates who apply for an endorsement must fill out an application with essay questions, participate in an interview where any member can ask questions, and sometimes are asked to give a statement or presentation. With great pride, I am honored to receive this endorsement.

Books in Schools Should Be Age Appropriate

School Libraries, Part 1 of 4

First, thank you to our hard working librarians in RCPS. As a classroom teacher who has worked collaboratively with librarians for many years, I can tell you that they go above and beyond to get books in the hands of children. They share their passion for reading with kids. Our librarians do more than just get books in the hands of kids. They also curate selections that will complement the standards that we teach, meaning we get to read aloud some really fantastic books that go along with our Science and Social Studies lessons, for example. Our librarians are often nominated as Teacher of the Year in our schools, and it is well deserved.

When we talk about books that are in our libraries, librarians can take this on the chin. I can assure you that any forthcoming criticisms that come of the content in the library is not directed at the individual librarian. This is similar to when we talk about the deficiencies of the schools, it is often not a criticism of the teacher but rather of the system. Just as there are policies and procedures that are required of teachers, there are also expectations and policies for our librarians that they must follow. Libraries are important to our schools. We have a whole world of many wonderful books for students. But we have to be careful of where kids are exposed to inappropriate content.

Parts 2-4 are on their way!

Safeguards for Books: What Can We Do?

School Libraries, Part 2 of 4

Just as we have standards and policies for dress code, internet searches, movies we play in classrooms, and for HOW we speak to each other in our public schools, there should also be standards and policies that safeguard our children in regards to the books that are available to them in our schools.

In other words, if our firewall prevents our students from searching for p*rn, for example, on their chromebooks, we need a firewall to prevent it from being in the books in our library as well.

Per RCPS Policy Manual, IIAD: Video Viewing by Students: "grades K-12 (G-rated permitted); grades 6-7 (PG with principal approval); grades 8-12 (PG permitted); grades 9-12 (PG-13 permitted with principal approval). No videos rated PG-13 will be permitted below grade 9. Videos rated R, NC-17, unrated, and/or any other rating are not allowed to be shown. These viewing requirements cannot be circumvented by obtaining parent permission to view specific videos or segments of videos."

If our children in 6th grade (age 11) can only watch a PG movie with principal approval, then should books that would qualify for a PG-13 rating if it were a movie be available for checkout? I think no.

If we go by movie ratings and apply those standards to books....there are several books in our libraries that need to be removed right now. Is it a great literary loss? NO! There are plenty of other books that are available that do not have garbage in them.

Here is an EXCELLENT book rating site. (http://booklooks.org/ratings-system?fbclid=IwAR3yYtwQ3_nNP4THjutvItbFgqXG05RE4gnR_wxnnq4JsNNm7Ru31uczX5M) It is nonpartisan and is not affiliated with any group. You’ll need to scroll a little down to see the 0-5 ratings and what is acceptable in each.

I propose that anything rated a 3, 4, or 5 NOT be in our school libraries. I can help write a policy. Schools can't show movies with that content. Access to books with that content should not be granted.

Books in Libraries: Why Do I Care?

School Libraries, Part 3 of 4

This topic is really about protecting our children, not taking something away. Let our children be children. Let our school system not remove the innocence of our youth. Sure...they hear some terrible stuff on the buses, in hallways and locker rooms. We cannot control how permissive other parents are, nor do I want to. BUT we can control what materials the public schools allow access to.

Parenting is hard. Most parents do not have the time to carefully screen every single book that their child might want to read. As parents, we expect that "in loco parentis" means that the schools will not give our children access to anything that we wouldn't give them access to ourselves.

I even understand how some unacceptable (R-rated type) books creep into libraries. Maybe the first three books in an author’s series were fantastic and appropriate, but books four and five in the series add pages long, descriptive, and detailed sex scenes between characters….a few times. The books are purchased because some kids like the series, and it is assumed that the rest of the series is acceptable because the first three books were fine.

