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Delores Brinkley
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Delores Brinkley ran for election to the DeKalb County School District school board to represent District 5 in Georgia. She lost in the general election on June 9, 2020.
Brinkley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Delores Brinkley was born in LaGrange, Georgia. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Clark Atlanta University in 1988. She earned a master's degree of public health in maternal and child health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1993. She earned master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Argosy University in 1992 and 1995, respectively.[1]
Brinkley's career experience includes working as an associate and adjunct professor, as a subject matter expert for undergraduate and graduate-level courses, as a researcher, in grant writing, and with nonprofit structure development. She has been affiliated with the NAACP and with the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: DeKalb County School District, Georgia, elections (2020)
General election
General election for DeKalb County School District school board District 5
Incumbent Vickie B. Turner defeated Delores Brinkley, Willie Heard Jr., and Zehline Davis in the general election for DeKalb County School District school board District 5 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Vickie B. Turner (Nonpartisan) | 61.5 | 16,645 |
Delores Brinkley (Nonpartisan)  | 19.0 | 5,138 | ||
| Willie Heard Jr. (Nonpartisan) | 10.7 | 2,904 | ||
| Zehline Davis (Nonpartisan) | 8.7 | 2,349 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 47 | ||
| Total votes: 27,083 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Delores Brinkley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Brinkley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I hold a Doctorate and Master's in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.), and a Master of Public Health degree in Maternal & Child Health. I have worked with individuals of all ages (children, adolescents, and adults), with a wide variety of challenges (substance abuse, marriage and family difficulties, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders to name a few), and in multiple settings (inpatient, outpatient, substance abuse, employee assistance, and in crisis stabilization and consultation roles). I have assisted in grant writing, non-profit structure development, and conducted research on utilization and quality assurance reviews. I have over 25 years of experience teaching as an associate & adjunct professor at local universities in the Metro Atlanta area as well as undergraduate & graduate online courses. In addition, I have experience as subject matter expert for several undergraduate and graduate-level courses, designed and monitored curriculum development, and served as a course facilitator and lead course developer
- Children are our future leaders
- Learning should be focused on the child's style of retention
- Children need access to multiple academic resouces
I am a strong believer in quality educational programs that foster life-long learning. Public and mental health has been part of my ongoing interest throughout my career. In addition, gun control and removal of any gun paraphernalia inside of Dekalb schools will be a primary issue that I will advocate for if elected. These issues are areas that I will focus on and would love to spearhead these policies into key advocacy points within DeKalb school systems. The children enrolled in DeKalb should have access to the best curriculum and learning experiences that consist of building up their values and interest in key issues that our facing our society.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are great influences for African Americans. These two have taken a leadership position in history that will remain apart of their legacy. This magical couple have inspired individuals globally and have been able to embrace challenges with an optimistic perspective.
Toni Morrison's "God Help the Child"
Integrity, Honesty, Leadership, Intelligence, Commitment, and Effectiveness.
I am a leader and multitasker that can bring a new perspective to the school board. I believe it important to review and analyze existing services and programs in order to determine areas that need modification. I also pride myself on being a good moderator and believe that I can assist the board in addressing areas where they are experiencing stagnation and resistance in moving the district forward.
During these uncharted times, it is important for the district to prepare faculty, students, and parents for hybrid and online integration, there are several functioning platforms and everyone can be fully acclimated to the process. It is imperative that the superintendent and school board members collaborate and develop a climate where student achievement is a top priority. Curriculums should be tailored to empower students in their learning modalities. Current district goals will need to be reviewed and new ones implemented as needed. It is essential that students have all the available resources of instructional materials, technology, school facilities, and ongoing monitoring to aid in their overall success. In addition, staff and faculty should be aligned with supporting the efforts of the superintendent and the school board. The district needs to be accountable to the community, students, faculty, and administration as instructional programs and school operations are reviewed for ongoing improvements.
That I was a loving and empowering mother and grandmother, my family is the most important thing to me.
The Space Shuttle Challenger Launch and disintegrated after takeoff in 1986. I was 20 years old and I remember that there was an African-American on board as well as a school teacher and I immediately thought of their families and the teacher's students. I imagined that this tragic event left a really negative impression on the youths and shaped their impression about technology, science, and space exploration.
My first job was a hostess at Red Lobster, I got this job on my 16th birthday and I worked there for approximately 1 1/2 years.
A Mercy by Toni Morrison
This book shares some insightful history about slavery and mother/daughter relationships. I believe it is important to learn about my ancestors and history and this book highlights some of these pivotal points. It also brings on some interesting aspects of the critical relationship between a mother and daughter.
