Why are you running for School Board?
I am running for school board because I have an interest in serving. Additionally I have several nieces and nephews who are attending school here in Las Animas and would like to be a part of the decision-making process for the district.
What experience do you bring to the position?
I have served on the school board previously and have been on the board by appointment for the last year for a portion of a term.
What do you feel are the major issues facing the board?
There are several issues facing the board. Continued financial strain on the local and state dollars, 4 or 5-day school week, facilities up-grades and continued aging for our school buildings are at the forefront. CSAP scores are the benchmark for our educational performance so that continues to be strong aspect of measuring the educational product our school generates.
How will you address those issues?
Continuing to fund all of our educational aspects without new monies will not make financial decisions any easier. We will need to be conservative with our spending. A strong cushion in the budget will greatly help avoiding problems from unforseen expenses which were not planned or budgetted for. We have received input from the district accountability committee and surveyed parents and students regarding the 4/5 day week issue. There are going to be disappointed views regarding the decision. It is not a clear cut choice. Ultimately what best serves the students in our community needs to be the right choice.
Our facilities up-grades will be enhanced with several new grants which our administration were able to secure. Our high school is now 40+ years old and showing some of the wear and tear. The earlier we can address problems and correct them will save us money and avoid problems that impact our children. Energy costs are a large expense and any savings we can get will allow more dollars to spend elsewhere.
Our CSAP scores will continue to be our measuring stick to the state regarding our educational system's performance. Our teachers need access to the latest methods and ideas regarding improving the instruction of the students. The only constant is change, doing things the same old way will not always be the best method. Training and building a consensus among our instructors will make learning better for our kids, I hope the school board can continue to offer as much staff training and in-service as possible to help our teachers be the best they can be.
Do you support a four day or five day school week?
Both sides of the 4-day/5-day week have pluses and minuses. The four-day week gives much more class variety and schedule flexibility to the middle school and high school. The five day week gives one more day weekly to all students, especially the lower one-third of students who need just a little extra classroom time and teacher contact to keep them from falling behind their classmates. Having been utilized for two years, finding hard results and data that can be relied on is difficult. Obviously the savings in utilities, bus time and our lunchroom program are beneficial. Is the educational product not compromised? We do have a significant number of teachers who like the four-day week and list it as a reason for them choosing our school to work for. A modified five day program for the elementary and four day for the secondary program offers much interest but we would be one of the first to develop such a model. And we would lose some of the savings from having one-less day of school expenses each week. I know it is not going to be a popular decision to every parent and student, hopefully we can make the wisest choice for our children
What are your feelings about the new community Center?
The community center allows the school district to get out from underneath an old facility that no longer serves the educational needs of our school distrtict. I am sad to see us lose the sentimental value of the old building but education dollars need to be spent on just that, not keeping old buildings up which no longer are used by the district. I have three concerns regarding the planned conversion and development. I have not heard enough about the costs of the facilities after construction and what that figure will be to the school district. We do not know staffing and utility costs. The overall site does not have space for much expansion and further development. Probably one of the top priorities for the schools would be a second gym that could be used by the middle and high school programs. Espcially during the winter months, outdoor physical time is limited and our basketball teams need to share the gym for practice time is sessions, one from 4:15-6:15 and then 6:30-8:30 which is plenty late for a school night. That element is not available in this plan and not located near our secondary campus. Lastly, without a recreation district component being established, the schools, city and county will have to jointly fund the facility. The tug-of-war between the three will force the program to constantly struggle for funds just as our current community center has to. I do not know that establishing a recreation district will avoid the funding concerns but it will put the facility and many others under one authority which can operate purely for recreation purposes. I can't see as many negatives.
What would you do to improve CSAP scores in the district?
Improving CSAP scores are a constant challenge. As the state and federal education dollars direct us to do various instructional tools and processes, we must continue to seek better learning skills so that our children get the best education possible. Teaching to the CSAP scores in not what I see the best measurement of how our students perform, but that is the way the system is constructed. We must provide our teachers and administrators with every opportunity to improve and refine their teaching skills. The teacher in a classroom setting is parmount to good learning and strong educational habits in the elementary. Other factors become more into play once the student reaches secondary grades. My biggest concern with many of the teaching methods and tools centers around seperating fad from proven successful process. Change is not always an improvement and just because someone else tried it, does not mean it will work successfully for our students.
What would you do to balance the budget?
Balancing the budget is a necessary goal each year by the district. We cannot spend more money than we have and certainly cannot rely on our reserves to be the padding for poor financial decisions. Grant dollars are rapidly disappearing and everyone is chasing them. Our financial decisions need to be very reserved and cautious, the blank check does not serve our foresight well. Obviously facility maintenance and upkeep are the most important concern for our buildings. Replacing and repairing avoidable problems is not a wise end result and generally is more costly also. Given the smaller numbers of our student count, we can expect less state dollars as well. The administration has done an excellent job of seeking and getting grant dollars which have greatly enhanced our district. These have brought many extra benefits to our school system. Sound financial planning will keep many aspects of our educational system consistant and not having to be on the verge of being axed dues to funding shortfalls.
How would you encourage teachers to stay in the district?
The four-day week is a strong recruiting element for our district. Salaries, staffing and our rural setting are also factors new teachers look at when choosing a job site. Our administration has tried hard to recruit good quality teachers and retain them as well. Obviously we cannot match salaries and other factors that make the front range more desirable to some, but there are plenty of positives for living and working here in our area. Keeping our student-teacher ratio down is very important. It offers better learning situations for our students and avoids our teachers from being overwhelmed. I cannot say enough in regards to the appreciation I feel for our educators and their roles serving our children. It is not an easy task and the rewards not as frequent or measurable. It takes a very special person to be a good teacher and mentor for what is probably not enough pay.
What needs to be done to improve student achievement?
Improving student achievement is an every-day experience that is hard to measure. We need higher graduation rates, better CSAP scores and student-teacher ratio that is best we can afford. Easily said. Developing pride and a sense of ownership goes a long way toward giving students a buy-in to the education system that they attend each day just like a job. Desiring to come to school and enjoying the learning experience makes the process better for everyone. No one likes a task they hate to perform. Attending school and learning are not any easier if you don't wish to do that. Our younger generation deserves the best product we can afford to give them with the dollars we have. Fueling and building their hunger for education and experiences in the schools will make them better students and young adults. Whether it is money we spend on textbooks or funding an after-school field trip, enhancing the student's mind and stretching their thoughts will make them better individuals and the results will be reflected in our school's achievements. It is the nuts and bolts of everyday school participation, classroom interaction between teacher-student that drives our kids and hopefully helps them to be better players in the game of life
