Theo Oshiro:
Experience.
Commitment. Collaboration.

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Values and Key Beliefs 

• An excellent public education is key for our children and families to thrive. 

• An excellent public education requires strong partnerships. It takes our whole village to raise strong and happy children. 

• Our teachers, aides, and school professionals are our greatest resource. We need to support them. 

• Our public school curricula must prioritize and open up the world to our children through math, science, technology, literature, arts, language, multiculturalism, and nature. 

• Our families deserve resources that nurture the whole child including academic, athletic, social-emotional, and mental health. 

• We must strive towards greater equity. Croton children and families do better if everyone is heard and seen. 

Key Goals 

• Professional Development and Retention: Our teachers are our greatest resource. We must invest in them by devoting resources to meet key needs AND to ensuring their success and sustainability.  

• Academic and Social-Emotional Support: Our young people learn best if they are surrounded by different kinds of support. Our school system must provide high quality traditional academic education that fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and compassion. Our children need to learn to ask questions about the world and think critically about the answers. It is also important that we give our students the tools to be resilient when encountering challenges, confident in their abilities to work through problems, and empathetic and respectful in engaging with people from different backgrounds.

• A Welcoming District: We must continue to prioritize the resource needs of lower-income families, of families who newly call Croton home and of families with limited English proficiency. It is crucial that Croton ensure that every single child receives the support they need to thrive and sees themselves in their schools and materials. 

• Physical Health, Wellness, and Athletics: Our young people should have access to wellness. We must make sure that we are teaching children the power of mindfulness, nature, and balance. Our education should focus on physical and mindfulness education to combat the stress that our young people face in this challenging world. Additionally, we should assess the needs of our athletic staff and the condition of facilities, and determine how we as a district can help support these endeavors. 

• Schools as the Centerpoint of Our Community: Our schools should continue to be the centerpoint of our village. Families should see their schools as a resource to them and we should do all we can to make connections with small business owners, artists, and anyone who can help our children thrive. Our schools should be a place to nurture community and build opportunities to learn from all of the changemakers, professions, and cultures here in Croton.

• Sustainability: Our children are going to inherit this planet and we must teach them how to take care of it.  We must build on the work the district is already doing to help ensure that our buildings, transportation fleet, and energy sources are clean and efficient.