Indivisible MHK sent a questionnaire to all USD 383 School Board candidates asking for their perspective on school district priorities, pressing issues, and more.
USD 383 Candidates
Click the candidate name to jump to their IMHK candidate questionnaire responses or scroll down.
The following candidates have yet to respond.
Lew Faust – Candidate for USD 383 School Board
What do you think are the most pressing needs of our district?
An ongoing challenge facing the district is recruiting and retaining quality personnel in all employee groups. This includes teachers, support staff and administration.
The key to student success is a quality educator leading the classroom who has a passion for teaching and a genuine concern for the well-being of their students. Providing the structure and supports that allows teachers to focus on their craft, teaching and supporting students, is essential to maximize student growth and success.
Support (i.e. classified) staff has been a challenge for many years. This challenge is due to wages and the lack of work during the summer and break times in the calendar throughout the academic year. As a public sector employer, it is difficult to compete with private sector opportunities in the community. This leads district employees to migrate out, due to the lack of consistent hours and pay throughout the year.
Administration is a challenging role and often the perception of their worth and work is undervalued and overlooked. Research has shown that the key to a successful school building is strong instructional leadership by the principal. The challenge for our principals is to find the time to engage in instructional leadership and not get completely weighed down with managerial demands and tasks.
What are your thoughts on the district’s current budget situation? How will the district make up the loss of Federal Title dollars in the near future?
The district’s budget is always fluid and dependent upon the will of state and federal funding. Title funding from the federal government supports reading and intervention efforts within the district. Title funding is critical for the Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) program to be effective. This program is designed to provide additional instruction and intervention when students are not being successful in their academics.
If Title funding is significantly reduced or eliminated the district would have to look at other resources within the budget to maintain these programs and positions.
The challenge would be what gets sacrificed to offset the loss of Title revenue. An in-depth evaluation of the overall budget would be necessary, and it might involve a Budget Advisory Committee process. The district utilized this process during the Block Grant years in the state budget. The end result of the Budget Advisory Committee in 2015 was a $1,000,000 reduction in expenditures. To reduce the budget to that level is a painful process, as some programs or activities had to be reduced or eliminated to reduce the impact on the core mission of teaching and learning.
What are your thoughts about the fees students have to pay including those for extracurricular activities?
To my knowledge students do not have to pay any fees to participate in student activities within USD 383. That is not to say there are not some out-of-pocket expenses that students/parents incur, but USD 383 does not have a pay-to-play policy.
Student fees that are paid for textbooks and instructional materials are strictly utilized to support those two critical areas within the overall curriculum for schools. The funds support student learning in terms of the purchase of new textbooks, online learning materials and classroom supplies at the discretion of teachers and principals.
Do you think elementary teachers have sufficient planning time during their day?
Teachers can always use more planning time, but there is only so much time within the duty day. The amount of planning time is outlined in the Negotiated Agreement and has been reviewed several times in recent history.
The planning time schedule is a complex puzzle that involves the schedule for specials teachers in the district. Specials teachers are shared between buildings and include art, physical education and music. Many of these teachers teach in multiple buildings during the day, and thus travel between assigned locations. The Assistant Superintendent, Director of Elementary Education, Elementary Principals and representatives of the specials teacher groups involved develop their schedule on an annual basis. It is an intricate and complex maize to try and meet the needs of students, staff and ten buildings across the district. A good faith effort is made to protect teacher’s planning time, but there are always a few exceptions that create challenges across a district as large as Manhattan-Ogden.
How should our school district adapt to changing demographics?
USD 383 strives to address the needs of all students. This is an ongoing goal and should continue as a focal point. Changing demographics may present unique challenges that have not been present before. However, the district staff and leadership have demonstrated over the years the ability to reflect, evaluate and modify their practices to meet new challenges as they arise.
