Name: Cynthia Dominique

Campaign website: Cynthiaforbrowardschools.com

Date and place of birth: 2/14/85; Fort Lauderdale, FL

On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 the highest), rate the job performance of Superintendent Howard Hepburn, emphasizing his strengths and weaknesses.
I would rank the superintendent at a 3. He has an opportunity to do better- hold his staff accountable.

He has opportunities to follow through on board request, ensuring transparency with the board and stake holders. As a school board we need to provide clear standard and direction to him and hold him accountable to those standards. I believe he is committed to student success. He implemented the School Transformation office to support struggling schools an academic performance has improved under his leadership. He has implemented customer service programs but this is an area that needs continues improvement. There are many opportunities to continue to improve and we should always be focused on excellence.

The Broward school district received an “A” grade for the third straight year for student academic performance. Who deserves the most credit for this?
Teachers and staff all contribute to student success. Teachers in the classroom and the intervention staff doing small groups are instrumental in equipping students with knowledge and skills to be prepared for the test. I also know that in many schools, having an all-hands-on deck approach where principals and coaches provide small groups and remediation also had an impact. Additionally, our Speech language pathologist, occupational therapist and the entire community that support student ability to get to school, be fed, supported, and ready to learn are valuable as well. Students are also part of their own success they learn, and endure significant external pressure to succeed, miss out on recess and persevere through sometimes extremely long test. The school-parent partnership is also critical part of that success; Parents have to ensure they get their kids to school on time, also had to work. In addition to our teachers our success is dependent on bus drivers, custodial staff, campus monitors, meta-professionals, Food and Nutrition and the entire Broward school’s community is part of that success.

Voters will decide whether to extend a school property tax increase. If it passes, the School Board will allocate 90 percent of the money for raises for teachers and school-based staff. Do you agree or disagree with this decision and why?
I support additional supplemental bonuses for Teachers and school-based staff should absolutely get the bulk of the referendum money. There also needs to be concerted effort to find permanent solution to raises to base pay, increase affordability of health insurance, increased supplements for additional duties, and incentivization for continued education and certifications.

We also need to find solutions to increase pay for staff that support student learning like the paraprofessionals, campus monitors and so many other staff who don’t make enough to afford living in our county.

Will you vote for or against the tax extension and why? 
I will absolutely vote YES to renew the referendum. Without it, we will lose amazing teachers and staff. This is why it’s critically important to find permanent solutions to increased total compensation. It’s imperative that we continue to rebuild trust in our community to have their support.

A series of fiscal missteps in the past year has placed the school board and the administration on the defensive. How well has the district responded to these controversies?
Is imperative that the district and school board maintain accountability and transparency with all decision making. While the district has taken some measures to remedy some of the missteps, there are opportunities to take stronger action, increase accountability and restore trust.

There need to be considerable improvements in construction, procurement, the bidding process, contract renewals, and the organization chart.

One such controversy involved using past referendum money to pay large bonuses to highly-paid administrators. Should those who received bonuses have been required to refund the money? Why or why not?
Anyone who received money outside what voters approved should be required to return the money. In order to maintain public trust, the district must abide by the language on the ballot and when it is discovered that the district is not in compliance with what voters approved, there should be immediate remedy and consistency in how that action is applied.

To reduce a financial deficit, the board approved a reorganization plan that critics say is unfair because it eliminates front-line positions while leaving bureaucratic jobs largely untouched.  Do you agree or disagree with this criticism and why? 
I can understand the criticism because we do have many layers of administration and have opportunities to refine the organization chart. It’s important that the organization chart is proportional to enrollment while protecting the classroom environment. Instead of revising the organization chart yearly, it may be necessary to review and refine it more frequently as enrollment and redefining conversations take place.

The school board has voted to close six underenrolled schools to save money. Do you think the district should close more schools or not, and why? 
The ideal situation would be to keep schools open and accessible to community. It is incredibly difficult for any community to lose a school.  As the redefining conversation take place and decisions are made, the district and school board must make best us of its facilities and consider what will yield the greatest cost-saving. Decisions should be made with fidelity and based on data, while considering the need of communities.

