Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections
Candidate Statement - Bridget Ziegler (Incumbent)
My life experiences have taught me that passion, drive, focus, and perseverance can create endless opportunities.
Dedication to my faith, family, and community are the foundation for how I choose to live my life; these areas fuel my innate desire to listen to the needs of those I work with and serve.
For many reasons, we are fortunate to live in Sarasota County. We have beautiful beaches, access to world-renowned visual and performing arts, and a school district recognized as one of the top in the state.
I agree that we provide many of our Sarasota County students with access to a great education. However, I believe that we must challenge ourselves to improve and expand on our success.
I have a three-point plan to achieve this goal.
1) We must engage and listen to parents. Education begins at home. Families that promote the importance of education provide the foundation for success for their children. It is critical that we encourage and promote engaged and involved parents. The School Board must ensure that we are supporting open lines of communication. Their voices matter—and if parents think their voices are being heard, they will get involved.
2) We must free teachers to allow them to teach. I have seen first-hand some of the talent that we have at our schools. We must reward great teachers and empower them with the freedom to teach in a manner that ensures our students succeed.
3) I believe that we must eliminate top-down Washington control of our education system, and instead, transfer the power to state and local leaders. Rather than focusing on complying with regulations set by Washington bureaucrats, we should focus on the feedback we receive from Sarasota County teachers, parents, taxpayers, and students. Additionally, we must ensure that our hard-earned tax dollars are spent not in administration, but in the classroom supporting our teachers.
Simply put, I will fight to bring common sense back into our classrooms and curriculum.
I know that I have the strongest experience and a unique perspective, which makes me an effective school board member.
From an early age, my parents instilled the importance of a strong work ethic. I have worked for a variety of companies in my life, beginning as early as 14. Now, as a Commercial Insurance Producer, it is my job to review and protect hundreds of millions of dollars in assets that local business owners have worked hard to create.
It is wonderful to be part of a community that believes in education so much so that it is willing, even eager, to spend more tax dollars in an effort to provide our children with the best possible education. As a School Board Member, I believe it is critical that we recognize that hard-earned tax dollars fund our budget. It is my duty to make fiscally sound decisions to ensure that measurable metrics are put into place to effectively track the return on our investment.
A school district that provides exceptional education benefits the entire community. It benefits the local economy, attracts new residents to the area, and increases home values. Most importantly, a world-class school district creates our future business owners, inventors, educators, and leaders. Votes made on the school board affect current and future students in Sarasota County.
My child is one of those future students, and I will ensure that every decision I make as a School Board Member is in the best interest of our children.
I am a businesswoman, an active member of the community, and most importantly, as a mother of a young child who will be entering Sarasota County Schools soon, I have a vested interest in supporting the best education possible for my daughter and for every child in Sarasota County.
I humbly ask that you will allow me to continue serving our community on the School Board by voting for me, Bridget Ziegler, on November 4th.
Thank you for being informed & engaged!
Bridget Ziegler