Mary Fioravanti
District:
Boundary County School District
Zone:
Zone 2
Candidate Responses
What do you believe is the fundamental role of education?
The fundamental role of education is to create self-sufficient, critical thinkers. Education should inspire leaders, encourage individuals to stand for justice, and offer a proper foundation of morals to restore and maintain a Constitutional Republic.
How would you promote rigorous academic instruction and excellence in your school district?
I would promote excellence by introducing debate classes where students will learn the art of communication, preparation, and use critical thinking. Now speaking generally aside from debate classes, students should be graded with less weight on whether they gave the right answer on an assignment/exam and evaluated heavier on whether they can use logic and reason to win a case or to solve a problem in an adaptive scenario that is given to them verbally by the teacher. I would also like students to start their own websites while in high school and use those websites as assignment submission tools in subjects such as history or English. The point of this is for students to gain new skills and experience in the growing digital world. Starting and maintaining a website will remove intimidation of entrepreneurship and creative thinking will be encouraged!
How do you define Critical Race Theory? When implemented in school policies and curriculum, do you think Critical Race Theory differs from simply “teaching history?”
Critical Race Theory is propaganda portraying the white race as dishonorable while other races were suppressed. The outcome of this teaching is that white races are taken advantage of today by entitled minorities to make up for our ancestors’ behaviors. This curated subject further divides humanity with hatred instead of bringing us together. Teaching history is completely different because history is fact, not theory. History covers events, not speculation.
How do you define Social Emotional Learning (SEL)? Would you encourage the implementation of any SEL model in your school district? If so, which model and why?
I would not encourage using SEL models in my school district. Individuals must use logic instead of relying on emotions when assessing factual events. Those who use emotion, no longer believe in facts or science. One essentially suspends their disbelief and ability to process hard data. Suddenly facts become “hate speech.”
How would you respond to the Idaho State Board and Department of Education’s recent dissemination of resources such as the SEL Roadmap for Reopening Schools, which argues that schools should adopt anti-racist practices, focus on social justice, and conduct staff-wide implicit bias trainings? Should teachers be required to attend these kinds of trainings?
I would respond to the Idaho State Board by not only rejecting that proposition but advocating for curriculum focused on understanding the Constitution and what it means for “all men to be created equal” and each individual’s right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Teachers should not be required to waste their time being indoctrinated with social injustice and bias trainings. A better use of time would be training the teacher how to communicate to students with different learning styles such as kinesthetic, auditory, or visual.
Should your school district be required to teach a sex education curriculum? If so, should this curriculum include instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity? Should parents and guardians be required to provide consent before their children participate in any sex education curriculum?
The role of education is to create self-sufficient, critical thinkers. Sex education has no place in that. While I strongly oppose sex education, it must be said it is absolutely necessary for parents and guardians to provide consent to the school before their children are taught this curriculum. What students SHOULD be taught is what good parenting is or how to live harmoniously with others or with your future spouse. Parenting is the most paramount job in the entire world, and yet, these younger generations have not been taught the meaning of good parenting, principled love, and selflessness.
How should school districts respond to the Idaho School Boards Association’s recommendation that transgender students be allowed to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify?
Regarding transgender bathrooms, the school district would simply refer to amendment 9 in the Constitution and state that it is a violation of privacy to non-transgender students.
Do you support mask mandates in schools as a COVID-19 mitigation strategy? Do you support implementation of any other policies or practices designed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19?
I do not support mask mandates. Mask mandates deprive the student of both life, liberty, and property (property being the person) secured to us in the 5th amendment, as well as all other rights unmentioned that are still secured to us in the 9th amendment. In most cases, policies developed around mitigating Covid are completely tyrannical and have no merit to them. I would look at the policy and assess how well it protects individual freedoms and if it aligns with the Constitution.