Meet the CPS school board candidates up for election
April 3, 2012
Q & A with School Board Candidate Rex Cone
What made you want to volunteer for this position at this time?
I want to contribute to our community. I have been asked to serve in the past and had no personal problem, cause or agenda with the current board. When current board member Michelle Pruit chose not to run for reelection I, and others, thought this would be a good time to become more involved in our great schools.
What do you think you will bring to the school board that they need right now?
Transparency. Really the Board of Education are just seven people establishing policy (the rules for the district), clarifying the purpose (direction) of the district and monitoring their single employee – Superintendent Belcher. It is very important that this group of seven conduct meetings and make decisions in a transparent way so every citizen feels their voice is heard, their opinion matters, and their cause is considered. I’m very approachable, and I think what I will bring to the board is my willingness to seek out those voices that don’t feel they can approach the board of education with their opinion. It’s pretty hard to make every public event. And some parents are intimidated contacting district officers over on Worley St. (school district offices). I am a transparent, and accessible person who, I hope, will be approachable to everyone.
What ideas will high school students benefit from with your election?
To be honest, current high school students will probably not benefit at all with my election April 3 to the Board of Education. The board is likened to those who lay out the track way ahead of the approching train. The superintendent is the conductor driving that train. The board sets in motion the direction and purpose they see the school district should go. This direction and purpose should be reflective of input by every person in the community. So most decisions I contribute to will not be noticed by current Bruin students.
OK, a longer version with my ‘forcast for the future’: In the long term, I think high school students will benefit from my election by seeing greater options for both college bound students and those who choose not to go that route. So often adults set a college standard for absolutely every student and we all know; not everyone wants to go to college, wants to go right away to college, some have no idea at 18 what direction they want to go. So we should equip our teachers and staff with the tools to teach students how to be lifetime learners. Maybe expanding career center options is the way to go, maybe greater involvement in the Partners In Education program will help, perhaps intership type learning will best help some students.
What do you think the most pressing issue in the school district is at the moment?
Money. But I suspect every past election has that same pressing issue. The state legislature in Jefferson City has advised our school district that they will continue to cut the funding the state provides and the we, your family and mine, will have to make up the difference with some sort of local renenue source. The current school board is asking every property owner within the Columbia Public School District to vote and approve a tax levy increase. The money from that tax will generate money to offset the loss in state funding. After I’m elected the primary issue will be funding if the tax levy vote fails on April 3. If the levy passes, I think the primary issue facing the school district will be addressing the infastructure needs around Battle HS.
What community and professional involvement have you had inColumbia?
For Columbia Public Schools, in 2010, I served on the Intermediate Steering Committee whose purpose was to propose the best research based design for core programs. In 2008 I was on the Enrollment Planning Committee for Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary School. I am a volunteer in the classroom. I help with reading, art awareness, field trips, and fundraising in my children’s classrooms as well as many other classrooms. I enjoyed training with the Columbia Police Department’s Citizens’ Police Academy.
What are your personal interests or hobbies?
When I get a chance, I like woodworking. I like to go to the public library or Barnes & Noble with my kids and pick random books off the shelf to satisfy a curiousity. I notice I mostly wander in the archetecture and home maintenence sections. We traveled a lot as I was growing up (moved nine times and I attended six different public schools) so I started collect pennants. I guess today the equivilent would be a “smashed penny” collection.
What is your favorite thing about Columbia Public Schools?
I really like going to events at my kids’ schools (son 5th at Russell, daughter 7th at Smithson). There is a certain energy when kids ‘perform’ and loving parents are expectant and anxious to see their kids do well. And why does it resonate with all of us when kids, at whatever level, fail in spectacular fashion? I really like the plays at RBHS (and I’m not just pandering for your vote ’cause I doubt you’re registered to vote).
What do you think about the role of public education?
I support it. The purpose of public education is to train students to be good citizens. It’s not just about teaching facts and dates. The role of public education is self-serving to all in our community. If we have people learning how to be learners, citizens, contributors – it helps us all, young and old.
What do you see being the biggest challenges as Columbia opens a new high school?
No. 1. The current roads and traffic may not have been fully addressed before the building itself started going up. I’m not sure the amount of people traveling in that area in August 2013 will be able to get around comfortably and easily. No. 2. Every family with kids currently in school who are freshman and younger will experience a ‘minor challenge’ adjusting to the new school reorganization (some will think ‘major’ but it really is ‘minor’). Families with 2015 graduates will face the most angst because some will chose to go with the new boundaries and some are still unsure about the transfer policy.
Q & A with School Board Candidate Paul Cushing
What made you want to volunteer for this position at this time? What do you think you will bring to the school board that they need right now?
