I found some great school board candidate questions from a report from the US Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Institute a Competitive Workforce and the National Chamber Foundation. I'll be using that as the basis for my next several blogs. You can find the questionnaire here. Feel free to ask me other questions, though!
Governance: What 3 Questions would I ask a candidate for district superintendent? 1) Explain a time when you faced a challenge in school administration where you restored trust in the school or district. 2) To be an effective leader, being aware of your weaknesses and finding ways to compensate for them. Explain a professional weakness of yours and how you work to mitigate it. 3) In your experience, what are the most effective ways to encourage and raise morale of the faculty, staff, administrators, and related educational support systems (parents, community members, etc)? Second: Finance: Education finance is not foreign or new to me. It's important to understand that Hallsville only controls about 50% of the income/revenue of our budget, which comes from our tax levies. I'm well versed on how the foundation formula at the state level impacts Hallsville and districts across the state, Also, I understand the very limited role the federal government has in education finance. The Board and administrators aren't in an easy or fun position when trying to balance a school budget. This is important to highlight. We are in a time of limited financial resources at all levels of government and faced with tough realities: incomes are limited, fixed costs are rising, as a society we often desire all options (foreign languages, all sports, enriching educational programs, just to name a few) but have limited budgets that must balance at the end of the year. Hallsville has the lowest tax levy in Boone County. This is fantastic for taxpayers, but not necessarily for those citizens who desire all of the options that I mentioned above. Right now, aside from learning and resolving our financial problems, transparency should be a high priority. Transparency creates a sense of trust and competency that has been lost. I commit to leading this transparency effort that will allow our fellow citizens to see that the Board is providing the fiscal oversight necessary while allowing the educators to prioritize how to best teach our children. Board Operations: Do I have any thoughts/advice on Board Operations? Since I am still fairly new to the Hallsville community, I don't have the name ID that other candidates have and I don't have the institutional knowledge that others have. I am a consensus builder before trying to push forward on issues that are divisive. We need to make sure to follow public and closed session protocols. We also should encourage Board dialogue during the open session to show the public that Board members are making decisions where the rationale is explained by administrators and board members. Lastly, I think creating a sense of trust among fellow board members is important. In today's society, we are often quick to criticize but slow to extend a hand of support to our colleagues and fellow community members. Board members will and should have different opinions on issues. I will prioritize time to meet, understand, and get to know my fellow Board members in hopes to create an environment that fosters collaboration and consensus governance. We often lead divided lives, but our schools should be something that unites us. Our leaders need to live this virtue to instill confidence that we are on the right path as a district. Thanks for reading! Craig
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WHY AM I RUNNING & IF ELECTED, WHAT ARE RESULTS DO YOU EXPECT IN 3 YEARS?
I am running as a write in candidate for school board because I felt the urgency couldn't wait until 2017. The Hallsville Public Schools are the reason why we live in Hallsville - they were our first introduction to this community. My wife, Brittney, worked with the contract Occupational Therapist of the district for a short time right after she graduated from Mizzou. She came to home and raved about the teachers, quality of education, and the way everyone conducted themselves. So, naturally, when we were ready to buy or build a home, we started looking around Hallsville. We found 4 acres and built what we called our dream house in 2013 -- where we intend to live for a long time. I've been interested in school boards since I was 15 years old. I pitched the idea and convinced the Rolla School Board as a high school junior to create a policy surrounding a nonvoting student. 12 years later, that policy is still in place - and I was fortunate enough to serve as the first student. In a nutshell, I'm running to by the end of my first term to be able to confidently say: 1) we have hired a qualified, capable superintendent, 2) have restored educator and community trust, and 3) are able to be in a secure and predictable short and medium term financial status. WHAT STRENGTHS DO I BRING TO THE TABLE? I bring experience of being familiar with how education finances work from understanding the roles and impacts of the local, state, and federal government responsibility in our public schools. Whether as a student representative on a school board, taking education policy classes as a part of my graduate degree, or following the foundation formula and education policy in the legislature -- I believe I bring a variety of strengths related to policy experience. I believe in the importance of knowing what you don't. When I don't know an answer, I will work to get possible answers from reputable places and people. I have no particular "ax to grind." I am interested in working in the best interest of the district and our students, faculty, staff, and community. I pride myself on being known by family, friends, and colleagues as level-headed, calm, humble, and work to always make decisions in a cloud-free manner. During tense and important times, this is a quality I believe is a must have for every candidate. My perspective. I am a first generation college graduate, but I understand the type of education that Mizzou offers isn't for everyone. Every child is unique and has differing strengths and goals. A school board member should not be forced to pick one education program over another. Gifted, alternative educational settings, career options, or traditional students are all needed for our country to continue to be successful. Long-term viewpoint. It was the Hallsville Public Schools that drew us to this community and I am hopeful that I am fortunate enough to remain in this community for many years. We are at a vital juncture. I believe correcting things in the short term will make a huge different in our long-term success as a community. Lastly, I seek to understand all points of view before reaching a solution/answer. Some may call this wishy-washy. This is being aware that every point of view is valuable. Attempting to walk in someone else's shoes will be important in working to solve our problems. This is a strength of mine and something I believe this quality will either bring back or grow a sense of community pride in the standing of our schools. Hello! I wanted to offer this as a space for you to ask questions and for me to give my thoughts. Post a comment below with a question/thought that you'd like my take on! I look forward to the dialogue and conversation!
Open dialogue is how progress, change, and tides are turned.during tense and controversial times. By having conversations and working together, we will make our community stronger and our schools better. Blessings, Craig |
AuthorHallsville resident. Foster Parent. School board member. Politico. Jesus Follower. Cardinals Fan #MizzouMade Archives
June 2020
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