Brightman's the One

Bullying Can Last a Lifetime By Donna L. Brightman The repercussions of bullying and harassment can last a lifetime.   My eldest son went to school every day from kindergarten through 12th grade knowing he would be bullied or harassed by his peers. Each year we struggled to help him feel safe and secure.   We worked with the administration and teachers, but resolutions were always short-lived. After so many years of taunts, jeers, and discomfort he refused to walk across the stage and receive his hard-earned diploma along with those same students who had judged him so harshly for so long. ...read more << Previous 1 2 Next >> ...Show all Hot Topics

Donna Brightman working to retain seat
on Board of Education; vote Nov. 4, 2008

By Donna L. Brightman
Candidate for Board of Education
Washington County, Maryland

Serving on the Board of Education offers a unique opportunity to make policy and oversee the superintendent, while representing and being accountable to the citizens of Washington County.

I am running to retain my seat on the board in the Nov. 4 general election because there is so much work to be done in all these areas of responsibility:

• Implement the legislative audit recommendations, which include hiring an independent internal auditor and instituting a fraud hot line.

• Strictly enforce the Open Meetings Act and reconstitute the Ethics Committee to insure the board’s public integrity.

• Improve the superintendent’s evaluation process by making it more transparent.

• Mitigate the potential budget shortfall to minimize the impact on instructional services.

• Hold roundtable discussions with citizens throughout the county to hear concerns and suggestions from parents, students, teachers, and business and community leaders.

• Partner with county and municipal governments to insure adequate sports fields and facilities for all members of our communities.

• Develop policy for public-private partnerships to insure that the partnerships are held to the highest public standards that our taxpayers expect.

I offer solutions to all of these issues and more through an independent and critical thought process. Education can never stand still. We must constantly be looking for better strategies to achieve higher goals in the most cost effective way.