By Jamal Thomas
Montgomery, AL- Deena Weston is one of 5 candidates in the race for Montgomery County Board of Education, District 6. Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) is like a puzzle to her, and she plans to bring her problem-solving abilities to the table.
“We have to empower our teachers and principals.” Weston shared. “We must figure out what is keeping parents away and how to keep the parents that are already here.”
Weston has been involved with the school system for many years. She started back when her children were attending Dannelly Elementary. There was a situation at the school and Weston saw the opportunity to help. After attending a school board meeting she learned that Board Members did not go into the schools. This led her to volunteering with the school and PTA. “I started thinking about how I can make MPS work for my family, and my kids getting the education they deserve.”
It was not very long before Weston realized that she could make a difference for other families. She became heavily involved with Floyd PTA and watched it grow. Weston then got involved with Montgomery County PTA so that she could volunteer at other schools. She started at Davis Elementary.
There are some concerns that Weston has regarding the current state of MPS. One is the amount of paperwork that teachers are required to complete. Weston says that there needs to be a focus on teaching rather than documentation. Another concern deals with raising the expectations of students. “We cannot keep lowering the bar. We should want all of our students to be the best and the brightest.”
Weston was raised on a farm in North Alabama. She has been married to David Weston for 25 years. They have three children.
All rights reserved, Gumptown Magazine. Copyright 2018.
