03/17/2023
KSHB has contacted school board canidates with a questionnaire. I would encourage other canidates to take the time to answer the questions and make them public. For full transparency I am sharing my answers below. It is a long post but I feel people should be informed.
Questions
BACKGROUND
Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?
Your answer:
Students First
Teacher Support
Transparency
Common Sense Best Practices
First and foremost, our district exists for our students. As a teacher for 17 years I always tried to put the needs of the students first. While I was a band teacher, I always believed that I taught kids through band. I wanted them to be good people; band was my method of teaching that. For many students this comes from a different outlet and this is perfectly okay. We need to ensure that our students are supported and taken care of in all activities and educational areas. This will ensure they are being prepared to be productive members of society and whole and complete individuals.
Providing teachers and staff support is vital to taking care of our students. Teachers and support staff are the main point of contact for most students. Our teachers and support staff need to know the district is there to support them, so they can continue to best support our students. As a teacher I was in many situations where I felt very well supported; however, there were sometimes situations where I felt under-supported. I can guarantee that my students had a better experience when I was supported. It’s the old adage of “you can't pour from an empty cup.”
Transparency is another big goal of mine, both in terms of school finances and school policy. I can’t tell you the number of times my fellow teachers and I felt like we had no idea what was going on above us in the district. This is true of many school districts. It always seemed like school policy and financial decisions were decided behind closed doors. While I realize there are public records and policies in place for transparency, I think we can do better. Parents, students, community, and school employees have the right to know everything that is going on in the district at every level within the confines of district policy and state laws. It helps to create an honest and open environment which in turn goes back to being able to best care for our students in all areas.
Next, common sense should prevail. There is no “one size fits all” in public education. We must create policies and procedures that allow for flexibility in many situations. There are many policies in place that are great policies and need to be in place; however, as a district we should be able to make adjustments as needed to ensure the maximum benefit for all students at all times.
We should always be taking the best practices into consideration. I believe teachers are the experts in their field and we should allow them the freedom to teach their subject. We should provide ongoing training and professional development relevant to each teacher and their subject. This may look very different for a math teacher than a music teacher. Let’s work together to provide each teacher the support they need to be the expert in their subject area and to best educate our students.
I strongly believe if we work together, we can continue with policies that have made the district strong and can begin to implement new policies to improve our students' quality of education. As I stated before, I was a teacher for 17 years. I was not a perfect teacher. I was human, I made mistakes. However, in those 17 years I always tried to put the needs of the students above everything else. I kept good relationships with the students, parents, and community. I believe the vast majority of my students would agree that my number one priority was their well being and quality of education. Together we can keep the Harrisonville district strong and improve in areas that need improvement. If I can clarify any stances or answer any questions, please reach out to me at [email protected]. I will promise you an honest response with my position. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but we can get there working together. Let's make the Harrisonville district the best district in the area.
Lastly, I am running as a non-partisan candidate. I have no financial backing from any organization or group.
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
Your answer:
I want to see what is best for all students of the district. I want to put students first in all decisions made by the district. I want to see every student have a chance to be successful.
What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
Your answer:
I have a Bachelors of Music Education and a Masters of Science in Education. I also have 17 years of teaching experience and was awarded “Educator of the Year” in 2018 by the Harrisonville Chamber of Commerce. I believe my experience as a public educator makes me a great fit for a school board position.
What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or board members?
Your answer:
With the exception of 1 other candidate, to my knowledge, I am the only candidate running with experience in the classroom setting for 17 years. I also have 2 degrees in education. I am good at working in the best interests of the students and have a good idea of what students need. I also actively lobby politicians in Jefferson City to do what is best for public education.
FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
What are your thoughts on the current and the proposed budget for your school district? How would you determine your budget priorities?
Your answer:
It is difficult to answer this question without seeing the budget. I propose to budget in a way that supports all students to the fullest extent the budget allows. I believe schools should budget in a budget neutral way. We should not operate in the red or black but fully use the resources given to us by the local, federal, and state governments to best benefit our children and students. This should of course be done in a responsible manner that allows for future budget needs as well.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
Your answer:
A capital need generally relates to building facilities and upkeep. With the passing of props I and N a few years ago that has put our district facilities in a much better condition and in general our buildings are in good condition for an educational setting. I would like to see continued improvements in areas that may still be substandard such as older classrooms that did not see benefits from the local bond issues.
How will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from voters or taxpayers with no children in the public schools? How can the school board prove itself accountable to those citizens?
Your answer:
A well educated community is a productive and successful community. Our youth being well educated is vital to the future of our society and local communities. I also believe that community involvement plays a huge role in support. The community should be invited to all appropriate school events and work hand in hand with the school. The best schools and communities work together seamlessly. I would strive for this sort of relationship between the Harrisonville School District and the Harrisonville Community.
Teacher starting salaries continue to be an ongoing discussion here in Missouri. How will you be able to keep and attract staff despite having some of the lowest salaries in the nation?
Your answer:
This is an issue that needs to be addressed. Period. I will continue to lobby the state for teacher support as I have for the past 17 years. As a former teacher, having a good work environment can help make up for salaries that don’t compare to other professional fields. I believe teachers need to feel supported by the school and the community to stay in the district long term.
PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOMES
How will you engage the community to improve public schools in the district?
Your answer:
I plan to be accessible to all community members. My email and phone number will be made public so that anyone can contact me with any concerns at any time. As I stated earlier I think the school and the community should work hand in hand to form a strong school and community relationship.
In your view, what has the district done well over the past year? In what areas could the district improve?
Your answer:
The district has some fantastic teachers that are making all the difference for some of our students. The district has also made many improvements related to facilities and have attempted to compete with other surrounding districts as far as the pay scale. I think the district needs to be more transparent with all aspects of operations so that the community has a full understanding of what is going on in the district. I also think that the administration and school board needs to listen to the concerns of the constituents of the district.
How should the district address underperforming schools?
Your answer:
Generally I think Harrisonville schools do very well. I take great pride in the district and what it provides academically. There is of course always room for improvement. We need to make sure teachers have the full support of the school board, administration, and community to be as successful as possible.
How should school board members evaluate school and student performance in your district?
Your answer:
It’s all about student success. We need to make sure students are prepared for whatever is next for them. That could be college, technical school, or the workforce. Each student needs a different type of support and success is measured differently with every student.
We also cannot ignore state evaluations as those are tied closely to accreditation and funding. An appropriate emphasis should be based on state standards with the understanding that these are not one size fits all for all districts and students.
What metrics will you use to assess district leadership’s attainment of key goals? How will you know when a program or decision has been successful?
Your answer:
Are the students successful? That is the true measure of success in a district. Have the students learned and grown as a result of the goal. If so, we have been successful. If not, we need to reassess our priorities and goals.
CLARITY OF PURPOSE
What are the factors on which you will base your decisions as a school board member?
Your answer:
This goes back to the 4 cornerstones of my platform: Students first, teacher support, transparency, and common sense best practices. All of my decisions will be based on these four cornerstones.
What specific steps would you take as a school board member to improve transparency and make school district information more widely available?
Your answer:
The first thing I would do is share my contact information with everyone in the district and answer questions as transparently as state and district policy allows. In general I would like to make budgets and spending more publicly accessible so that the public knows exactly where their tax money is being used.
As a school board member, from whom will you seek advice or input in weighing key decisions?
Your answer:
Community members, teachers, administrators, and students should all play a role in the decision process. It is my goal to represent the community and students while supporting the teachers by carrying out good policy put in place by administration.