A prime example of the ability of the district to adapt was the COVID-19 pandemic. The district implemented multiple strategies to try and maintain contact and educational progress for students. Not everything worked for all students and thus there was an ongoing process of evaluating current practice and modifying delivery models and methods. We all were reminded of the value of face-to-face instruction and interaction between students and teachers.
How would you work to ensure that all students receive a quality education in our district – for example English Language Learners, minority populations, those with limited mobility, hearing/vision loss, and low-income communities?
The success of all students is directly related to leadership from a quality teacher and support staff within their academic day. All students, regardless of their background and challenges they bring with them to school, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. All students deserve to have their unique needs met to maximize their potential and help prepare them as learners, earners and citizens.
What strategies should the district employ to recruit and retain classified employees, such as paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and food service workers?
This question ties back into the previous item, in that recruitment and retention of quality personnel is the key to the ongoing development and academic success of all students.
Specifically addressing the challenges relating to classified employees has been an issue in the district for years. Trying to compete with private sector employers in terms of hourly wages is a challenge. The school district is a public sector employer funded with tax dollars. The district provides a fully paid health insurance benefit for all full-time classified employees. Often this is not viewed as a valued asset by employees, but the district pays just under $5,000/year/employee for this benefit.
The district must continue to try and be as competitive as possible in their hourly wages and be creative in utilizing personnel to maximize their hours, where practical. An example of this is a current evaluation of the school start times and bussing schedule to look at the feasibility of a three-tier system. This would increase hours for employees in the Transportation department. Implementing the three-tier system could reduce the driver shortages that often require members of the Maintenance department to drive busses and not be engaged in their regular job roles during the duty day.
What are the indicators that you think show whether the high school is successful?
The primary indicator of success at Manhattan High School is the graduation rate. That is also an indicator of systematic success. Every part of the district contributes to those student’s growth, development and success that leads up to and results in graduation.
However, there are many other measures of success that give an indication of how a school is performing. There are always test scores and other traditional measures of achievement that can be evaluated over time. However, a better measure would be how many students are engaged and connected in some way to their school? This would include a review of student participation in all forms of student activities and athletics. If the percentage of students who are actively engaged in school life is high, then student success has been shown over time to improve. If students are not connected to their school, they are less likely to be academically successful and graduate.
What do you see as the priorities of science education?
The field of science is one of the basic core curricular areas in education. Garnering an understanding of the world in which we live, the climate, ecosystems and our bodies is part of a well-rounded comprehensive education. History, experience and research have yielded a body of knowledge that establishes a foundation for understanding how people, animals and the environment interact and are interrelated.
What is the role of the school district in health and human sexuality education?
The school district fulfills the role of providing instruction and basic knowledge regarding health and human sexuality. Family values and beliefs are important in these areas, as a student develops from a child into a young adult during their years in public school. While these areas tend to be controversial for some, to not teach the tenets of good health, nutrition, and fitness is to not address a fundamental portion of being happy, healthy and successful in life.
What do you think of the security that is provided in our schools?
School safety and security is a concern in every school across our nation. The number one deterrent to school violence is a positive culture where students look out for one another and feel free to report any suspicious behavior that they perceive as a potential threat.
School administrators, teachers and staff often fulfill the role of security personnel in a school setting. Security is a team effort that involves all members of the school community, including students, staff and parents.
USD 383 has an exceptional school safety and security program and works to encourage students and staff to be active participants in maintaining a safe environment in their respective schools. The program promotes awareness, preparedness and the value of responsibility by all members in the school community. I believe it is a model program and provides the type of security that is needed within our schools.
What factors should the school board consider when developing long-range plans?
The Board of Education must consider multiple factors when looking into the future and establishing long-term goals and plans. Demographic studies and predictions provide valuable information about population trends and patterns. Those projections yield student enrollment information that can be utilized to calculate potential budget and building enrollment figures. Trends within the district for how property assessment values will grow or decline also impact the planning process.
