OPINION: Julie Caskey gets things done for our kids
I’m voting for Julie Caskey for the School Board, and I’d like to tell you why—she’s effective at getting things done for our kids. Having four kids of her own spanning Piedmont’s elementary, middle, and high school, Julie is 100% vested in our schools. She also understands a personalized approach is critical to unleashing each child’s potential.
I’ve worked with Julie for the past eight years as a fellow board member of Piedmont ALPS (Advanced Learner Program Support). As president for two years, she brought stellar organization, a collaborative style, and a relentless drive to implement changes that will better prepare our kids for the world they will inherit upon graduation.
Julie gets things done. She raised money and helped create a position for K-12 called a differentiation coach. As a result, Amy Symons Burke now works with teachers and students to create differentiated learning plans, and gain access to resources to support those plans–whether the students are advanced, challenged, or just need something different, as many kids do. Julie was also an instrumental math task force member, implementing a new compression math option for 6th graders. We have amazing teachers in Piedmont. Julie works to make sure they have the support and resources they need to help every child reach their potential.
As our teachers know, best practices in education are changing and evolving rapidly. Our teachers are no longer standing at the front of a classroom, lecturing students. Learning is interactive, collaborative, differentiated. Chromebooks enable new opportunities for learning, allowing children to better learn at their own pace. As a current parent, an active member of ALPS, The Beach Parent Organization, and other school groups, Julie understands how these changes and opportunities should best be implemented. She isn’t afraid to embrace change if it leads to better outcomes for our kids and pushes Piedmont to continue evolving so that we can maintain our standards as a top school district.
Julie also worked for 20 years as a lawyer, assisting women, children, and families that had been marginalized, excluded, and left behind. Julie will bring the passion, intelligence, and energy she brought to her career to her role as a member of our school board.
I feel confident that having Julie on our school board will enable our schools to provide a better learning environment for all our students. I hope you will join me in voting for Julie Caskey for school board.
Kim Fisher, Piedmont Resident
