It\u2019s all about the kids, but being on the school board is also a balancing act with an ever-shrinking budget countered by expanding community needs. Who would want to take on such a job, and could they handle it?<\/p>\n
A weekly luncheon by the Juneau Chamber of Commerce gave the five school board candidates an opportunity to present their cases to a full room of business leaders as to why they should be placed in charge of public education in Alaska\u2019s capital city. <\/p>\n
While several responses were given to describe overall objectives, candidate and 12-year-veteran board member Andi Story\u2019s remarks echoed the sentiment of all on the panel.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost is the quality of education for our kids,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Achieving that quality of education is where the candidates began to take different routes. While Story continued her platform to invest in teachers\u2019 professional development, some came to the table with blueprints for new ways to address crowded classrooms.<\/p>\n
Candidate Emil Mackey, whose professional background includes administrative work in the University of Alaska and University of Arkansas systems, presented a solution to the popular high school campuses debate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got two high schools, and I\u2019m not going to at all get into the debate of whether we should close one, I think that debate\u2019s passed,\u201d Mackey said. \u201cWhat I do believe though is that since they\u2019re running at basically three-fifths capacity, we should probably look at more creative use of our total infrastructure around the district.\u201d<\/p>\n
This new infrastructure, Mackey explained, includes combining the junior high and high school grade levels, freeing middle school space for elementary use.<\/p>\n
While Mackey\u2019s was the most drastic change suggested, it was born from a popular concern by all candidates \u2014 preparing students as early as possible for life after a degree.<\/p>\n
Candidate Josh Keaton presented data to those in attendance that rang alarms about student readiness for the real world.<\/p>\n
\u201cJuneau has the lowest college preparation level that\u2019s measured by graduates that are eligible for the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) for the big five districts in the larger Southeast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to a report by the APS, in 2014, 25 percent of Juneau students were eligible for aid from APS, the lowest figure for schools in Southeast Alaska.<\/p>\n
Story celebrated the recent increase in the graduation rate, but expressed concerns similar to Keaton\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur graduation rate is its highest ever, 87 (percent), but are kids really college ready? They\u2019re graduating, but are they ready?\u201d Story asked.<\/p>\n
According to data from the Juneau School District, the rate of graduation in 2014 was 80 percent. Candidate Story was referring to JSD\u2019s five-year graduation rate.<\/p>\n
On the topic of after high school success, Mackey introduced the possibility of optional tracks for students concerned with college versus technical trades, allowing each student to focus on what they find motivating.<\/p>\n
All these suggestions, as Mackey pointed out, are only priorities, not campaign promises. When moderator Eric Eriksen turned the questions over to the audience, candidates had to consider how they could make so much \u201cmore\u201d happen when so often \u201cless\u201d is what the board has to work with financially.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot spin straw into gold,\u201d Story said. \u201cI wish we had more administrative cuts to make, because that would make it easy, and we\u2019ve tried to make our cuts at the administrative level and we\u2019re really down to bare bones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Candidate Jeff Redmond, a Juneau resident for two years and a University of Alaska Southeast student, said one way to address budget issues is to stop unnecessary growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my position that we need to keep in check the expansion of our charter school and side schools,\u201d Redmond said. \u201cI think the ones that we have now do need to be funded properly and to continue to expand may be a misstep.\u201d<\/p>\n
One budget concern for candidate Jason Hart, a youth soccer and baseball coach, was restricted travel for middle school sports. Hart said he felt the moratorium put in place in fall 2013 could be lifted with a net neutral outcome on the board\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n
Former board member Sally Saddler was in the audience Thursday and presented information for the candidates to consider. Only 35 to 45 percent of students in the district are reading and writing competent for their appropriate grade level. The goal of the board, Saddler said is to guide the district in achieving its goal of bringing the remaining 55 to 65 percent up to par, and not leaving them behind. How, Saddler asked, could they make a real change?<\/p>\n
Keaton said the complex question could be answered in students\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a school district, we need to be encouraging … learning at home as well to try and bring some of those students up,\u201d Keaton said, adding that he uses the Khan Academy web tool with his children. \u201cWe need to encourage and work as a community to encourage parents to continue that education at home and not place all the blame of students not meeting a certain reading level on the teachers\u2019 backs.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the panel, Saddler said she wasn\u2019t exactly satisfied with answers to her question because \u201cspecifics\u201d were missing in all the answers. She said the reason she asked it to begin with was to make sure these candidates realized the scope of what they were signing up for.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want my candidates to go into this eyes wide open,\u201d Saddler said.<\/p>\n
Additional questions prepared by the chamber and answered by the candidates in advance of the panel will be available to view at juneauchamber.com at a later date.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Contact reporter Paula Ann Solis at 523-2272 or at paula.solis@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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