Additional factors that must be a part of the planning process are the age and ongoing maintenance needs of district facilities. Another data point is whether current facilities will be adequate to meet the future needs of the population. Technology and instructional practices will continue to evolve over time, so how will the district continue to meet the demand to prepare our students to be successful in the world around them when they graduate.
There are many variables that should be given due consideration when establishing a long-range plan. The evaluation process must revolve around the needs of the central mission of teaching and learning to promote ongoing growth and achievement for the students in USD 383.
How do you see the balance between play and learning in the elementary school day and are there any changes you would make to classroom schedule?
Students can learn from a variety of experiences in their school years. Students can learn from play and explorative experiences and can also learn from classroom experiences. The successful instructional program utilizes a blend of experiences to engage students to be active learners. The more a student is active the more they will be engaged. Research is education has consistently shown that the more students are engaged the more they will learn and retain.
I would leave the specifics of classroom schedules up to the professional educators at all levels. They are the experts in their field and know best what works for them and their students to foster student and staff success.
Additional detail and clarifications the candidate wanted to share beyond the questionnaire.
I have been in education my entire career and believe that education is the foundation we build for individuals to build upon and that it is the essential foundation for success as an adult and productive citizen. If I did not feel strongly that the value of education was important for our students and society at large, I would not be a candidate for the Board of Education. The value of the work teachers perform, and the impact they can have on our youth creates a solid foundation for our community, state and nation.
Courtney Jane Hochman – USD 383 School Board Candidate
What do you think are the most pressing needs of our district?
The most pressing need for our district is to retain and attract exemplary, qualified teachers and support staff. The positive relationship between the board and administrators with the NEA reps and teachers have allowed those negotiations to run smoothly for the past few years. Additionally, the wage increase of 3% for classified employees is a positive, but I believe that we still have a long way to go. Every other need and improvement goes back to having great teachers- higher test scores, community-building, and reducing chronic absenteeism by strengthening a sense of inclusion, belonging, and the value of education.
What are your thoughts on the district’s current budget situation? How will the district make up the loss of Federal Title dollars in the near future?
The budget will be a challenge with the federal and state funding decisions. I have been contacting state legislators frequently over the past several months to advocate for the full funding of special education under the Kansas State statute. Our state government prides itself on the statement that we have fully funded public education for the past several years. A move toward lowering the local option budget or at least staying at a revenue neutral rate (RNR) starts with holding our state accountable for what they are required to provide for our students. I am also closely following the state committee on education funding as the review options to change how they calculate and disperse both special education dollars and general education dollars which may lead to improvements.
What are your thoughts about the fees students have to pay including those for extracurricular activities?
We need to make fees as low or accessible as we possibly can. Schools offer so many more things than even ten years ago and those items and programs have costs. We should want to continue to provide what students have become accustomed to so that our students can get the best educational experiences, but those are not without initial and maintenance costs. Making sure that families have the necessary information to receive waived or reduced costs as well as making those processes as simple as possible is one way to help with this concern. As far as extracurricular activities go, clubs and sports teams routinely fundraise for their needs, but it can still be a struggle. This is where greater community connection and involvement can be mutually beneficial- our students can have the experiences they deserve, while the community can feel included in the district and celebrate the successes of our students.
Do you think elementary teachers have sufficient planning time during their day?
On paper, perhaps. In reality, they could use more but there aren’t enough hours in the day. Our elementary teachers are contracted for 330 minutes per week which averages out to about an hour per day. This time is used for lesson planning, grading, working on IEP/504 student components, communicating with parents, and other necessary tasks. This time doesn’t account for the “routine unexpected” like disciplinary or medical issues that arise while the students are in art or music or library. Elementary teachers carry a heavy load. We expect them to teach content, but they also reinforce social-emotional skills, serve as safe persons and confidants, and sometimes a bit of “in loco parentis” (in the place of a parent). They do all these things and more while students constantly pose wild questions to them, spontaneously fall out of their desks, and teeth fall out all over the place.