The bonds and levies were what encouraged me to run. I was against them in the beginning of the campaign. After visiting schools, including RBHS, I was convinced by staff, teachers and parents that the money was necessary to reduce overcrowding and add back some staff support positions.
What ideas will high school students benefit from with your election?
As a school board member, I will be part of a group of seven making decisions about district-wide issues. While the board does make decisions that steer the path of the district, we rely on Dr. Belcher, staff and teachers to implement our collective ideas. So, the short answer to that question is probably not too much. However, I would like to focus on bringing more technology to CPS, starting with tablets and more e-learning. All ideas are subject to funding.
What do you think the most pressing issue in the school district is at the moment?
The most pressing issue is overcrowding, portable classrooms and funding for more counseling staff.
What community and professional involvement have you had in Columbia?
I have lived in Columbia for 11 years. During that time I have worked at Miller’s Professional Imaging in the IT department as a programmer. I am part of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Missouri and meet regularly with my 11 year old “little.” This is my first venture into a political race.
What are your personal interests or hobbies?
I like to hunt and target shoot. Like I said above, I meet with my little brother weekly and we walk on the trail, see movies or visit cultural exhibits or museums during our time together.
What is your favorite thing about Columbia Public Schools?
So far what I have seen is an incredibly dedicated staff who seems to really care about educating. If elected I hope to offer the same dedication I have seen in others.
What do you think about the role of public education?
Public education is mandated by law and should prepare a student for post secondary activities including college, armed forces and/or a vocational education. In my opinion, public education typically provides more options than the mandate and, should students/parents take advantage of all that is offered, should be a better overall experience than a private school.
What do you see being the biggest challenges as Columbia opens a new high school?
I think the re-zoning was the biggest challenge. Of course, there will be some bumps in the road but opening Battle High School will be something CPS will be well prepared for.
What ideas will high school students benefit from with your election?
As a school board member, I will be part of a group of seven making decisions about district-wide issues. While the board does make decisions that steer the path of the district, we rely on Dr. Belcher, staff and teachers to implement our collective ideas. So, the short answer to that question is probably not too much. However, I would like to focus on bringing more technology to CPS, starting with tablets and more e-learning. All ideas are subject to funding.
What do you think the most pressing issue in the school district is at the moment?
The most pressing issue is overcrowding, portable classrooms and funding for more counseling staff.
What community and professional involvement have you had in Columbia?
I have lived in Columbia for 11 years. During that time I have worked at Miller’s Professional Imaging in the IT department as a programmer. I am part of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Missouri and meet regularly with my 11 year old “little.” This is my first venture into a political race.
What are your personal interests or hobbies?
I like to hunt and target shoot. Like I said above, I meet with my little brother weekly and we walk on the trail, see movies or visit cultural exhibits or museums during our time together.
What is your favorite thing about Columbia Public Schools?
So far what I have seen is an incredibly dedicated staff who seems to really care about educating. If elected I hope to offer the same dedication I have seen in others.
What do you think about the role of public education?
Public education is mandated by law and should prepare a student for post secondary activities including college, armed forces and/or a vocational education. In my opinion, public education typically provides more options than the mandate and, should students/parents take advantage of all that is offered, should be a better overall experience than a private school.
What do you see being the biggest challenges as Columbia opens a new high school?
I think the re-zoning was the biggest challenge. Of course, there will be some bumps in the road but opening Battle High School will be something CPS will be well prepared for.
Q & A with School Board Candidate Christine King
What made you want to volunteer for this position at this time? What do you think you will bring to the school board that they need right now?
I’m the one incumbent, so this will be my second three-year term if reelected. And the reason why I chose to run for the second term was because I really felt in the first two years of my first term I probably was doing more learning and understanding how the board of education operates and how the school district operates. And then my third year is when it really all came together for me, as I think it’s true probably with most people who serve on council or board of education that are for that amount of time, and I knew early on in my first term that I wanted to continue my community service back to the district and back to the people of Columbia in this capacity. What I think I bring to the board is I have prior board experience, Columbia Montessori school, where I served on the Board of Directors for five years, and I was Board Chair for the last four of those years. And that was a similar situation only on a smaller scale. We had seven to 11 board members that supervised the director. So I bring that experience and my experience in leadership in the private sector. For this term I bring not only those issues but also the experience and the knowledge that comes with being on the board for the first three years.
What ideas will high school students benefit from with your election?
