It is with much prayer and self-reflection that I formally announce my candidacy for reelection to the Natchitoches Parish School Board District 6 seat. For the past four years you have entrusted me to make decisions that directly affect the education of our children, the state of our budget and the employees of our district.
As I come to the end of my first term in office, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have served and I humbly ask you to consider allowing me to continue my public service to you and the children of Natchitoches Parish School Board District 6.
My original reasons for seeking office four years ago were echoed in my work on a daily basis. Those goals included a commonsense approach to everyday problems that face our school system, complete transparency while keeping parents and the community informed and forging partnerships between businesses and schools.
Soon after election our current School Board member team was tasked with hiring a new Superintendent. We set a new precedent as a board and interviewed all fourteen applicants for this position and invited the public in, every step of the way. Soon after our newly hired Superintendent was on board our world was introduced to COVID-19. During this time, we learned to work together as a board and a community to meet the needs of our students and families. This is when, for the first time in our history, we became a 1:1 district. Meaning every child in our district has access to a computer device. (IPad)
This blazed a trail for us to create The Natchitoches Virtual Academy.
During this time communication was paramount. Under our new leadership we established an increased online presence in the form of social media, (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) live streaming of meetings on our Youtube Channel, and even the development of a mobile app to keep parents informed. As well as building a user-friendly website. Our school district has earned respect in school branding and has been invited to present at the Southern Leadership Conference that covers a Tri-State area.
Where we lagged grossly behind, we are now leading the way.
Even though we were faced with so much uncertainty during our first term in office we never wavered with our goals of creating a school district that would enhance student achievement, attract new employees and new students to our area. During this time, particularly in the past year, our new leadership has drastically reduced the number of uncertified teachers. Through incredible management and good stewardship, for the first time since 2006, we are able to give a pay raise to every employee in our school district.
Our list of wins is the product of our team work and not the work of one individual. While our list of “wins” is impressive and exciting, our work is simply not finished. We are faced with new challenges on a daily basis as the world around us is changing drastically. It is imperative that we have experienced board members who are accessible to the public, problem solvers and who recognize that our children are the backbone of our future and need us more than ever.
I am a proud product of Natchitoches Parish Public Schools and I will always remain a passionate advocate of public education. I am also honored to serve as a Presidential Appointee on the Louisiana School Board Association representing Natchitoches Parish. My prayer is that in some respect it ultimately shines a light on our hard-working students and staff of Natchitoches Parish Schools. I am extremely blessed to be part of a board who was elected to create transformational change and my prayer is that you will support me in my efforts to keep the momentum going and continue our hard work.
Thank you for your support and prayers in the past. Thank you for putting your trust in me. I am truly grateful for every single moment that I have experienced over the past four years. Mistakes and triumphs. Serving the public has been the biggest blessing to me and my two daughters.
I humbly and prayerfully ask you to continue that support.
For questions or concerns you can contact me at 318-332-4260 or email me at jreba.phelps@gmail.com