How should our school district adapt to changing demographics?
We must be aware of these changes and be diligent in creating and maintaining a welcoming culture of inclusion and representation throughout our district. That will look different in every building, but the underlying charge needs to be a group effort. We have a diverse population in Manhattan and this is a gift to our students and our community as we prepare all our students to be global citizens in an eclectic world. While our district demographics include people of many cultures, religions, abilities, family configurations, languages, and counties of origin, we must also remember that one substantial change since the pandemic are the families still struggling financially. We must continue to prioritize the community effort to make sure that all are provided for without stigma.
How would you work to ensure that all students receive a quality education in our district – for example English Language Learners, minority populations, those with limited mobility, hearing/vision loss, and low-income communities?
As a district, we must continue to fulfill our duty and commitment to providing a “full and appropriate public education” for all. We have established programs for English learners, underserved and underrepresented populations, and special education students. As a parent of a special education student, I am personally invested in these efforts. Having this experience advocating for my student and his community, I see the intersectionality and similar challenges for other groups. This is why I am committed to advocating for all students who need their voice brought to the table. I am a strong proponent for increasing family involvement so that all can feel represented in our schools. Including all means advocating for all.
What strategies should the district employ to recruit and retain classified employees, such as paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and food service workers?
In this climate, we must continue on our path to improve wages for these classified employees. Alongside our teachers, these support staff members are essential to the smooth functioning of our district. The best way to support these employees is through appropriate financial compensation and medical benefits. When compared to districts that offer comparable benefits, we still lag behind in wages even after the 3% increase in the most recently passed budget. We must continue to increase these wages if we want to retain our great employees and attract new ones.
What are the indicators that you think show whether the high school is successful?
Graduation rates are obviously one piece of the puzzle, but they are not the complete story. A stronger metric that complements graduation rates is successful completion of courses. This shows us where students are succeeding in each grade, not just at completion of their diploma. State testing is another useful tool when evaluating student academic success, especially with the realignment of tiers. Our scores for each tier had been misaligned since they were first implemented. In this case, the bottom score for each tier was lower than it should have been, making it seem like more Kansas students were underperforming than is actually the case. Academic success is just one piece. It is also important to look at attendance and involvement. Are our students attending their classes and engaging? How healthy is our campus culture? Are their divisions that make the climate unwelcoming for some groups of students? These last couple things are harder to measure, but staff, student, and family anecdotal input is helpful to provide context. Much like the feedback on the recent implementation of the personal electronic device policy, teachers and students both feel like they are experiencing more engagement inside and out of the classroom. All of this is to say that there is more than one measure and interpretation of success.
What do you see as the priorities of science education?
We have an obligation to our students to provide a well-rounded, up to date education in the hard sciences. In areas like biology, chemistry, and physical sciences, we need to follow the state requirements for this content. Instruction should be grounded in the scientific method and inspire curiosity. The learning should be dynamic, relevant, and based on best practices within the science fields.
What is the role of the school district in health and human sexuality education?
Both general health education and human sexuality education are things historically included in the public school curriculum. My fourth grader experienced a human sexuality lesson last year. These are directed by a school nurse or a cooperating teacher and students are grouped with their same sex peers. This lesson covers the changes that they will experience in puberty- breast buds, menstruation, erections, and the necessity of deodorant. Parents are always informed well ahead of the lesson and provided a permission slip to opt their child out. This cursory lesson is important for students. It allows them to learn these facts together to establish normalcy. Not all families talk about bodies, sex, and sexuality in the same ways, and this lesson creates a factual knowledge base. I grew up in a district where we had comprehensive sex education in seventh grade. I personally am ok with my children learning about the logistics of procreation, sexually transmitted diseases, and safe sex in the public school, but I leave space for those who are not. I also support the curriculum that focuses on the broader area of healthy decision-making which includes themes of dating, sex, and sexuality.