I don’t know if there’s actually one thing or any one point in time that any student at any given time, that will be the thing they benefit from, but overall broad leadership perspective of the district. I’m in favor and support what we’re doing now with Battle high school, with the structure change. That is a huge plus, maybe not so much to current high school students since you won’t be part of that, but certainly the class of 2017 as they enter high school. 2013 that’s a huge positive for all of our high school students across the district. I’m a big supporter of athletics programs and after school activities, at all grade levels if we could have it, but in particular as you move up into that middle school and beyond. And so I think whatever we can do to help create and maintain the level of activities and engagement for kids now, those kids will do better in school the more engaged they are with their school.
What do you think the most pressing issue in the school district is at the moment?
At the very moment it’s passing the bond tax levy. Without question that is the most pressing issue that we have before us because how we manage and lead in the financial and building perspective after 7 p.m. tomorrow all depends on whatever happens tomorrow at the ballot. That’s our most pressing issue. Now, leading on that I think the issue is to just continue to focus on our students and our teachers as it relates to the achievement gap, well the achievement of all students – not just the achievement gap. It’s really the achievement of all of our students and making sure we have teachers that are well-trained and engaged, dedicated in the classrooms educating our kids.
What community and professional involvement have you had in Columbia?
Prior to Columbia Board of Education I was on the Montessori board of directors from 2002 to 2007. I was treasurer one year and the last four years I was board chair. Also during that time I served as the chair of the partners in ed committee at state farm when I was still working at state farm. So Rock Bridge was our partner, still is. And so I worked real closely with Kathy Ritter and her team at that point. And then currently I’m a voting member of Assistance League of Mid-Missouri, and now I’m on the board of directors of Columbia Youth Basketball Association, and I coach both of my kids’ youth basketball teams, or did, they’re over now. I coached my daughter for the last two years and my son for the last four years. And then I’m involved with Paxton Keely PTA with a couple committee chairs as well.
What are your personal interests or hobbies?
I enjoy anything athletic. I love to run, exercise, workout. I love to read my fiction, mystery novels. And then you know really a lot of my hobbies right now outside of my community work involve my kids’ activities: baseball, softball, and you know, that type of thing as well.
What is your favorite thing about Columbia Public Schools?
I think the diversity and the variety of choices that not only our students and community members bring with their level of diversity, but then the different choices with our schools that our parents can send their kids, assuming they live in the district and all that, but the diversity in particular in the schools overall I think is fabulous for all of our students and teachers to learn from different cultures and languages and poverty, non-poverty, all of that. I just think it’s a great learning environment.
What do you think about the role of public education?
Do I feel public education should be maintained in our nation and in our state? Absolutely. I think that there are a lot of students, whether they have the means or not, they want to go to a public school. They don’t want to privatize the institution of education. And you know in our country every child gets to have an education. It’s not a question of whether they can afford it or not, if they’re smart enough or not, they get an education. And not every country can have that ability or make that choice available, and I think this is one of these choices that sets us apart from all the other nations. Now we also have to do a lot to make sure we support that because as good as our public schools are, like if you look at Columbia, our public schools are outstanding. But we also, because our public schools are outstanding, we help bring in business, economic development, housing growth, which also brings in people who prefer private school, which is fine. I’m a big supporter of private school as well. I don’t think private school should go away. And that creates a lot of good quality parent choice when they’re looking at community like Columbia. Because I know a lot of families that have one child in public school, and they’ve moved another child to a private school. So, we provide that choice and that opportunity because our public schools here are so good. So I’m definitely in support of public education and feel it plays a vital role in the overall success of our local, state and national economy, outlook, everything you want to roll into that.
What do you see being the biggest challenges as Columbia opens a new high school?
Well, I think on the short-term, the biggest challenge is the continuing communication piece to our parents to ensure that as their children transition to new schools, different schools for that first year, that that communication piece is there, and we do our best to make sure parents know what is going on. And that I think is the short term, and I think the longer term is to continue to maintain the integrity that we want to maintain with keeping these schools somewhat equal in terms of attendance so we don’t get into having transfers and all that, and I don’t think we’ll get into that. I just think that’s kind of the long-term. We just have to continue to monitor and lead and make sure that we continue to increase our educational abilities with our students more than anything else, but I think that’s something that’s always going to be there when you have a district of our size.
I’m the one incumbent, so this will be my second three-year term if reelected. And the reason why I chose to run for the second term was because I really felt in the first two years of my first term I probably was doing more learning and understanding how the board of education operates and how the school district operates. And then my third year is when it really all came together for me, as I think it’s true probably with most people who serve on council or board of education that are for that amount of time, and I knew early on in my first term that I wanted to continue my community service back to the district and back to the people of Columbia in this capacity. What I think I bring to the board is I have prior board experience, Columbia Montessori school, where I served on the Board of Directors for five years, and I was Board Chair for the last four of those years. And that was a similar situation only on a smaller scale. We had seven to 11 board members that supervised the director. So I bring that experience and my experience in leadership in the private sector. For this term I bring not only those issues but also the experience and the knowledge that comes with being on the board for the first three years.
