Fuchsia Spann said it’s time to pay it forward and make a difference in children’s lives. She is a candidate for Santa Rosa County School Board District 3.
“I am very passionate about our children’s future and I’m concerned about their education,” she said. “My children had an excellent education and excellent teachers. Now with all of the changes in public education, I’m not so sure my grandchildren will have what their parents had,” said Spann. “So it’s time to get involved.”
Spann said she’s lived in Santa Rosa County for 30 years and she and her husband were proud their children received their education here.
“Teachers should have input on what’s going on in their classrooms. Right now there’s too much government involved,” she said. Spann feels government shouldn’t dictate how a teacher should teach. “I’ve heard teachers complain they don’t feel like teachers anymore. They feel like computer supervisors. All they do is monitor students working on a computer,” she said.
Spann said with all of the problems facing school board members today, she feels she is more than qualified for the job. She said her 23 years of day-to-day nursing experience, including chief nursing officer and education director, makes her confident in her abilities to be an excellent school board member.
“I want to implement quarterly meetings with an open door policy for parents, teachers and community leaders who are interested in how children in Santa Rosa County are taught,” she said. “I want to be held accountable. The school board budget is important and need attention. I want to ask questions,” said Spann. Most importantly, she said, is she wants open school board discussions in front of the public again.
“Currently, there is very little discussion in front of parents and teachers who attend school board meetings. This should change,” she said.
“Whether I win or lose the campaign I will be a winner,” said Spann. “This is what’s important. I am running for school board because I know I can make a difference. I didn’t want to wake up one day and say, ‘what if.’ I want to know I did my very best,” she said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Spann seeks SRC School Board District 3