PRIORITIES
Raise the Bar on Education
My international experience gives me an unique perspective of the international competition and how to raise the bar on curriculum standards and prepare our kids for the interconnected global world we all live in. The well-being of our children’s mental and emotional health is just as vital as their physical and intellectual well-being. It is crucial that we prioritize their mental and emotional well-being to equip them for the challenges of the real world. Furthermore, we should prioritize teaching our children essential life skills such as financial management, cooking, farming, handyman tools proficiency, and basic vocational training.
Address the School Overcrowding
There are currently 245 number of portables in the school system and some schools are 120% and some schools project to be at 130% capacity in the future if nothing is done now. The average age of our Elementary and High Schools is 40 years, and the average age of the Middle Schools are 35 years. We need to prioritize in renovating our crumbling infrastructure, building additional capacity and building additional schools to catch up with the student enrollment.
Make All Schools in HoCo at the Same High Level
Despite operating within the same school system, there exists a significant disparity in the rankings and performance of schools within the county. It is imperative that we develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure that all schools in the HCPSS consistently meet high standards of achievement.
Bottom-up Budgeting
It is essential to approach the allocation of our resources and funds from a new perspective and implement a bottom-up budgeting approach instead of a top-down budgeting approach. In light of technological advancements and changes in our priorities over the past decades, what was once considered relevant may no longer hold true, and there may exist newer and more efficient methods to accomplish our objectives.
High School #14 in Elkridge
Elkridge has been long neglected and we need to ensure that the 14th Howard County high school is built in Troy Hill or the South Elkridge Civic District.
HS14 in Elkridge. A white paper by Pravin Ponnuri & Drew Roth
Focus on Education not Opinions
The main priority of our school system should be education, but often we are sidetracked by current events and allow our emotions to cloud our judgment. It is important that we educate our children with factual information, rather than imposing our own opinions upon them. We should share the facts and teach them how to analyze them in order to develop their own opinions.
Redistrict with Transparency and Empathy
As the county experiences growth and constructs new schools, redistricting becomes an unavoidable process. However, it is important to recognize that redistricting impacts students and their families on a deep level, impacting their schedules, activities, relationships, and academic performance, as well as other enriching school experiences. Therefore, any decisions regarding redistricting should be made with complete transparency and empathy. It is important to regularly assess school capacities on a yearly basis and implement smaller, less disruptive adjustments instead of relying solely on county-wide redistricting when necessary.