I’ve made a similar mistake as a parent with a series I bought for my child. The first five books, I read, enjoyed, and approved of. I didn’t read any more of the series - I was busy!! Then my son, who was 12 at the time, brought me a book later in the series and had some questions about the content. He was right to bring it to my attention. Had I known, I wouldn’t have allowed him to read it.

There are various levels of permissive parenting….and their permissiveness takes place outside of schools. We expect our children to be protected at school.

As a Reading Specialist and avid reader, I am all about getting books in the hands of children. That’s what we are all about. There are so many wonderful books! We just need to be careful. You can’t undo something once done. But we can still get amazing books in their hands.

School Libraries: What Can We Do?

School Libraries, Part 4 of 4

“Children need adults who are convinced of the value of childhood. They need adults who will protect them from the ever-ready molders of their world." - Mister Rogers

The last few years in RCPS have taught us that School Board elections matter. I represent the conservative values of our community.

In the comments section below, I’m going to add some examples of what is in our libraries with content you can read from BookLooks, the site I mentioned in an earlier thread. None of the books I am sharing below have anything to do with diversity, as I have been accused of wanting to ban. Everyone should be very uncomfortable, if not disgusted, that our children have access to this. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but if it is, I’m happy to be on the side that does not believe children should read this. Some of these excerpts are awful.

Identical, by Ellen Hopkins - Rated Not for Minors. In one high school library in RCPS

http://booklooks.org/.../Book%20Looks.../I/Identical.pdf

A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sara J Maas - Rated Not for Minors. In all four high school libraries in RCPS.

http://booklooks.org/.../A%20Court%20of%20Mist%20and...

The Duff, by Kody Keplinger - Not Rated for Minors. In middle and high school libraries in RCPS. D.U.F.F. stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend.

http://booklooks.org/.../Book%20Looks.../D/The%20Duff.pdf

It's Budget Season!

The video from last night’s board meeting (2/13/23) is glitchy, so I won’t be posting a video clip of my public comments. Instead, you’ll find a transcript of my comments. In addition to highlighting our county’s Supplemental Pay for our teachers, I also mention how we need to take care of funding for curriculum so teachers aren’t paying out-of-pocket for these things. See the transcript below:

Transcript:

"I’m a former teacher in this county and since it is budget season, I’d like to bring two things to your attention and for your consideration.

Did you know that out of 9 surrounding public school systems, RCPS has the 3rd lowest supplemental pay for a Masters Degree? In case you aren’t familiar, teacher salary scales in VA are based on a bachelor's degree. Master’s degrees, which aren’t required, and which cost thousands of dollars to obtain, are valued and acknowledged with supplemental pay. Here are the counties I checked on today, using the most current salary scales.

Green County: $2,200

Staunton: $2,297

Rockingham: $2,485 (This has not been updated for at least the 14 years I was employed).

Albemarle: $2,699

Harrisonburg: $2,700 (21-22 scale)

Bath: $3,000

Highland: $3,000

Shenandoah: $3,171

Page: $3,486

Augusta: $3,550

We know that student achievement increases when the teacher’s training increases. I’ve gotta say - This is embarrassing, and we need to do better. How can we attract and retain the best teachers when we aren’t willing to pay for the best?

The second thing I want to mention is out-of-pocket expenses. Teachers can deduct $300 per year on our taxes. Yes, teachers receive a small sum of instructional fee money to spend on instructional items. But many teachers spend much, much more out of pocket. It is easy for small things to jump into our grocery carts that we just absorb in our own grocery bill. We love to do this for our students, but this stuff adds up!

But tonight I want to focus on the money teachers spend out-of-pocket for curriculum needs. In the 2021-22 school year, I paid $180.45 out-of-pocket for curriculum needs for things such as decodable passages for LETRS implementation and various Science and Social Studies things because we don’t really have a curriculum for that. We need to plan better for curriculum needs so that teachers aren't paying for curriculum!

Caring for teachers in this way is a great way to also take care of our students."

