Answers To Candidate From The Minot Education Association (Part 3)

7. If elected, how would you ensure the policies and vision of the district are being carried out at all levels– from administration to support staff?

This is one of the most basic functions of a successful school board:  setting policy and vision and then empowering administration, teachers and support staff to carry out those policies and vision by doing their job.  Having clear policies on performance, safety, discipline, behavior and academic expectations as well as approving age appropriate curriculum is crucial.  A school board should visit schools and classrooms and follow up at public board meetings to ensure that the board policy is being carried out at every level.  Having disputes brought to the board generally begins with a lack of communication of expectations and creates confusion and frustration with those involved.  Board members need to be asking questions before and during board meetings as they relate to policy to hold everyone from the Superintendent to support staff accountable on behalf of students, parents and taxpayers.

8. What do you believe is the ideal classroom size for various grades in our schools? Specifically, what cap would you, as a school board member, like to see on kindergarten classes? Grades 1–5? Grades 6-8? Grades 9-12?

The current suggested cap of grades 1-5 of class room sizes in the low twenties makes sense as revealed by the public forums held at McKinley and Bell schools.  Kindergarten is a bit more difficult to gauge as each student is enrolling into the system for the first time.  I’m aware that there are a number of students entering kindergarten that may not speak English.  Having children without basic skills takes away from a teacher’s ability to focus on the balance of the class.  Twenty is my opinion based on what I’ve learned in my school visits.  Grades 6-8 will now have to be determined as a best practice by the incoming school board as Central Campus now becomes the third middle school.  My expectations are similar, class sizes of approximately twenty five students.  High school is more dependent upon elective courses, but my experience has been for core classes, mid twenties and for electives in some cases a minimum number of students enrolled would be needed to justify offering a class such as welding.  I would rely on the business manager and the Superintendent to provide those recommendations with justification to the board.

9. Minot has seen an increase in issues concerning the safety in the classroom for both staff and students. If elected, how will you help to ensure the safety of the students and staff in all Minot Public schools?

Each school I’ve visited has had a strong security system and check-in process as a guest and in many cases, I’ve been escorted to classrooms and other parts of the building.  My experience has been that concerns for safety revolve around behavioral issues within the building and not as much based on exterior threats.  I believe the board needs to provide a flexible policy on discipline to each school and support teachers and administration when threats to safety are made to individuals or the school as a whole.   The inclusion of SROs at middle and high schools has greatly enhanced the sense of security and the elimination of portable classrooms such as the ones at Jim Hill with the new middle school should relieve some of the safety concerns by keeping all students within a secured building.