What do you think of the security that is provided in our schools?
In our challenging world, our district has made great strides over the years to prioritize the safety of our students and staff. From security doors and identification checks to timely messaging when situations arise, our district is great. I had the privilege of attending the active shooter training two years ago and it was very helpful to see. The planning for the next year begins shortly after the current years’ exercise. The partnership between the district, police department, fire department, and emergency management are amazing. The training scenario is planned based on the events around the country over the year and allows our district to evaluate how they would respond. Our SROs (school resource officers) are great and unfortunately necessary. The officers who work in our secondary schools do their duties as sworn police officers, but they also connect with our students and build relationships with our students. I believe that the SROs should be funded from the police department budget so that our school district monies can be spent focusing on educational purposes.
What factors should the school board consider when developing long-range plans?
Sustainability is the best overarching consideration for making district long-range plans. When considering anything from building expansions, new programs, or new services, the choices must be sustainable and sensible. For example, there has been a long-running conversation about a second high school. Just this summer, a report was presented showing that with current trends, we are not expected to exceed the building we currently have. It is also critical to think about all the special offerings that would not be able to be duplicated and offered at two locations, like AP courses or many of our CTE programs like welding. Our district has an established practice of meaningful planning for the replacement and maintenance of structures and resources which shows both intentionality and responsibility. There is often talk of “all the money in savings” that the district manages. Effective short-term and long-term planning are essential, but being prepared for the unexpected is truly a sign of the responsibility and forward-thinking of our district. The amount of assets in savings will pay for one month of wages for all our personnel should the need arise. With as many buildings and personnel as we have in our district, we need to maintain a sufficient emergency fund should a critical, unexpected need arise.
How do you see the balance between play and learning in the elementary school day and are there any changes you would make to classroom schedule?
At the elementary level, learning and play are not mutually exclusive. Imaginative and cooperative play are an essential part of learning for children, especially third grade and under. Play is how children learn, even after they begin to read. Play allows children space to “figure stuff out.” Intentional play allows children greater interaction with their peers than other learning formats. I recently heard that some changes for kindergarteners may have reduced their time doing play in centers. The format of centers- dress up, kitchen, building, sensory, etc., is an ideal format for young learners. Our district preschoolers get a substantial amount of time for centers and 80 minutes for outdoor play, compared to kindergarten where outside play is cut to 30 minutes. These developing minds need more social, creative free-play (like centers) even after they enter the elementary school.
Jayme Morris-Hardeman – USD 383 School Board Candidate
What do you think are the most pressing needs of our district?
From our district-wide needs assessment, used to craft the district budget here are the top 5
- Mental health and increasing challenges in student behavior
- Student attendance and chronic absenteeism
- Food insecurity and the increasing rates of children from families without stable housing
- Recruitment and retention of a sufficient and effective workforce, especially classified personnel
- Parental involvement
All behavior is communication, and by the behavioral challenges in our schools, our students are struggling. Mental health challenges are on the rise, and who can be surprised by that? While social media/screen time is one potential cause, a child with any awareness of the state of the world is right to experience some level of anxiety. Dr. Bruce Perry, a child traumatologist, talks frequently about regulate – relate – reason. To get to reason (learning), you must first be regulated (calm, in a learning-brain state) and in relationship. Teachers report spending more time each day focusing on helping students to regulate. The district has added a number of district-wide and building-specific positions to help address this issue, but it’s still a significant challenge to learning and teacher retention.
Earlier this year, the Human Resources department conducted a salary survey for classified staff, which resulted in the first major pay increase in years. But we are still lagging behind, particularly in pay for paraeducators. One barrier to increasing this pay is the Kansas Legislature’s refusal to fulfill their statutory obligation to fund 92% of the excess costs of special education. Each year, our district moves approximately $4 million from the general fund to cover the additional costs of special education; funds that should be coming from the state. My fellow board members and I have worked hard to educate our local representatives on this issue, but it is an issue that needs advocacy from every corner of the state.
