During last week's PTO/CTA candidate forum, each candidate drew random questions and answered that question. Then, as a follow-up, the PTO/CTA provided us with five (5) questions to each answer in writing. Today, they were due to Sherri. So, I'll paste my answers below. The format was:
1. Briefly describe two ideas that you would like to implement if you were elected to serve on the school board. I would like the board to work with the administration and community leaders to seek either federal or foundation grant opportunities for some of our district needs. An example would be focusing on a grant proposal to improve our technology infrastructure. A second example could be grants for expanded mental health services for students. My second idea that I would like to implement would be a regular (annual or bi-annual) school board and administrator retreat and encourage more educational presentations about the district as opposed to focusing on written reports during the board meetings themselves. During a retreat (even if it’s 1-day), the board can build relationships with each other and the administrators. The retreat should provide board members with information on how the district operates, allow the board to set their calendar for the year, compare the structure of our board meetings compared to others across the state, and ensure that progress on our district goals and strategic planning process is taking place and can be adjusted. Encouraging presentations (both from administrators, teachers, and students) instead of focusing on written reports would help with transparency and board member knowledge. 2. Please describe in your opinion what the role of a school board member is. A school board member should be a voice for the vision, goals, and strategic plan of the school district. Each school board member should practice some essential qualities:
3. What do you feel should be the district’s priorities? What would you like to see change in our district? The broad priorities of the district should be to focus on accomplishing the strategic plans of the district. We should constantly evaluate our current plans and ensure this is the direction (board and administration) that is best for the community. This would provide clear direction for nearly all decisions: budgetary and financial, extracurricular, curriculum, how we’re organized as a district, and growth of new ideas. Due to our financial uncertainty, our current fiscal situation should be monitored closely. We shouldn’t make rash budgetary decisions for short-term financial security. The school board should work with the administration before approving next year’s budget to present a short (1 year), medium (2-4 years), and long-term (5+ years) analysis of the district’s fiscal outlook. This would reassure faculty and staff of the district’s direction, focus on the strategic plans of the district and student achievement, and shows taxpayers the financial needs of the district to meet these goals. As far as changes in our district, I would like to see the school board take ownership of practicing transparency and take the leadership role in working to rebuild trust in our community. There appears to have been very little movement in the board a unit. I would also like to see our school board actively review best practices of school boards across Missouri in order to better ourselves. 4. What do you see as the school board’s role in the budgeting process? The school board’s role in the budgeting process is to multi-fold. At a macro-level, the school board should be knowledgeable about and be prepared to advocate during the state legislative process while understand the federal government’s role in the budget. Within the district level, the school board should ensure that the budget reflects the stated vision and priorities of the district, is the best budget possible for all students, and is financially sound. After presented and approved, the school board’s role should be to ensure that the budget is communicated to citizens, monitored throughout the year on a percentage basis in (addition to approving the individual expenditures at each board meeting), and to pay special attention to accounts that are significantly (5%) over or under budget throughout the year. 5. What makes you the best candidate for the school board? Even though I’ve only lived in Hallsville for 3 years, I bring a unique set of skills and have a long-term view of ensuring our schools remain strong. Professionally, I manage a nonprofit organization with revenues of more than $700,000 last year. My expertise includes knowledge about the state legislature, the foundation formula, education policies and even served on a school board as a student in high school. Personally, I am a first-generation college graduate and foster parent; I understand as a district, we need to provide a wide array of educational options for our children. I’m a consensus builder and want to focus on moving forward to bring us together. I will bring both experience and a new, different perspective to the school board. I humbly ask you to write-in “Craig Stevenson” on your ballot on April 5th for our Hallsville Board of Education. Short Bio I’m the associate director of the Mozambique Initiative, a formal partnership between Methodist churches in Missouri and in Mozambique, Africa. Prior to joining the Methodist Church, I worked for the University of Missouri System for five years in the Office of University Relations. I’m a first-generation college graduate with a bachelors and master’s degree. In 2009, I married my high school sweetheart, Brittney, and we are originally from Rolla. We are foster parents and look forward to hopefully raising biological children in Hallsville, too. We’re members of Hallsville United Methodist Church and I’m in the candidacy process of becoming an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. The reason why we live in Hallsville is because of the school district. For a short period of time, Brittney was a part-time occupational therapist (OT) with the contract OT of the Hallsville school district after she graduated from college. She loved the faculty, staff, and the district demographics. When we wanted to buy or build a home, we focused on Hallsville. After attending the community forum on the tax levy in January and the February school board meeting, I felt that I had a unique set of skills that could be helpful to the school board. The skills I believe I bring to the table include experiences from serving as the first student representative on a school board (Rolla) in the state of Missouri while in high school, seeking out education policy classes in college, and lobbying on behalf of higher education as a career have prepared me to serve on our school board.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorHallsville resident. Foster Parent. School board member. Politico. Jesus Follower. Cardinals Fan #MizzouMade Archives
June 2020
Categories |