Candidate: Mary Ann Koon McCray

Dear Voter:

My name is Mary Anne Koon McCray, and I am a candidate for Lafayette County School Board District Three. I am the oldest child of Willie and Sarah Koon and the granddaughter of Cecil and Bernice Koon. I was an English teacher for 36 years, retired in 2016, and have been my mother’s caregiver since then.

I have a BA (1980) and M Ed (1994) from the University of Florida. I was a secondary English teacher and an adjunct English professor for North Florida Community College (now North Florida College) in Madison. Though I am retired, I tutor and have just renewed my teaching certificate. My certification is 7-12 English with ESOL endorsement. I have extensive experience with electronically assisted instructional platforms and distance learning strategies.

I spent ten years of my career as a teacher on special assignment. I implemented three federal entitlements: Title I Part C Migrant, Title III Part A English Language Acquisition, and Title X Homeless Children and Youth. My responsibilities included duties as migrant advocate, ESOL programmatic personnel, and homeless liaison.

My primary responsibility was to coordinate academic support and access any medical, social, and community resources necessary to foster an environment where students could be successful. This entailed a great deal of data interpretation and comprehensive program assessment. Another responsibility I had was to coordinate services to language enriched students and track their progression toward English language proficiency. This included diagnostic testing and placement, training teachers in implementing ESOL instructional strategies, electronic data transmission and verification, and program compliance. My third responsibility was to serve as the district’s homeless liaison. I targeted students whose living conditions may have adversely affected their academic performance and determined and implemented appropriate intervention strategies.

I would bring a diverse background to the Lafayette County School Board given my varied experiences. The “other duties as assigned” clause in my contact often meant coordinating supplemental educational services, orchestrating curriculum articulation agreements, serving on too many committees to mention here, and in general serving as a goodwill ambassador and public relations specialist for the district.

In addition to my career responsibilities, I am fiercely loyal to my family. I have served my local church as secretary/treasurer for fourteen years and am active in many community projects. I would appreciate your consideration on election day.

Thank you,

Mary Anne

You brought literature to life for me in language I understood. You made Shakespeare fun and relatable. Thank you!