The district also needs to consider the cost when a school is used for another district purpose such as maintenance, utilities, etc. as well as the cost of modifying schools with grade conversion and transporting student to new schools.

Changes have to be made to address enrollment so that we are attracting new students and retaining current ones.

List in reverse chronological order each college or university attended, with years of attendance.
2011 to 2013 University of Miami- Master of Science in Nursing

2009-2010 Bachelor of Science of Nursing

2005-2009 Associate of Science in Nursing/Associate of Arts

2004-2005- Army Practical Nurse Course

2003- Army Combat Medic Program

List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
2013 to Present- Nova Southeastern University- Adjunct Faculty, lecturer and clinical professor

2002 to Present- U.S Army Reserves- Combat Medic and Nurse

2012-2014- Parallon Workforce Management Solution- Registered Nurse

2016-2017 – Sator Waters- Nurse Practitioner

2013-2016- Cynthia Alceus, P.A.- Nurse Practitioner

2005 to 20012- South Florida State Hospital- Registered Nurse, Nurse Educator, Nurse Informatics

2005 to 2008- Hollywood Hills Nursing Home- Practical Nurse

Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
Raised in Broward County by a Haitian immigrant mother who could not read or write, and couldn’t always advocate for me, I understand the importance of advocating for others.

I am the mother of four Broward public, school students, Army Reserve leader, nurse educator, and longtime community volunteer.

I am running to ensure opportunities:

Safe schools and well-maintained facilities for every student
Closing the achievement gap to be an A district for every child
Competitive, livable wages to recruit and retain great teachers and staff
Strong parent and community voice in every major initiative
Leadership that is responsible with every tax dollar and transparent with every decision
Enhance student support for mental health, early behavior intervention, and support or students with disabilities

I want to move our district forward and be a model district and a place where other places across the country look to for inspiration

I have invested my time, energy and passion volunteering throughout this district for almost a decade in classrooms, schools, serving on committees.

I have served on the school advisory council, on the Parent Teacher Association, and as the School Advisory Forum Chair at Margate Elementary and Margate Middle. I currently chair the District Advisory Council, previously served as the chair of North Area Advisory Council Chair and the superintendent Task Force on Committee Structure and Policy 1070. I have also served as a member of Parent and Community Involvement Task Force, School Boundary Committee, Calendar Committee, Discipline Committee, Superintendent’s Long Range Planning Steering Committee, Policy 4000 Work Group, and the Attendance Committee.

During this time, I have poured in countless hours to advocate for children across this district to ensure: opportunity for every student; access to resources; adequate school safety;  facilities that are safe and up to standard regardless of location; livable wages for educators and staff who all are integral to student success; a balanced approach to testing that preserves flexibility for teaches to meet student needs; a  moderate and progressive implementation of technology that includes safeguards that protect student developmental needs, mental health, and private data;  advocate for academic excellence for all students and closing the achievement gap;  fair policies that provide standardization; and fiscal responsibility and accountability that maximizes tax payer dollars; increase community engagement.

I have worked on getting results:

Led implementation of the $3+ Million Here Comes the Bus Tracking App used by families who use district transportation
Facilitated leadership and budget training to empower hundreds of parents for school advocacy
Co-Founder of the Family Ambassador Program to increase engagement and support families
Created the idea of the Middle School Expo to connect families to programs and boost enrolment.
Facilitated many policies review to ensure they were standardized, based on evidence and best practice and would improve the organization

I am determined, and committed to doing the work!

What in your life experience best qualifies you to serve as a school board member?
I have 23 years in the Army that has taught me resilience, the ability to work collaboratively with all people and to also be mission-oriented.

As a nurse, nurse practitioner and nurse educator, I have had the opportunity to work in different settings and different capacities that has broadened my understanding of not only providing care to patients, but creating policies, implementing program and process improvement, and ensuring cost savings. As a nurse, we are also constantly adjusting the care we provide and our practices based on new evidence.

As dedicated volunteer through Broward County Public Schools I have listened, learned, and gotten results.

Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details of the case and disposition.
No

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
Yes. 2011 Charged with driving with an invalid license. The case was dismissed.