Chronic absenteeism (defined as missing more than 10% of the school year) was the highest in 2022, following the pandemic. While it has improved steadily since, it’s still too high. Society as a whole has shifted their thinking on the importance of school attendance. Tied in with this topic is declining parental involvement in schools.
What are your thoughts on the district’s current budget situation? How will the district make up the loss of Federal Title dollars in the near future?
Currently, the budget is prudent. We voted consistently to use COVID stimulus dollars for one-time or short-term expenses so as not to create a burden on the budget when those funds ended. We were able to decrease the mill levy this year with the overall budget rising only 3% despite significant inflation of costs. And we were able to increase both certified and classified staff pay. The district has a solid, funded plan for capital improvements, thanks to the foresight of Matt Davis, Director of Facilities. We have reserve funds that would allow us to weather some decreases in Federal funding for a period of time while we worked out how to replace those funds. Much of this is due to wise decisions by District Administration, particularly Lew Faust and Andy Hutchinson as the Directors of Business Services and Budgeting, for the last 10+ years.
What are your thoughts about the fees students have to pay including those for extracurricular activities?
The Board has held fees for school attendance steady since 2018. I don’t believe there should be fees for participation in extracurricular activities. One barrier to participation at the middle and high school levels is transportation, and I would like to see the District return to running activity buses. There is currently a committee meeting about switching to a three-tiered busing system, which means 3 different start and end times for our schools. This would decrease the number of bus drivers needed while increasing the time they are working, making the job more appealing to those seeking full-time employment. This may also free up buses to allow for a return to activity buses.
Do you think elementary teachers have sufficient planning time during their day?
I talked with a number of elementary teachers about this. Those who are struggling the most with planning time are specials teachers (music, STEM, art, PE), many of whom said they had their planning time in 15-minute blocks. All teachers I talked with said they would not trade planning time for time engaging with students. This is an issue that can be addressed through the yearly negotiations process for the negotiated agreement that defines expectations for administration and teachers. Teacher feedback is critical on this, and many other issues.
How should our school district adapt to changing demographics?
It is important to continuously monitor the demographics of our students and understand how that may impact their learning styles. Each building has an MTSS coordinator (multi-tiered systems of support) who is the lead in examining building data and recommending changes based on the data. It is important to have ongoing conversations with other entities in the community such as city and county governments about changes they are observing.
How would you work to ensure that all students receive a quality education in our district – for example English Language Learners, minority populations, those with limited mobility, hearing/vision loss, and low-income communities?
We must continue to apply what we know from evidence-based research for the best ways to reach all students and adapt classroom instruction to individual needs. We need to hire more paraeducators and classroom aides. We should continue to provide parents with information about how they can support their kids’ education and find ways to increase parent engagement.
What strategies should the district employ to recruit and retain classified employees, such as paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and food service workers?
The most obvious answer is to increase pay, which the Board did this year following a year-long salary survey conducted by the Human Resources Department. This was a small first step. The best way to increase pay for classified employees is to increase the funds to our district from the state legislature for the excess costs of special education (see answer to question1). Training is another important component for retention, and the District has increased the amount of paid training days for classified staff. Appreciation is another factor for retention. I hope our community will continue to express their appreciation to all school staff for dedicating their work life to our students.
What are the indicators that you think show whether the high school is successful?
Attendance, graduation, ACT scores, and participation in activities are some ways to measure the success of our high school. Multi-year data shows we have work to do on increasing graduation rates, particularly among certain subgroups of students (African-American students, students from families who are struggling financially). This work must begin in elementary school, ensuring all students are receiving the support they need for learning. Attendance data has been slowly improving since the pandemic. Reports from the high school at the start of this year show the personal device policy (which does not allow for the use of personal devices during instructional time) is leading to increased student engagement and participation in class.
