Commitment To Transparency and Rejection of Politics

As a candidate for the Anchorage School Board, I believe in fostering an open dialogue with our community, especially when it comes to critical issues like budget management, educational policy, and the welfare of our students and educators.

I've been given the unique opportunity to respond to a series of questions for endorsements, and I want to share these responses directly with you, the families and teachers of Anchorage, to promote transparency and engagement.

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1. Please comment on the district’s projected budget shortfall, current plans to address it, and its potential impacts on staff, students, and the community.

   
   

The district's budget shortfall is disappointing. With the deficit currently at $111 million, there are a lot of cuts to be made. The current plans for the school board, since they have identified being unable to budget it, are to beg for money from the Legislature. However, with the increased spending across the state and projected record breaking budgets from the Anchorage Assembly and Congress, it looks like ASD will get the short end of the stick once again.

I plan to address every budget item line by line. My focus is to ensure that Students and Staff are taken care of first. Budget focus needs to start at the student and work outwards from there. Current union contracts prevent teacher input and prevents them from speaking up on their own. They are stuck with what is decided for them and I feel this to negatively affect our community as a whole. Parents and teachers should be negotiating the contracts, it is the parents' children that are receiving the education.

The government has no business negotiating pay when both parties involved want the same thing. Parents and teachers both want teachers to have higher pay and benefits. Ensuring our teachers making the grade are properly compensated. The way forward will not be pretty if things do not change. The goal is to take care of as many as possible, for the longest amount of time, while ensuring goals are met.

2. Aside from data reports, how do you get information about schools? What do you see that you like, and what can be improved in Anchorage schools?

   
   

Data reports are good sources of information but they do not always tell the whole story and are easily manipulated in some instances. I get my information from a myriad of sources. I am very active in social media and have been reporting on education topics for over a year on X and for nearly 20 years on Facebook.

I also attended UAF recently to obtain my teaching certificate, so I went through the current process of building future educators.

In addition, visiting schools, attending community council and school board meetings, or calling the school directly are my favorite way to get information from the district. I have sent several emails and had many phone calls with leaders across the district and at the schools my kids attend.

I love to see how passionate the teachers and staff are in the district. One of my favorite parts of a school day are saying 'good morning' to all the students with a big smile. I think we need to take this and build upon it to ensure not just mornings are good for our students.

3. How much professional judgment should educators be allowed in the selection of library books, and supplemental classroom materials and in determining and individuating methods of instruction?

   
   

Teachers in the classroom spend more time with our kids than most parents do. They understand the books and learning material better than most parents, and likely better than their own boss does. They should be allowed to select the proper classroom materials to teach the approved syllabus. I know full well that not all kids can learn within one framework. Every kiddo is different and learns at a different pace. Adaptability is crucial for teachers. They should have the professional leeway to achieve the desired results, set by parents and held accountable by the administration.

Granting freedom of choice to teachers for selection of library books and supplemental classroom material starts to wade into the political arena. All books in a school library should be approved by the parents who live in the community. Materials should be able to be shared by teachers as long as the material follows the approved syllabus. No additional education outside of reading, writing and math should be pushed to the children without the expressed consent of the child's parents.

When we start to see improvements in the key educational metrics, then we can have the discussion of books and classroom materials. Seems pointless to discuss when we have a $111 million deficit and only 2 out of 5 of our students can read at grade level. We have plenty of Newberry approved books to properly teach our kids.

4. ASD has seen a lot of changes this year: PLCs, 6th grade moving to middle school, high school academies, and school start times. How do you feel each of these is impacting staff, students, and the community? What can be done to reduce the stress on educators’ working lives brought by additional demands on our time, training, and professional practice these changes will bring?

   
   

The school district has made a wide sweeping changes that are not very popular. The ideas were taken from different parts of the country and benchmarked accordingly, which is a positive note. However, I do not feel like the stakeholders are appreciating these changes. Staff are partially seeing the PLCs improve their day to day, but but not all staff agree. The mindset is that they want to show up, teach and take care of their kids, and go home. 6th grade to middle school, I have a kid in Greuning. She loves it. I as a parent absolutely hate it due to security concerns and as a Dad, I am responsible for protecting my daughter's innocence. It has been demolished by ASD and public school.

The changes are a step forward, but they missed the mark on many levels. "Student safety is (NOT) a priority". Educators' stress is one of the bigger indicators of poor district health overall. We are seeing educators leave the district due to poor leadership, not necessarily pay and benefits. Incidents are being reported but with no follow through, educators are looking elsewhere. Educators need some of the burdens removed from them and better safety measures put in place. Until we get there, there are not enough changes in the world to address the root cause.

5. SPED classrooms, especially, are in crisis as many teaching assistant positions go unfilled and undersupported educators struggle to cope with students with significant physical and intellectual disabilities and sometimes with daunting, even violent behavioral challenges. What can be done to help them?

   
   

I know firsthand that SPED classrooms are in crisis. When going through the Skillbridge program to become a teacher, I was thrown into a SPED room with absolutely no training whatsoever. I saw from day 1 how unfilled positions and unsupported teachers and staff are set up for absolute failure. I was placed with the SPED students at Alpenglow Elementary, and every school I was placed at as a substitute. The job is challenging to say the least.

We have to address the procedures that teachers and staff are allowed to use to protect themselves and students. More than once, I was called to help 'handle' a child because I was 'just a volunteer' and my pension was not at risk.

Our educators need to have that support to make a split second decision for safety sake without jeopardizing their lives.

They need some reprieve from federal regulations, bolster numbers, and identify ways to implement parental help as much as possible.

6. How much time, and in what capacity, have you spent in school buildings? What were your impressions?

   
   

I love being in classrooms. Like I mentioned before, my favorite part of the school day is seeing all the kids in the morning and smiling and saying 'good morning!'. No matter what kind of day you or the kid is having, it is immediately turned bright by that one 'hello'.

I retired from the Air Force in 2021, I was a teacher in the military for 2 years and upon retirement I wanted to teach Elementary School. Second grade was my goal. I was a super substitute while going through the skillbridge program. The following year, I was the Cafeteria Manager at Alpenglow Elementary as well as the Vice President of the PTA.

I also coached for CYSA and would visit schools in Eagle River to use their gyms. I also volunteer with the Alpenglow ice rink with Pete McEnany to keep the ice in tip top shape. Been doing that for 3 years. Eagle River is my community, but I feel at home in any ASD school.

7. What is one question we didn’t ask you, and what would your answer have been?

   
   

What makes you stand out above the other candidates?

I bring a vast amount of knowledge to the school board. Being a teacher, cafeteria manager, business owner, highly decorated Veteran, coach in the community, avid volunteer in the district and elsewhere, I have the physical ability to engage with parents and teachers in any environment. I am not limited to the District building on School Board meeting nights or by a set schedule. I am raising my hand to be dedicated to at least 10 hours a day to ensureing the success of our district. I am even able to substitute for any classroom, on any subject and earn the respect of the students within minutes.

I have an innate ability to empathize and connect with people that most do not have. I am passionate about education. I love to give everything I have to ensure kids succeed. I know that Parents and Teachers both will be extremely happy choosing me over what we have had the past decade.

Nobody is ok with 49th in the nation, in any category.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate and answer these questions. Hopefully, if things go well, I will be able to work with all of you to improve our school district, Alaska, and better prepare our kiddos for their future roles in life.

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How would you answer these questions? Do our views align? Let me know what you think. www.alexforschoolboardak.com

#education #akleg #akelect #Transparency