Tina Certain: Raised, invested and serving in Alachua County
It’s my privilege to serve on the School Board of Alachua County. I was raised and educated in this community and in our public education system, as were my husband and our two children.
My life has greatly benefited from the excellent education I received. Because of the support of my community and the school system, I was well equipped to become a successful Certified Management Accountant, working both in governmental and corporate settings.
My husband, like me, grew up in this county and is a recent law enforcement retiree with a distinguished career. Public education secured our family’s financial standing, prepared our children for successful careers and allowed us the ability to give back to our community.
A little over a year into my first term, our world was flipped upside down by the impact of a global pandemic. Our children and families suffered academically, economically, mentally and physically. March 13, 2020, changed everything ... forever.
As a School Board member, I am proud to have led our community through the darkest of times. We provided a safe work and learning environment for students. We listened to medical experts and our staff in order to negotiate safe policies and procedures to keep our schools open.
COVID took its toll on our children and education system. Inequities of all types that existed well before COVID have only worsened since spring 2020. We have serious issues with attendance, student performance and mental health that must be addressed.
The federal government has provided an enormous influx of resources for school districts to address the impacts of the pandemic on education. I will continue to advocate to use these funds wisely to improve attendance and academic performance, and increase support for teachers, staff and students. These funds could monumentally change our community and improve the school system, but how we choose to spend these funds is crucial.
As a School Board member, I’ve kept my commitment to make fiscally sound decisions. This is why I still stand by my vote against the land purchase in Jonesville, a deal that continues to be investigated by law enforcement agencies.
Our community tax dollars deserve serious, calculated, data-driven decisions. You can be assured that I carefully assess how each dollar is spent and evaluate the impact of those decisions.
Real change takes time. Early literacy is key to improving student outcomes long term. Because of my advocacy, the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) research-driven, phonics-based instruction is now provided in every elementary school for grades K-2.
Reading proficiency in early grades will support efforts to improve literacy across the district. The true outcomes of UFLI will not be experienced for a few years as our kindergartners grow into third graders, but these early interventions will bear fruit.
Our goal cannot simply be a high school diploma. Our community’s goal for our children — and our school system’s goal — should be that all of our children have the skills to become successful, contributing members of society.
I’ve worked hard to bring governmental entities together. During my leadership I have been able to secure monies from the county and city to provide spaces that serve our students. This includes School Board meeting space to public parks at our schools. Working inter-governmentally benefits our community.
Let’s continue to work together to strengthen public education. We encourage you to register to vote by mail, vote early or to support us on Election Day, Aug. 23. Please visit www.tinacertain.com to help with our campaign or to learn more about our platform for success. Be certain and vote Tina Certain, District 1.
Tina Certain is running for the Alachua County School Board, District 1. Opinion columns written by the candidates in this race and others running in the upcoming election can be found online at bit.ly/august22electioncolumns.
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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Column from Alachua County School Board Candidate Tina Certain
