The candidates’ responses are presented without edits (except for formatting).
Below are the responses from Democratic candidate Dr. Tim Merrick.
The legislature has recently moved to fund vouchers for private schools, which provide public money for private and charter schools. Do you support this voucher system?
I do not. I respect everyone’s right to the education they choose for their children. The State Constitution gives every child the right to a sound basic education in public schools. But public dollars belong in public schools that are accountable to the state, that admit any child, transports children to school, etc.
How would you support the district’s diverse population, including minority, LGBTQ, and multi-language families?
Every child is unique and needs to belong. It starts by recognizing and normalizing differences. Policy 7300 and 3200 are an attempt to limit acknowledging and appreciating our differences. The dismantling of the EDI Committee also reduces opportunities for the recognition of every child. Title IX has become another political football. But it is essential that we preserve the rights of every child regardless of their gender or gender identity.
This year each school was given a choice to have either a language liaison or a teaching coach. Each school chose to have a coach. Which means we can't support our non-english speaking students adequately.
If elected, how would you handle dissenting viewpoints from fellow board members, staff, and the public?
While working in conflict it is important to listen and be heard. We need to discover what our common goals are, and work within a respectful framework. I find we usually have more in common than we know because we only focus on our differences. There needs to be a desire to reach consensus. I believe we all want better schools for our kids. We start there. I'll lead by example and work to ensure all of us, on all sides, are respectful.
Do you believe teachers and staff are indoctrinating students with partisan ideologies? If so, what evidence can you share to support that concern?
I do not. As one teacher told me, “If I had the time to indoctrinate my students, I’d indoctrinate them to do their homework.”
Some believe that teaching history without sugarcoating it is partisan. I disagree. I believe we need to be honest with our students about the realities of the world so they will be ready to succeed in life.
Do you support the banning of books in libraries or classrooms? If so, are there any that currently concern you?
I do not believe in banning books. Neither do I believe that every book or magazine is appropriate for schools, or every age group of students.
I believe the concerns of parents have been manipulated by the Moms for Liberty and other groups.
District Attorney Ben David oversaw the review of all books in school libraries and found none that had material harmful to minors.
How do you plan to support the district’s low-performing schools? Do you have broader concerns about or plans to address academic achievement?
It is at the top of my concerns. While I believe education is more than EOG scores, if a child isn’t reading by the third grade the likelihood of high school graduation and success in the world is significantly impacted. It is a multi-faceted problem that needs to be addressed on many fronts.
-We need to reduce class size
-We need parental involvement
-We need better access to pre-K
-We need the involvement of community groups and non-profit organizations.
-We need to curb absenteeism
-We need to reduce time waiting for buses, get children home sooner or create after school programs while they wait.
It’s encouraging that Communities in Schools went door to door to engage families, and had an impressive turnout on parents night at Freeman. This is a model of community organizing we need to embrace.
When and how would you like to start reviewing the district’s budget? What are your priorities in terms of positions, curriculum, and/or programs?
I see budgeting as something that should continue nearly year round. The district waits until they get likely attendance numbers before putting together numbers to bring to the board. We already know the difficulties our classrooms are experiencing. We should be looking at solutions and working with the County Commissioners now. I’d like to see a joint committee on education with the Board of Commissioners that meets year round.
On a personal level I have a particular concern about our EC students. We need more aides in these classrooms. We need trained personnel to fulfill IEPs. We have parents who have to fight hard to get their children what they need and it shouldn’t be that way.
As to curricula, I’m not in favor of scripted and paced teaching. I believe in empowering our professional educators to reach their students in the unique ways required.
I’d like to see Pre-K be more accessible and have students ready to start kindergarten.