LITERACY

Literacy is a civil right and the most important and critical skill we provide in our schools. Reading is the foundation of all learning and yet, the large majority of our students do not meet grade-level proficiency standards.

David Douglas School District has recently made large-scale changes in curriculum to align with the science of reading. In order to support implementation our teachers need training, now, to provide a critical threshold of knowledge and ongoing support to align to evidence-based best practices. We must treat this as the crisis that it is, with urgency and funding prioritization that empower teachers to use science-aligned practices.

My priority as a school board member is to center literacy through budget prioritization, following the science, and listening to the needs of our teachers to ensure all students are being given what they need to become successful students and citizens.

RACIAL JUSTICE

The David Douglas School District has made significant improvements recently including the creation of the Equity Plan and Freedom Dreams which have informed culturally responsive curriculum adoption that affirms the identity of Black and Brown students, fully operationalized Equity Teams in every building and established practices such as “Grow Your Own” that strive to create a district that is unapologetic about hiring staff of color to increase representation of our student population.

As a school board member, I will use a data-driven approach to monitor the decrease and eventual elimination of predictable patterns of academic disparity & disproportionality in disciplinary practice. I will also assess the racial equity impacts of budgetary decisions utilizing an equity lens and in collaboration with families and community partners.

EQUITY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

The pandemic has exacerbated teacher shortages, most evident in Special Education. Additionally, students with IEP and 504 plans have too often not received equitable services and accommodations which may result in shortened days or even exclusion from the classroom.

I will work to bring stakeholders to the table and center the needs of those most-impacted. I will actively seek solutions to ongoing and emergent challenges.

PRESCHOOL AND STEAM EXPANSION

In November 2022, voters approved a $140 million dollar David Douglas Schools bond package that will fund: Preschool offerings at all DDSD elementary schools & increased CTE/STEAM at all schools - including a Future Careers Center at the High School that will provide a state-of-the-art facility for science, technology, engineering and other trades/vocations.

I am very grateful to the community for supporting these expansions in public education with their tax dollars and for investing in our student’s future, our shared future. As a school board member I will fight for strong, equitable public education from preschool through high school graduation for every child in our district while serving as an accountable steward of these funds.

Heather Franklin

David Douglas School Board Member, Position 6

“Our mission at David Douglas is to provide meaningful, equitable, and highly effective instruction so each student grows and thrives socially, emotionally, and academically. Through supportive communities of learners, David Douglas staff will foster the whole child to be a force for positive change in the global society.” - David Douglas School District