Candidate Profile: Janna Kregoski For Forsyth Board Of Ed. District 1

CUMMING, GA — Three candidates are running for Forsyth County Board of Education District 1 in the May 24 General Primary Election, in addition to others running for District 5.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the primary draws near.

Janna Kregoski is running for Forsyth County Board of Education District 1.

<b>Name</b>

Janna Kregoski

<b>Campaign website</b>

https://www.jannaforgeorgia.co...

<b>City or town of residence</b>

Cumming

<b>Office sought</b>

School Board, District 1

<b>Party affiliation</b>

Democrat

<b>Education</b>

Bachelors Degree in Microbiology, minor in Biomedical Sciences. ASQ Certified Quality Auditor. Prosci Certified Change Practitioner.

<b>Occupation</b>

Project Manager, 13 years of experience.

<b>Family</b>

Husband (Chris), Son (Ira) age 4. My mom's side of the family is from the Atlanta area, and my parents are both Georgia Tech grads.

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

None

<b>Age</b>

35

<b>Previous public office, appointive or elective</b>

None

<b>Why are you seeking this office?</b>

I'm passionate about public education. When we moved to Forsyth County, I was delighted to hear we had amazing schools and excited about the educational opportunities for my son. However, soon after we moved here, I learned that there was growing pressure to censor factual materials being taught in our schools (including material on the AP reading list), which could put our AP certification at risk. I also learned there's a growing push to defund public education with school voucher programs. Although I think private schools can be a great choice for some families, I don't think taking away funds from already-struggling districts is the way to do it. Forsyth County, in particular, already pays its teachers less than surrounding districts and is having difficulty retaining high-quality teachers.

<b>Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.</b>

attracting and retaining high-quality teachers * I plan to perform a detailed budget review with administrators to determine what needs to happen to increase teacher compensation and match the cost of living increases in Forsyth County. This will also include investigating more creative financial incentives like tax credits or student loan support. I also plan to host working sessions to determine the root cause of what teachers see as a lack of support from administration when it comes to addressing student (and the occasional parent) behavioral issues. I plan to visit classrooms & listen in person - both at the start of my term as well as regularly throughout - so I can see what is happening first hand.

<b>What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

I am the only candidate who is laser-focused on improving teacher retention, with an action plan to back it up. Other candidates have voiced that they support teachers, only to also state that "teachers are indoctrinating our children." Teachers are the backbone of Forsyth County's educational system and if we lose them, we lose everything that makes our school system great.
I am the only candidate who opposes defunding public schools with school voucher programs. I am a strong proponent for appropriately funding our public schools, since they are the only ones federally mandated to support IEPs, special education, English as a second language programs, and more.

I am the only candidate with a plan to expand our high school to college pipeline by building relationships with local businesses, trade schools, and community colleges. I want to increase the number of internships, apprenticeships, and early-college opportunities for high schoolers to explore their passions and prepare for higher education.

<b>If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?</b>

The biggest problem I see at current board meetings is that challenges facing the district are rarely, if ever, discussed during the general board session. The information presented to the board is overwhelmingly positive, and there are very few notes about pain points and what is being done to address them. However, anyone who has spoken to teachers, students, or parents in the county knows that even the best schools have their challenges. I think the board has become a "yes" culture where we shy away from challenging issues rather than addressing them head on.
The incumbent has also succumbed to pressure from a very small portion of Forsyth County's population rather than representing ALL of Forsyth County. When a very small, vocal group of people sought to ban books from Forsyth County schools' media centers, the board chose to bypass their existing robust process for media challenges. That's concerning because it shows a lack of regard for the expertise of teachers, media center specialists, and administrators.

<b>What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?</b>

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

As a project manager, I have experience managing large, complex projects with lots of different stakeholders. I'm skilled at not only negotiating to fix a problem, but also ensuring we're fixing the right problem in the first place. I practice "go and see" with every problem I seek to solve - not just relying on reports from others, but seeing it with my own eyes.

My background in Lean / Operational Excellence gives me a skillset to not only make sure we're funding our schools appropriately, but also to make sure that we are funding in a smart way that gives us the most "bang for our buck". I'm able to analyze complex data and use it to drive decision making.

As a former small business owner, I truly understand the value of personal connections and building community to accomplish our goals. When running a small business, it doesn't matter what your customer's politics are - it matters that you're delivering the service they expect and building empathy and trust. The more we treat each other as human beings, the more we'll be able to find common ground and build a better future for our children.

<b>What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?</b>

"Keep your mind open, but not so open your brains fall out."

i.e. Listen with your whole heart and mind, especially to the people you disagree with. At the same time, hold tight to your core values and make sure they're reflected in everything you do.