What ideas will high school students benefit from with your election?
I don’t know if there’s actually one thing or any one point in time that any student at any given time, that will be the thing they benefit from, but overall broad leadership perspective of the district. I’m in favor and support what we’re doing now with Battle high school, with the structure change. That is a huge plus, maybe not so much to current high school students since you won’t be part of that, but certainly the class of 2017 as they enter high school. 2013 that’s a huge positive for all of our high school students across the district. I’m a big supporter of athletics programs and after school activities, at all grade levels if we could have it, but in particular as you move up into that middle school and beyond. And so I think whatever we can do to help create and maintain the level of activities and engagement for kids now, those kids will do better in school the more engaged they are with their school.
What do you think the most pressing issue in the school district is at the moment?
At the very moment it’s passing the bond tax levy. Without question that is the most pressing issue that we have before us because how we manage and lead in the financial and building perspective after 7 p.m. tomorrow all depends on whatever happens tomorrow at the ballot. That’s our most pressing issue. Now, leading on that I think the issue is to just continue to focus on our students and our teachers as it relates to the achievement gap, well the achievement of all students – not just the achievement gap. It’s really the achievement of all of our students and making sure we have teachers that are well-trained and engaged, dedicated in the classrooms educating our kids.
What community and professional involvement have you had in Columbia?
Prior to Columbia Board of Education I was on the Montessori board of directors from 2002 to 2007. I was treasurer one year and the last four years I was board chair. Also during that time I served as the chair of the partners in ed committee at state farm when I was still working at state farm. So Rock Bridge was our partner, still is. And so I worked real closely with Kathy Ritter and her team at that point. And then currently I’m a voting member of Assistance League of Mid-Missouri, and now I’m on the board of directors of Columbia Youth Basketball Association, and I coach both of my kids’ youth basketball teams, or did, they’re over now. I coached my daughter for the last two years and my son for the last four years. And then I’m involved with Paxton Keely PTA with a couple committee chairs as well.
What are your personal interests or hobbies?
I enjoy anything athletic. I love to run, exercise, workout. I love to read my fiction, mystery novels. And then you know really a lot of my hobbies right now outside of my community work involve my kids’ activities: baseball, softball, and you know, that type of thing as well.
What is your favorite thing about Columbia Public Schools?
I think the diversity and the variety of choices that not only our students and community members bring with their level of diversity, but then the different choices with our schools that our parents can send their kids, assuming they live in the district and all that, but the diversity in particular in the schools overall I think is fabulous for all of our students and teachers to learn from different cultures and languages and poverty, non-poverty, all of that. I just think it’s a great learning environment.
What do you think about the role of public education?
Do I feel public education should be maintained in our nation and in our state? Absolutely. I think that there are a lot of students, whether they have the means or not, they want to go to a public school. They don’t want to privatize the institution of education. And you know in our country every child gets to have an education. It’s not a question of whether they can afford it or not, if they’re smart enough or not, they get an education. And not every country can have that ability or make that choice available, and I think this is one of these choices that sets us apart from all the other nations. Now we also have to do a lot to make sure we support that because as good as our public schools are, like if you look at Columbia, our public schools are outstanding. But we also, because our public schools are outstanding, we help bring in business, economic development, housing growth, which also brings in people who prefer private school, which is fine. I’m a big supporter of private school as well. I don’t think private school should go away. And that creates a lot of good quality parent choice when they’re looking at community like Columbia. Because I know a lot of families that have one child in public school, and they’ve moved another child to a private school. So, we provide that choice and that opportunity because our public schools here are so good. So I’m definitely in support of public education and feel it plays a vital role in the overall success of our local, state and national economy, outlook, everything you want to roll into that.
What do you see being the biggest challenges as Columbia opens a new high school?
Well, I think on the short-term, the biggest challenge is the continuing communication piece to our parents to ensure that as their children transition to new schools, different schools for that first year, that that communication piece is there, and we do our best to make sure parents know what is going on. And that I think is the short term, and I think the longer term is to continue to maintain the integrity that we want to maintain with keeping these schools somewhat equal in terms of attendance so we don’t get into having transfers and all that, and I don’t think we’ll get into that. I just think that’s kind of the long-term. We just have to continue to monitor and lead and make sure that we continue to increase our educational abilities with our students more than anything else, but I think that’s something that’s always going to be there when you have a district of our size.
School Board Candidate Melvin Blase’s Q&A will be up shortly
