Cyndie Geries Candidate For School Board
As a veteran educator, I am excited about the possibility of being elected to Darlington County School District Board of Education. I promise to make every effort to represent fellow educators, students, families and citizens. My focus is to support public education by encouraging grassroots efforts to strategically plan by networking for accountability.
I am a product of Darlington County School District having graduated from St.Johns High School in 1966 and Winthrop College in 1970 with degrees in elementary and exceptional education.
Having served as a classroom teacher and attendance supervisor for a 40 year career in public education, my goal is to be a strong voice for teachers, employees, students, parents and citizens.
As the parent of two grown children who attended our schools, I have experienced first-hand the challenges, concerns, opportunities and celebrations that you and your families have encountered. I have had the honor of working alongside teachers, administrators, agencies, business leaders, civic organizations, volunteers and mentors who have given tirelessly of themselves, their talents and their time with little recognition. I am passionate about public education and have committed my adult life to assisting and serving students and their families by mentoring, volunteering, and implementing programs to encourage students to stay in school. I believe that a DARLINGTON COUNTY GRASSROOTS EFFORT to network with our local and state elected representatives, policy makers, local and county governments, businesses, industries, human services agencies, nonprofits, civic organizations, law enforcement agencies, judicial systems, faith communities, medical providers, parents and private citizens to improve the “well being” of children and families in our county is imperative and long overdue. I believe that parents must be responsible and held accountable for their children.
I would like to share with you some of the most recent statistics for Darlington County from the 2009 Annie Casey Foundation Kids Count Report (http://www.kidscount.org). After opening the website, you can click on SC and then click on Darlington County for a full report.
32.9% of children lived below the poverty level….... over $21 million were allocated for food stamps annually in our county
298 children were identified by DSS as victims of abuse and/or neglect from July 1, 2008 until June 30,2009
22.1% of children were not consistently ready for first grade
23.2% of children were over age in grade 3
11.2% of teens ages 16 to 19 were idle
23.8% of students did not pass the High School Assessment Program(HSAP)exam
33.2% of students enrolled in the 8th grade were not enrolled in the 12th grade four years later
54.7% of children received medicaid at a cost of over $20 million annually
These are just a few of the reasons that it is more critical that ever to re-examine some of our local priorities. These statistics are embarrassing and paint a grim picture for children in Darlington County. Our schools are a direct reflection of our community. As we know, they set the barometer for our county and directly impact property values, crime rates, and our quality of life in general. Certainly, we can do a better job by demanding swift and immediate accountability on the part of all parties and all leaders. We can continue to work hard or start to work smart. Inner-agency networking is more imperative than ever in these tough economic times. Can we afford to keep doing business as usual?
Opportunities to make a difference in the lives of children and their families are endless. I appreciate your consideration for support and welcome an opportunity to hear from you. I believe that educators have a responsibility as trusted leaders to speak out and be heard. I would consider it an honor to “SERVE YOU AGAIN”. My email address is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).