What do you see as the priorities of science education?
As someone who studied science in college (BS in biochemistry and biology, MS in animal science and molecular biology), I believe science should be interactive and fun. Science is cool! All education should focus on teaching students to think critically, engaging their curiosity and helping them search for truth. Science is all about asking questions and seeking answers. Scientists are constantly learning new things, which could lead to best practice changing. Before we knew about germs, doctors didn’t wash their hands or instruments between procedures! Students need to know that just because something is the best knowledge we have available today doesn’t mean it won’t change in the future. Science education should be teaching students to seek out the truth.
What is the role of the school district in health and human sexuality education?
Physical and mental health are important components of public education. The Kansas Board of Education made changes to graduation requirements starting with the current Freshmen class. This includes increasing the time spent on health in 9th grade from a quarter to a semester. The district purchased new health curriculum for middle and high school students, which includes the most current health information. Age-appropriate and evidence-based information is the best way we can keep all kids healthy and safe.
What do you think of the security that is provided in our schools?
Significant security improvements were made to all district buildings with the 2008 and 2018 bond projects. All buildings require someone to access staff through an AI phone and be buzzed into the building and in all buildings, you must enter through the office before accessing the rest of the school. Every summer, Michele Jones from the school district coordinates with RCPD, MFD, and Riley County EMS to conduct an active violence drill. Completed over the course of three days, this is an opportunity for the first responders and school administrators to work on coordination and prepare for a variety of scenarios. Having observed these drills, I feel more confident that should there be a security incident at one of our buildings, the first responders are prepared to take immediate action.
What factors should the school board consider when developing long-range plans?
I believe the most important factors are current building needs assessments (see question1) and community demographics. This year we heard from RSP and Associates who performed an enrollment analysis, which showed the district would likely add 90 students by the 2029/30 school year. Thus, growth is slowing in our district but still steadily increasing. This decreased growth rate is driven by a decreasing birth rates, a decrease in building of new housing in the USD 383 boundaries along with the cost of housing in our community, and current data that shows our Senior class is larger than the Kindergarten class. Since state funding is based on student counts, we must continue to be prudent in our budgeting.
How do you see the balance between play and learning in the elementary school day and are there any changes you would make to classroom schedule?
You can’t differentiate between play and learning; they are one and the same. I have always been interested in the science of brain development. While I did not agree with everything postulated by Jonathan Haidt in The Anxious Generation, I do agree as a society we have moved from a play-based to a screen-based childhood. The science around the importance of unstructured play for learning is clear. Unstructured play promotes creativity, problem solving, self-advocacy, collaboration, conflict resolution, negotiation skills, and decision-making skills (many sources for this including the American Academy of Pediatrics and Head Start). Dr. Tina Payne Bryson wrote a new book about this topic (The Way to Play) that I have proposed as our next district-wide read and community discussion. Early Learning already places a significant focus on free-play, and I would like to see this increase in our elementary classrooms as well.
Additional detail and clarifications the candidate wanted to share beyond the questionnaire.
What skills, expertise, experience, or competencies qualify you for this position?
I am passionate about the importance of public education in our community. I am in my 4th year of service on the Board of Education, elected in 2021. I served 4 years on the Manhattan City Commission (2005-2007, 2009-2011). I have been a nonprofit executive director for 22 years and have spent my entire career as an advocate for children, particularly those who have experienced child abuse and neglect, who live in financial poverty, and/or have special educational needs. I am well versed in budgeting and strategic planning. I am a critical thinker, a lifelong learner, a dedicated community volunteer, and most importantly, a parent!
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The role of the school board is governance, not day-to-day operations. The board is the “what” and staff are the “how.” The board sets goals, priorities, and policies to give the staff direction. The board listens and responds to the needs of stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, staff, the community). We uphold the district’s mission to prepare all students for success as lifelong learners, earners, and citizens and help craft and uphold the district’s strategic plan.