Campaign Filing Statement

By Terri De Bono

I believe in a strong public school system. Knowledge and education should be equally accessible to every student. I will use common sense and fairness to make this happen.

Giving classroom needs precedence, as well as monitoring the budget, would be my goals. Much like producing a successful public television documentary, your monies need to support your most important line item. It is time for the needs of the classroom to come first, for class size to be a priority, for art, music and library programs to be a priority. I support English as a Second Language and encourage the learning of other foreign languages that shape our students to become citizens of the world.

Filmmaking has allowed me to teach with different tools. I currently have 11 educational films in international distribution including a trilogy of John Steinbeck short stories.

As the producer of the recent PBS documentary, "Accidental Hero", about a high school public speaking class, I gained first hand knowledge of the current educational system. Teenagers have a difficult time navigating their high school years, striving toward higher education and meaningful employment. I believe that effective communication skills, critical thinking and self-confidence are tools needed by all students to prepare for a successful future.

Setting high expectations and goals is essential in helping all kids attain the success and dreams they want. At all costs, we need to find ways to keep kids from dropping out of school. I would be a board member that would willingly work in partnership with parents, hardworking teachers, support staff and the business community to give schools the tools they need to support these high standards.

I believe in a strong public school system built on a foundation of basic skills. I will use common sense and fairness to make this happen in all of our schools.

"Accidental Hero": http://www.pbs.org/accidentalhero