La-Shanda West
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
La-Shanda West ran for election to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools school board to represent District 2 in Florida. She lost in the primary on August 23, 2022.
West completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
La-Shanda West was born in Laurel, Mississippi. She earned an associate degree from Miami-Dade Community College in 1993, a bachelor's degree from Florida International University in 1998, and a graduate degree from Florida Memorial University in 2007. Her career experience includes working as a public school teacher in the Miami-Dade County Public School District.
West has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Leadership Florida Southeast Council Education Committee, Chair
- Moms Demand Action
- Veterans of Foreign Wars, National Citizenship Education Teacher
- Sandy Hook Promise National School Advisory Committee
- United Way of Miami-Dade Superintendent Leadership Circle
- Cutler Bay Senior High Educational Excellence School Advisory Council, Chair
Elections
2022
See also: Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida, elections (2022)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Miami-Dade County Public Schools school board District 2
Incumbent Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall won election outright against La-Shanda West in the primary for Miami-Dade County Public Schools school board District 2 on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall (Nonpartisan) | 75.2 | 19,107 |
La-Shanda West (Nonpartisan)  | 24.8 | 6,303 | ||
| Total votes: 25,410 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
To view West's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
La-Shanda West completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by West's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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La-Shanda West, a social studies teacher for the Miami-Dade County Public School District for 21 years. She serves on the National School Advisory Committee for Sandy Hook Promise, Leadership Florida Southeast Council Education Chair, and United Way of Miami-Dade Superintendent Leadership Circle. This is her first time running for office. She is running in a non-partisan race for Miami-Dade County Public Schools Board District 2.
- Supports equitable funding for children head-start to post secondary.
- Implement violence prevention programs that include mental health and social emotional learning.
- Create specialized tracks supporting the whole child in academics, vocational educations, and adult learning.
Gun safety policies. As a child, I was directly impacted by gun violence. Fund head start and universal Pre-K programs. Increase voter drives that include adult education. Equitable access for women to serve in leadership capacity at the central office level. Miami-Dade County Public Schools has not been led by a women superintendent since its inception.
Marjorie Judith Vincent, Miss America 1991. She is educated, posed, and posses a great personality with a kind heart. These attributes are reflected in my character.
Principles I deem most important for an elected official, is to be ethical, practice transparency, and accountability. "If you’re ethical, you’ll strive to use good judgment. " - Abraham Lincoln. Tax payers, parents and other stakeholders rely on the school district to operate within local, state and federal guidelines. Board members are required to follow the rules and display decorum for it fosters culture for the entire school system. School districts may oversee millions to billions dollar budgets. Fiscal budgetary reporting and transparency is the final principle and the key to accountability.
The legacy of La-Shanda West is she lived, served, and traveled. Not being confined by childhood trauma, La-Shanda West was able to overcome several obstacles by earning her first degree while being a single mom. Determined to live a life of learning, her mission is to give her children the joys of learning and appreciation of cultural diversity. Now a mother of three, she leaves her children with love, her many books and photos of places she traveled for education enrichment. From her teaching career, she leaves a legacy of compassion, dedication, longevity. Each child she taught has a piece of her heart. Long live the queen, is the sentiments of those who followed her journey from being a part of the Homecoming Court at Homestead Senior High, being crowned Miss Royal Poinciana Queen at Miami-Dade Community College to earning the crown of Miss Sunburst.
The first historical event happened in my life’s was being the first African America to be crowned Miss Royal Poinciana Queen in 1992. I was 21 years old.
As a teen, one of my very first job was a summer internship with Mayor Otis Wallace representing Florida City. I wanted to learn about law.
Tiana from Princess and the Frog. She worked tirelessly to achieve her dreams down in New Orleans. Although she meets her prince charming, she brought her vision to life by owning and operating her own business.
The primary job of a school board member is to put children first while supporting teachers. This requires proper funding for all schools regardless of their location. Provide mentors for new teachers and support for all teachers for continuity and effectiveness. To retain and maintain effective teachers, teacher pay and access to a healthy work environment is necessary.
District 2 constituents includes voters from North Miami, Miami Shores, and unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade Liberty City, Overtown, and Wynwood.
Grass roots campaigning allows me to get to know District 2 constituents and issues impacting them. The school board budget may not meet all needs of the community, this is where community partners play a key role.
District 2 has a larger commercial area as well as many local businesses. Working with the Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Miami-Dade, and neighboring businesses, I would target an increase access to internships and mentorship programs like Big Brothers Big Sister. Once elected, I would host an an job fair allowing students and parents the ability to network and apply for local jobs.
I believe faculty and staff of a school district should reflect the students population. If the school district is diverse, then the human resource department is charged to hire without violating federal law faculty and staff that reflect the students.
Testing. I support testing to provide a diagnostic on grade level comprehension. Too much testing disrupts learning, may lead to anxiety, and other factors.
Good teaching is fostering a classroom of learning, character building, and social engagement. The Miami-Dade School District has a teacher evaluation system in place that is effective.
Financial Literacy is an area in the curriculum that is relevant to adulting. Students require practice life skills in budgeting, saving, spending, and investing. The Miami-Dade County Public School District has vocational and technical programs, I support adding additional programs and industry certifications.
I would attend the annual legislative session with other school board members to advocate for adequate funding. I will further support the current referendum to continue to fund capital improvements and teacher pay.
I am an advocate for Sandy Hook Promise Know The Signs programs. School districts can access the programs free of charge including the anonymous reporting system. I will request the school board review the advantages of the Know The Signs program and approve the item to be sent to our state legislature for their approval.
The Miami-Dade County School District has a partnership with local and national agencies to support mental health for students and staff. I support the continuation of their services.
Parental involvement is necessary to build the whole child. No village exist without parents. I would work with the Miami-Dade PTSA and the Parent Academy to host sessions on effective ways to support their child academically and socially.
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
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Miami-Dade County Public Schools school board District 2 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 28, 2022
