Wendy Atkinson
Available reports...
  • M10 11/10/2015
  • M10 11/10/2015
  • M11 12/10/2015
  • M12 1/11/2016
  • M1 2/10/2016
  • M2 3/10/2016
  • M3 4/11/2016
  • M4 5/10/2016
  • M5 6/10/2016
  • P1 7/1/2016
  • P2 7/15/2016
  • P3 7/29/2016
  • P4 8/5/2016
  • P5 8/12/2016
  • P5 8/12/2016
  • P6 8/19/2016
  • P6 8/19/2016
  • P7 8/26/2016
  • G1 9/9/2016
  • G2 9/23/2016
  • G3 10/7/2016
  • TRPRI 11/28/2016

Contact Information

Address
1289 Salyers St
Port Charlotte, FL - 33952
Phone
9416290855
Candidate's Statement

My name is Wendy Atkinson and I am running for Charlotte County School Board District 5. Running for a seat on the Charlotte County School Board is not for the faint of heart. It is for the individuals who are willing to roll up their sleeves to make the tough decisions which are not necessarily the popular ones. First and foremost, we have a responsibility to our children to provide them the outstanding education they will need to be the future leaders of this community. To the teachers and staff of the Charlotte County School system, we must provide them with the resources and support they need to serve as the role models and inspiration for our children. We also have an obligation to the residents of Charlotte County whose taxes help fund our schools to be fiscally responsible stewards of the funds they place in our trust. Steve Dionisio, Superintendent, Charlotte County Public Schools has described this mission as “One Voice, One Team, One Message”. We are all in this campaign together. I am running for School Board District 5 Seat and am proud of my background as a Mom, a Career Woman, an active Volunteer, and as a Community Leader. I have played many roles since arriving in Charlotte County 12 years ago serving as a career woman and volunteer with both the Charlotte Desoto Building Industry Board of Directors along with the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. When I was President of the Chamber, we focused on bringing the businesses and the high schools together. I heard first-hand the frustration that many local businesses and employers face when it comes to finding qualified employees. As a member of the School Board, I want to work with the leadership to make sure our children and students are prepared for the careers that will be needed not only today but in the years ahead. My husband and I have raised children here in Charlotte County. They attended Neil Armstrong Elementary in the original building, half days at Liberty Elementary and portables at the Port Charlotte Middle School Campus. They went to Port Charlotte Middle School followed by Port Charlotte High School. Our children were also dually enrolled in Charlotte Technical Center while attending High School. When moving to the area, one of the first things that we looked into was the schools. At that time, Charlotte County Public Schools had an overall A Grade which was very important to us as a family. It showed that the commitment was there from the top down for the education we wanted for our children. I am proud to say our children have done well for themselves because of their educational experience in Charlotte County. However, it is a different time in the world of education now than when we were growing up. Unfortunately schools are targets. As one example of the duty of the leadership of the school system, we must make every effort to find the best teachers for our children and to make sure their schools are safe environments. We need to be vigilant with thorough background checks on all employees who come in contact with children. Our children grew up in the Charlotte County School System from elementary through high school and we willingly entrusted them to the school district so that they could obtain an education. As a member of the Charlotte County School Board, there is no greater responsibility than to accept the trust of parents with their most precious gifts, their children, and make sure they are safely returned after each and every school day. Grades are important. State rankings are important. However, the objectives of a school system are far more complicated than just test scores because the quality of a child’s educational experience is much broader than that one indicator. The role of the system is to provide children with the socialization skills they need to work with other children and educators in the classroom, in the music and art rooms, on the stage and on the playing fields. This is not only time for children to learn their ABCs, but also to learn about themselves, their interests and start planning for their lives beyond the classroom. This is an exciting time for Charlotte County Public Schools. We have wonderful schools here in Charlotte County but our educational system will only improve if good people dedicate themselves to this task. I want to be part of the educational team that takes our school system to its highest potential and my background has given me the skills and passion to make a positive difference towards these goals. We are heading in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to be done. As a unified School Board, we must keep the educational and support staffs motivated and support the goal set by the Superintendent to make Charlotte County Schools #1 in the State. We need to keep our eye on the ball.
Note: The candidate's photograph and statement are supplied by the candidate and are not endorsed by the County Supervisor of Elections or checked for accuracy.
The following financial reports are available:
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Monetary Contributions In-Kind Contributions Expenditures and Distributions
$1,650.00
$100.00
$71.89
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$21.76
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$130.00
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$830.00
$15.49
$203.65
$625.00
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$703.61
$3,995.00
$1,085.53
$290.40
$300.00
$0.00
$260.29
$460.00
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$139.60
$600.00
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$289.97
$250.00
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$3,952.20
$550.00
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$585.00
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$1,600.00
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$3.20
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$15.00
$250.00
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$435.29
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$4,108.14
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Candidate qualifying forms and miscellaneous documents