Sydney Thomas on the Issues
Are you a "radical leftist"? This is a reply on social media, which pretty much sums it up.
Do you support school security?​​
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As a parent of two students in our schools, school safety and security are always at the top of my mind. I hope we can continue to increase our presence of school resource officers in every school, and continue to build on what is already a strong relationship between the Martin County Sheriff's Department and the Martin County School District.
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MCSD has superb security and it has been a priority for ALL stakeholders. That will continue with me on the school board.
Do you want graphic sexual content in schools?
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No.
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I am frequently presented with this question because I am against many of book removals in our high schools. As a parent of teenagers, I understand why some books were taken off the shelves. However, not all of the books contained sexual content.
One example is The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. It is not an adult romance novel, but a phenomenal story recounting parts of the Holocaust. Several books by Toni Morrison were also removed. Her books used to be required reading for AP courses. This is just two examples of many.
I trusted our educators and media specialists to make recommendations on what books to keep in our high school libraries. The majority of our administrators, media specialists, and educators recommended that most of the books remain on the high-school shelves. They were removed anyway. This prompted me to work alongside groups such as STOP Moms for Liberty and Defense of Democracy, both non-partisan groups advocating against educational censorship.
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I advocate for a reconsideration of removed materials and more public awareness of our Destiny library system, which allows parents to limit access for their children as they see appropriate.
So we don't have to co-parent with the government.
Why are you running for Martin County School Board?
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As a former educator AND parent of MCSD students, I have the experience and knowledge to serve. Additionally, I've been advocating for public education for years through attending school board meetings, communicating with our elected officials, and helping to chair multiple education advocacy groups. This is the natural next step in my advocacy. I believe public education is one of the most important foundations of our country, and I am excited to serve on the school board.
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Our community can not ignore the steady decrease of our district's performance, as well as reputation. We have been embarrassed nationally twice, and our educators do not feel supported by our board. It's time for a fresh start on the school board so we can begin to heal our reputation and relationship with our teachers.
Do you have any conflicts of interest?​
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None.
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I am not locally employed.
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I am not affiliated with any political party, club, or organization. I have been registered as No Party Affiliated since 2010.
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I do not donate large sums of money to any local or national group or business.
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I do not accept large sums of money from any local or national group or business.
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I am not connected to any construction or development companies related to Martin County's growth.
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The largest donation from another politician I have earned is less than $100.
Do you want the Woke agenda in schools?
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I only care about providing the best public education to ALL students. Keep politics out of the schools and the school board. We should represent EVERY member of our community.
I'm focused on making data-driven decisions, which will continue to drive my decision-making. What does the data indicate, and what is in the best interests of our students?
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I believe in inclusion and representation, which are research-based interventions to improve risk-factors for a variety of student groups. I do not believe in indoctrination in our schools, or teaching kids TO BE anything other than productive and successful members of our community.
I encourage you to reach out with any questions!
Do you support school choice and charter schools?
My family has utilized "school choice" more than once. It looks like we are about to do it again, actually.
I am NOT against school choice.
I am NOT against charter schools.
I am NOT against private schools.
I AM AGAINST politicians profiting from "school choice", and charter management companies making big profits while serving the most advantaged children. That's it.
THAT is what I am against.
I am pro school choice when it's equally accessible.
I am pro school choice when politicians aren't passing laws about charter schools, and then turning a profit. And that IS happening locally.
For more information about charter schools and politics: