Name: Raylon E. Leaks-May
Website(s):N/A
Occupation: Licensed Insurance Agent Farmers
Education: BA Interdisciplinary Studies, Madonna University
Previous and/or current elected positions: N/A
Community involvement: School district volunteer for over 20 years, FEF Trustee, Superintendent Advisory Committee member, Ferndale Board of Education Finance Committee member etc….
Do you currently have students in the district, and if so, what school(s) do they attend?
I have three children in district, two attend JFK Open, 1st and 3rd grade; one attends Grant Early Childhood Center.
Why do you want to be on the School Board?
I want to be on the School Board because I have taken on various leadership roles within this district and with successful results. Being on the School board will allow me to increase my effectiveness as a leader, as well as an advocate, on a greater scale!
Why should people vote for you?
I am a parent who is persistent and not afraid to advocate for this district and this community.
What do you think are the top responsibilities of the School Board? The responsibilities of the School Board are to make crucial decisions/ policies that are beneficial to our student population, our instructors, our schools and our community!
Are there any school board decisions or policies that you disagree with, and why?
The School Board’s decision to extend their own terms is a decision that I disagreed with, as did many others. Although, I know that the board was well within its rights to make such a decision, I have always felt that the ethical thing to do would have been to put it on a ballot and to have let the community decide.
Do you think parents sending their students out of district is an issue, and if so what would you do about it?
Resident retention is a big problem in our district. I would like to see the formation of a resident retention group, one that works closely with administration so that we can find out why our residents are choosing other districts. I would also like to see the formation of a town hall, maybe offered 2-3 times during the school year / summer so that community concerns or questions may be addressed!
What does Ferndale Schools do well as a district?
This district has employed some really great educators who are dedicated to our children and this district does really well in encouraging parents to be heavily involved in their children’s education; there is always an open-door policy and I have always appreciated that!
What can be improved upon?
I would love to see our instructors being valued more often for their dedication to our children and commitment to excellence in education.
Anything else readers should know about you?
As a mother of young children, I plan to be involved in this district and community for a very long time. The Ferndale School district and community is blessed with strong parental involvement and the gift of diversity. I appreciate the gifts that this community has to offer and will advocate to see to it that this gem is preserved!
NOTE: Raylon Leaks-May is running on the “CLEAR” PAC slate for this election along with, Amy Butters, Jim O’Donnell and Kevin Deegan-Krause. Read more about CLEAR at http://makeitclearferndale.org/. While the four are campaigning together, voting is done on an individual basis. The election will be Nov. 6, 2012. More voting information can be found at https://oaklandcounty115.com/category/voter_info/.