Why I am Running

By Jennifer Hamler

I am running for Encinitas Union School Board because I am a concerned parent. I want our children to have safe environment where they can learn and grow, think critically and creatively, and become independent thinkers.

It is also vital that parents have a voice in their child's education. Parents know their children best. They know what drives, interests, and motivates their children. One of my principal goals as a board member will be to provide a meaningful voice to parents, and to ensure that parents are heard during the decision-making process on significant issues affecting how their children are educated, before decisions on these significant issues are made.

Common Core standards are adopted by the state of California. Common Core trumpets many good ideas and aspirations, including collaboration, critical thinking, and going deeper in instruction. But we need to be careful as a district when developing our new curriculum that each decision is considered and made deliberately and is supported by valid research and piloted programs. There is no reason that we need to force our kids to jump into the deep end to the pool without teaching our kids to swim first. I will not allow our children to be guinea pigs.