Stuckey: Important work remains

Lisa Stuckey's been to this dance before.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education's chairwoman, Stuckey is up for re-election in November.

Stuckey, a member of the school board since 2001, said she aims to use her experience to guide her on decisions the board might make in the future.

"I have almost 15 years' experience as a volunteer in the schools," Stuckey said.

"I have knowledge about how this school system works."

And she hopes to parlay that experience, combined with input from others, into workable policies.

"I am a very open person, willing to hear all sides of an issue and apply common sense and good judgement," she said.

Stuckey, who graduated from the UNC School of Law, hopes in the next school year to place more emphasis on bridging the minority achievement gap - the discrepancy between the academic performance of minority and non-minority students that has been a perennial priority for the board.

"We've already directed the superintendent to focus his energies on that particular issue in the coming year," she said.

Stuckey, along with members of the current school board, already have put into use strategies designed to help monitor the gap on a periodic basis.

The tools, Stuckey said, will allow officials to obtain data from every classroom to check on progress throughout the year. The system is designed to allow teachers to discover a student's failures before end-of-the-year testing.

Stuckey has more invested into this election than a resume line. Her third daughter is beginning her junior year at East Chapel Hill High School.

She said that she is looking not only to improve the school system for all children, but also to continue ongoing projects.

"I feel like I have unfinished business," said Stuckey.

"I am personally involved in this system."

Another of Stuckey's main concerns is attracting and keeping top-notch teachers in the district.

She mentioned an initiative to provide current teachers with more time to prepare for class as one way to achieve that goal.

Last Thursday marked the first of several scheduled delayed openings for students throughout the school year - a major initiative of the board last year.

The delays allow teachers to come in at their normal time to participate in planning sessions or forums meant to help improve teacher work conditions and teacher-student understanding.

Stuckey hopes to elaborate on the policies the board already has in place and be a part of a process that will create more.

"This is a good school system, but it is not a perfect system," she said.

"We can never be complacent."

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.