Get To Know Our Urbandale Community School District Board Candidates

Press release from the Urbandale Community School District:

October 23, 2021

Every two years we hold School Board Elections and this year UCSD has three (3) open seats on the ballot. All three seats are four-year terms. Please find below information about the candidate forum hosted by the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce and information about voting in the election. Plus, we requested our eight (8) school board candidates respond to the following three questions:

Enjoy learning more about each candidate and save the date to VOTE in the upcoming School Board Election on November 2!

Urbandale Chamber School Board Candidate Forum
Friday, October 29, 2021
11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Learn More & Register

Vote! School Board Election: November 2, 2021

• School Board Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 2021. Polls open 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
• Learn more about absentee ballot and election day polling information by visiting the Polk County Auditor site.

Get To Know Our UCSD School Board Candidates

In an effort for the community to learn more about those running for school board, UCSD has asked the various candidates three questions. Their individual responses are posted below exactly as provided to the District. The District, by sharing these responses, does not endorse any candidate, nor does it attest to the accuracy, or inaccuracy, of any of the statements made. These are solely provided as information into the opinions and perspectives of those candidates who responded.

In an effort for the community to learn more about those running for school board, UCSD has asked the various candidates three questions. Their individual responses are posted below exactly as provided to the District. The District, by sharing these responses, does not endorse any candidate, nor does it attest to the accuracy, or inaccuracy, of any of the statements made. These are solely provided as information into the opinions and perspectives of those candidates who responded.

Q1: How will your experiences as a leader support your work on the UCSD Board?
From my early leadership experience as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force through my 23 years of experience as a licensed Certified Public Accountant, I have had to guide and lead others through both difficult and positive experiences. While the difficult experiences are the most challenging to navigate, maintaining a “can-do” attitude throughout has served my co-workers, clientele, and myself very well in the end. Maintaining positive interactions with all stakeholders eventually provides results everyone can be satisfied with.

What You Can Expect From Me:
The Golden Rule. Consider me old-fashioned – but I always try to treat others the way I would expect to be treated. It’s my theory that if all of us could just follow this one rule, we could be much happier and find consensus much faster. As such, I will conduct myself professionally and respectfully with those in the Administration, other Board Directors, and especially with those for whom we serve – the parents and children of the UCSD.

The Golden Rule.

I will ask questions – and lots of them. It’s in my nature. If information provided prior to each Board meeting is missing or requires further clarification, it is incumbent upon myself and any other Board member to ask “Why?” For example, if the purpose of a particular expense item is not clear from expense reports, as stewards of the public trust, we must be comfortable with how resources are allocated.

I will ask questions – and lots of them.

Transparency is the hallmark of a great leader. Upon giving full consideration to all sides of an argument, I will provide the reasoning for my vote. The voters deserve nothing less than to know the basis for our votes. Full and open deliberations during Board meetings must take place to provide the public the reasoning for the Board’s decisions. Although Board Directors serve in a volunteer capacity, we are accountable to the voters of the UCSD.

Transparency is the hallmark of a great leader.

Voting abstentions do not indicate strength in leadership. Unless due to conflicts of interest, or unforeseen emergencies, myself including all Board members should attend meetings well-prepared to vote. To do so otherwise is to disrespect the Administration and Board members that have done the preparation required for meetings.

Voting abstentions do not indicate strength in leadership.

Solid work ethic. It has been stated that the typical School Board Director can expect to work anywhere from 10-15 hours per week on Board business. During different stages of my career, I’ve had to work anywhere from 60-70 hours per week due to the seasonal states of my business. You can be assured that I will devote the preparation time necessary to prepare for the Board’s meetings.

Solid work ethic.

Unwavering resolve. I will not be intimidated by any individual, political party, or groups of individuals. I will base my votes upon input from the Administration, other Board Directors, parents and children of the UCSD, and my own value system. Although my vote might may not align with others on the Board from time to time, I will still be open, respectful, and collaborative with those having opposing viewpoints.

Unwavering resolve.

Q2: What do you believe are the most pressing issues facing the District?

Proficiency Scores. The 2019 UHS English Proficiency scores in listening, reading, and writing are well below state averages. In addition, it’s disappointing that Annual Improvement Goals have not been updated since 2017, according to the UCSD’s “Annual Progress Reports” website. It is time that a Board of Directors with fresh faces holds the Administration responsible for setting new goals and adhering to a performance plan to attain those goals. Accordingly, the Board must also be open to supporting the Administration and allocating resources to improving these scores as well. We must find ways to meet or exceed these averages to ensure we’ve adequately prepared our children to flourish in a post-high school environment.

Vaccine and Mask Mandates. Decisions as to whether or not any individual be masked or vaccinated in a school setting is a choice for the individual and their family medical professional to decide upon. Students under IEPs and 504 Plans can be accommodated to ensure equal treatment. School Board Directors do not typically hold a license to practice medicine, so they are clearly not qualified to make decisions regarding masking and/or vaccinations. I will remain firm in my position that vaccine and mask mandates must not imposed by the UCSD Board of Directors. Regardless, if federal, state, or local laws override the Board’s policies in this area, they must be respected.

Divisiveness. Public schools, once a place for “the three Rs” (“reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic”) have now become a petri dish for social experimentation. UCSD is no stranger to this controversy. Despite House File 802, enacted June 8, 2021, barring school districts from engaging in teaching such divisive concepts such as Critical Race Theory, the UCSD Equity and Inclusion Coordinator is on record instructing the teaching staff how they can bypass the letter of the law by “using different language”. The Board needs to examine this issue and decide whether or not it is proper to allow an employee to promote a violation of both the letter and spirit of the state law banning these activities. It’s time the Board stand firm and take action to discontinue any of these activities violating state law. It is time for all UCSD stakeholders to unite – and to repel those forces that have chosen to divide.

Q3: How will the UCSD Mission and Vision guide your work as a leader in the District?

The UCSD’s Vision statement includes that “Urbandale will be a school district that brings learning to life for everyone.” In my opinion, “learning to life” enunciates less reliance on computers and more reliance on teachers in bringing the learning experience front and center between teacher and student. In a time when so much of a child’s time is spent on a computer, some children lack the personal communication skills so vital in today’s workforce. It is my opinion that providing more focus on teacher-student interactions and less reliance on computers should be stressed by our District.

The UCSD’s Mission statement describes that “The District shall strive to meet its overall mission as stated by “Teaching All-Reaching All.” But what about those students considering careers in welding, auto and diesel mechanics, plumbing, or electrical work? In order to get an idea of whether one or more of these careers might interest them, a UHS student must jointly enroll in a DMACC course – just to get an idea of whether or not that trade might be a good fit. Thus, the student needs to incur the commuting time and costs only to find out in some cases that it was simply not a good fit for them. UHS should consider adding a general shop class to their curriculum including these trades so that students can get a better idea of a specific trade that might interest them. The District should also consider whether adding a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship to its curriculum might help to prepare students for later entry into a Registered Apprenticeship program post-high school. These are just a few examples of how the school can do much better to “reach all”.

This press release was produced by the Urbandale Community School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.