SB PublicComments Aug82022.MOV

SB PublicComments Sept262022.MP4

Pro-Parent

I spoke about Governor Youngkin's "2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for all Students and Parents Virginia's Public Schools" twice at School Board meetings during Public Comments (August 8, 2022 & September 26, 2022). Watch to see what I said!

SB PublicComments Sept122022.MP4

Pro-Teacher

As a recently resigned teacher in RCPS, I understand the heart of the teacher and the obstacles they face in getting the support they need. At a School Board Meeting on September 12, I spoke about how teachers have no way of communicating a building level need to the Superintendent, which leaves them without support. If a principal is a poor leader who manages the staff with belittling and micromanaging, there is no way to get help. Teachers are left to suffer in this situation. Watch me talk (on September 12, 2022) about this and a solution I have!

SRO State Funded Grants

School Safety is something that I am passionate about. We need to do everything possible to protect our children. Having spent the majority of my career in an elementary school that is 10-15 minutes away from police help and has very limited cell service, I can promise you that I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that there is at least one School Resource Officer (SRO) in every school in our county. No exceptions.

Every student should be safely protected when they enter the building. Parents should be assured of their safety. Teachers and staff deserve this protection as well. The mental health crisis in our country requires that we be proactive on this. A SRO in every school in RCPS should be a top priority.

With the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services "School Resource Officer/School Security Officer Incentive Program," there is absolutely NO reason for any school in Virginia to go without. These funds are available for four year cycles. After four years, the county will have to take over paying for the position.

I am glad that our middle and high schools all have a SRO, but school shootings have occurred at elementary schools too.

The 2024 Application deadline is March 10, 2023. Write or call your School Board member and demand that we apply for and prioritize this for our students.

Misleading Reading Grades

What does it mean when your child gets an A or a B in reading? Well, it varies. Should it? No, but if your child has an A or B in reading, it doesn't mean they are on grade level. Why, you may ask? The answer is complicated.

When a Parent sees an A or a B on a Report Card.....

Whenever report cards go home, there is a universally accepted understanding of what those grades mean.

A = Above Average

B = Slightly Above Average

C = Average

D = Below Average

F = Failing

So if a parent sees an A or B on a report card, the typical response is good. The parent knows they are doing well. If a parent sees a C, they begin wondering what's going on. Is their child struggling? If it is a D or F, they know their child is not doing well.

But this is not what it really means anymore.

This is NOT hidden from parents. Parents need to read the report card comments that accompany the grade.

Students with an IEP

If your child has an identified reading disability with an accompanying IEP (Individualized Education Plan), your child is not allowed to earn below a D anyway. An F on their report card would suggest that their IEP is not being met. Not meeting an IEP is illegal. The purpose of an IEP is to make appropriate adjustments to the curriculum so that the child can access it. It is meant to provide a bridge over your child's learning disability so that they can perform the same as their peers. A disability would mean that they need additional support (the bridge) to access the curriculum. Teachers in RCPS (and in many other local divisions) are NOT allowed to give an F to these students. What if that child refuses to do work and turn it in, so the F they have is because they didn't do the work? Well....that means that we need to make an adjustment to their work, make an amendment to their IEP. It doesn't matter that the child is refusing, it becomes the school's issue to sort out so they can get at least a D.

Students reading below grade level

If your child is a struggling reader and NOT reading on grade level, teachers are only allowed to base their grade on their reading level, not the grade level. This unwritten policy was handed down from RCPS Central Office years ago despite teachers not being in favor of it. We felt that allowing an A or B on a report card if the child was reading below grade level would be misleading to the parents. And it continues to be so. Because any child can earn an A if they are being graded on what they CAN do, not what we would expect them to be able to do in their grade.

Here is what it means: if your child is in 3rd grade, but reading on a 1st grade level, they are "below grade level," but they can still earn an A on the report card. This is because we are not allowed to grade them based on the grade level.

When I am teaching a child in 2nd grade who reads on a kindergarten level, it is useless to give them 2nd grade reading materials to work on. We need to differentiate - meaning, we meet the child where they are and provide the instruction they need at that level in order to grow. If we do not do this, and always give reading instruction and materials at a level that is too hard (the grade level) growth will not occur. This is backed by research.