This book shares some insightful history about slavery and mother/daughter relationships. I believe it is important to learn about my ancestors and history and this book highlights some of these pivotal points. It also brings on some interesting aspects of the critical relationship between a mother and daughter.
Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder the character is " Annalise Keating, she intelligent and invigorating in this role.
R.E.M. Losing My Religion
I am an African-American woman that strives to have equality in all streams of life. The reality is that I exist in a world that needs to be reminded of the core values of individuals and their human rights. It is important for me to advocate for the underserved and the voices that are vulnerable.
I am running for office to become a voice for the children and community in the 5th District of DeKalb county. Currently, the Board of Education has lost its vision in putting the children of DeKalb first and ensuring that they are able to get the best curriculum and educational platform. The children and adolescents of DeKalb should be equipped to become lifelong learners. My goal is to shift the district into focusing on matching children to their academic learning styles, equipping the parents and teachers with the key technology systems to avoid any gaps in lesson plans, and to offer a transparent and open audit description for all funding overseen by the DeKalb Board of Education.
The citizens of DeKalb include parents, families, and local community leaders that are concerned about having transparency in E-SPLOST funds and future referendums. There is concern about the continued use of trailers for overcrowded classrooms and facility maintenance in some buildings that are not up to compliance.
I take pride in respecting diversity and differences among groups and this would include the students, faculty, staff, and community. At times there might be different views and goals that can be challenging, however, we can find the common within the diversity on any topic. It is important to respect the views, learning styles, values, and beliefs with all of these groups and how these opinions can best serve the needs of DeKalb students.
Advocacy organizations, community leaders, school administration, churches, and other groups that are instrumental in assisting the DeKalb children and schools to be successful will be areas that I would target. As a representative of the school board, I would attend open meetings and forums to learn more about the respective member's interests and how those plans would align with ours.
I like the concept of getting parents in the district involved, this is especially important given that children are currently being home-schooled based on COVID19. Parents have a vital role in their children's educational success and community as well as parent relations should be an open forum. Parents and local members of the community will be encouraged to get involved in discussing the goals and future plans for the district.
Selecting top candidates that exceed the job descriptions and have unique skill sets would be ideal for the improvement of the district. In order to achieve diversity in the recruitment efforts, it would be helpful to have independent recruiting efforts and to pool from the top (5) candidates and allow the local community and parents involvement.
I believe it is important for the board members to set measurable goals and to have an open dialogue when they encounter obstacles. The main issue that could be a distraction would be when individuals have their own agenda that is foreign to the goals and mission of DeKalb.
Student testing outcomes, continued accreditations and certifications will be clear indicators for effective teaching. Teachers that are good will reflect this in their daily performance and end of the year evaluations. Advanced teaching approaches that can be supported with reliable and valid measures are tools that could be adopted.
Trades and practical skills have been areas that lack priority in the school system. Some of the feedback that I have received from students includes the lack of knowledge in basic personal life tools, writing out a check/money order, negotiating a deal, problem-solving, reading an analog clock, as well as public speaking. In addition, trades should be offered for students that are not college-bound to assist them with navigating into their area of interest upon graduation.
The ideal way to advance the 21st-century diploma and improve its value would be to ensure that the graduate who completes their degree is equipped for the next chapter of their life. Thus, students should be prepared for vocational, technical, military, and college-bound skills and be confident in their discipline.
I am a strong supporter for identifying and assisting the student based on their learning style which might be visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing. Assisting the student in reaching their ideal learning style will help them to retain and process information. I would assess the existing programs and review their performance outcomes, it might be helpful to discover some new and innovative programs that will offer students additional pathways to educational success.
As a school board member, my primary obligation would be to assist in providing quality education for all children enrolled in DeKalb county schools. I recognize that as an elected official, that taxpayers expect school board members to make decisions that are cognizant of the economic cost. In addition, the community is entrusting our guidance in determining the best practices for an excellent educational platform for every student. The current fiscal spending should be transparent and accessible through ongoing audits. The existing school buildings and dwellings should be brought up to compliance and conform to fire and building codes.
Children should be safe inside the schools, buses, and while in transit to their school and homes. Bullying and no guns or paraphernalia on the school property will be two areas that I would focus on as a school board member.
I would ensure that the schools are equipped with mental health counselors and social workers. Dekalb school system should have an ongoing collaborative agreement with an employee assistance program as well as healthcare agreements with third-party vendors that include mental health services for faculty/staff.
I have spent two decades working in blended/online forums using different learning platforms including Blackboard, Moodle, Angel, E-college, WebCT, Canvas, and Brightspace. The role of technology is going to be a very critical necessity as we face the challenges of Covid19 and social distancing. I will strive to identify the best integrative learning modules for children, parents, and teachers to assist in making the learning transition user-friendly.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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