A Serious Leader for Durham Public Schools
Lauren Sartain for Durham County Board of Education
Operational excellence leads to student success.
Durham Public Schools already has the right values for Durham. We collectively believe in the power of education to lift people up, that justice requires equitable distribution of resources, and that high quality education is everyone’s right.
The Board has passed policy after policy reinforcing these values. But our operational challenges are getting in the way of achieving the vision we all share.
Operational excellence is the key to creating the District we deserve.
And operational excellence starts with our School Board. Lauren has the experience, skills and passion to re-focus our District’s efforts on delivering the education Durham’s students need.
What is operational excellence?
Operational excellence is creating a budget that both meets our real-world needs and is one we can afford.
Operational excellence prevents making empty promises to staff because we didn’t conduct due diligence on the implications of our policy choices.
Operational excellence creates a transportation system that can reliably get kids to school, because we can’t educate students if they are not in their seats.
Operational excellence means affordable, available after school programs that keep kids safe and parents at work.
Operational excellence is the only way that we can show families that DPS is the best choice for their children.
When our systems are working, our teachers, staff and students can focus on achieving great things together.
Together, we will:
Create a realistic, transparent budget that prioritizes student and staff classroom experience.
Solve the pay crisis to rebuild teacher and staff morale.
Ensure we have reliable transportation and accessible aftercare so schools work for families.
Make central office work for all Durham students. Ensure that our central administrative team meets the needs of the schools they serve.
Work with school leaders to address deferred maintenance and create a technology program that supports our curriculum and works within our budget.