We are required to grade them based on what they are capable of, which means that they may have different spelling words (below grade level) than their peers because we are customizing their instruction. Both groups, on-grade level and below may do the same activities with their words and receive a grade of an A for spelling that week because they are mastering their words....regardless of the fact that they are not mastering on-grade level words.

This leads to false As and Bs on a report card. Teachers tried to say, "Parents will look at that grade and think their child is doing ok, and they aren't!" The solution we were given was to write about it in the report card comment section.....the section some parents do not read (surprisingly). We were instructed to write something along the lines of: Your child's grade does not reflect grade-level work, but shows what they can do on their level.

Then we would mark below grade level on the report card and hope that parents could understand that. Often they don't, so IF they come in for a parent-teacher conference, we try to explain all that then.

Parents

Many parents continue to be involved and engaged in their child's learning, but a smaller group sometimes insist that if their child isn't getting an A or a B that it is the teacher's fault. This is very stressful. Sometimes our administrators don't want the hassle and we will be told to "fix it." Our administrators and teachers fear these kinds of meetings.

Good-bye A/B Honor Roll

Because of the discrepancies created by the aforementioned areas, A/B Honor Roll is no longer what it used to mean. Therefore, schools have been moving away from recognizing Honor Roll students. It disappeared from my school over three years ago.

What are PALS, LETRS, and PAST?

The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS), Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading & Spelling (LETRS) and the Phonological Awareness Screen Test (PAST) are all reading screenings to do one of two things 1) Identify students with reading difficulties early for interventions, 2) Determine the type of instruction that is needed for a child's reading growth.

PALS is required by the state and is given three times a year. LETRS and PAST are required by Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS) and are also given three times per year. All of these provide valuable information for your child's teacher to teach them. Depending on their scores, your child may be identified for extra services with a Reading Specialist. An individualized plan to help your child overcome reading weaknesses is created, implemented, and monitored.

LETRS and PAST were implemented in the 2021-22 school year. These are phonological awareness and phonics assessments. LETRS is NOT a curriculum for students, but a two year training curriculum for teachers. LETRS is one methodology grounded in "The Science of Reading" Research. Recently, Virginia passed guidance for schools requiring all school systems to implement and base their reading instruction on the Science of Reading by the 2024-25 school year. RCPS is ahead of the game.

Your child's teacher will typically review the results of each of these assessments with you during conferences.

School Resource Officers

I fully support hiring and placing one School Resource Officer (SRO) in every single school in Rockingham County. Our children are precious and deserve every protection we can give them. A SRO at the main entrance of every school provides professionally trained men and women to keep our children safe. SRO's can be more than just protection, though. The relationships that they build with students, and the security and safety that they bring ensure a positive entrance to the school.

A SRO should be at every elementary school too. Several of our elementary schools are in areas where cell service is limited and wait time for emergency personnel can be around ten minutes.

Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice is one of the latest buzz words in education. It focuses on less punitive punishments (such as suspensions, time outs, etc.) and more on restoring the relationship between the student and the hurt person/child. It sounds great in theory, but in practice, there are no significant differences between it and current practices. However, what it does unintentionally is teach students that there are no punitive consequences for poor choices and behavior. After a decade of trying to implement Restorative Justice Practices in our country's schools, it isn't holding up to research (see link above). Restorative Justice examples can be found here.

What I like about it: It involves conversations and natural consequences.

What I don't like about it: It isn't always a behavior deterrent. Peers who have been wronged may see repeat behaviors. Victims do not always want to (and should not be made to) have a conversation with the offender. Strong consequences that hold students accountable for their behavior are necessary in school systems to maintain order for all learners.

What I do support: Common sense consequences and classroom management that is respectful of the child while holding them accountable for their actions. More parent involvement. If a child is sent to the principal's office with a referral, a parent should be notified immediately and every single time it happens.

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