[4:04] morning and welcome to the Schoolboard candidate Forum sponsored by the Adina Public Schools parent leadership Council [4:09] the purpose of today's forum is to hear from the three candidates Cheryl Barry Jennifer hovie and Elliot man who are [4:16] running for the Adina School Board my name is Hillary clayberg and I'm a member of the Adina PLC and moderator [4:21] for today's Forum thank you for attending before we get started I ask that you check your cell phones and [4:27] either turn them off or put them on silent thank you we are gathered at the Adina [4:33] Community Center in boardroom 349 this for forum is being live streamed and recorded so please hold [4:39] your applause until the very end the recording of this forum will be available for viewing on the district's website later this week this forum is an [4:47] opportunity to get to know the candidates running for the Adina School Board all candidates who have filled out the office for school board and who will [4:54] be on the November 7th ballot we're invited to this forum and all will be are in attendance today today I wanted [5:00] to thank the candidates Cheryl Barry Jennifer hooie and Elliot Mann for participating in today's important event [5:07] here are the rules and format for today's Forum speaking order was assigned randomly before the Forum I [5:12] will call on candidates to answer the general questions by first and last name each candidate will have 60 seconds to [5:19] make an opening statement each candidate will have 60 seconds to make a closing statement all candidates will answer [5:25] General topic questions and I will indicate the question whether the question is 60 seconds or 90 seconds in [5:31] the time cap for that question all candidates will answer lightning round questions that consist of answering [5:37] either yes or no all candidates will raise the provided paddle at the same time to the yes or no lightning round [5:43] question in addition to your padle answer candidates will state your yes or no verbally in alphabetical order I will [5:50] indicate your turn with a nod of my head members of PLC will be tracking the time of your answers and will indicate to [5:56] candidates when you have 30 seconds remaining and 50 seconds remaining and when you must stop the PLC solicited [6:03] questions from our parent leaders and attempts to make a goodfaith effort to cover as many of the topics submitted as [6:08] possible within the time constraints all questions are the property of the parent leadership [6:17] Council let's begin we will start with opening statements from each candidate each of you will be given 60 seconds to [6:23] respond we will begin with Elliot man Jennifer hooie will go next followed by [6:28] Cheryl Barry hello I'm Elliot man I live here with my [6:35] wife Alise and our three kids uh are 11 n and seven who all attend Cornel [6:40] Elementary uh they're starting their fourth year in schools and we've loved our experience so far to D Public Schools I grew up in Richfield where my [6:47] wife also grew up so about four miles dot to dot kind of where I uh live now uh we moved back to the area because of [6:53] the reputation of the schools and for strong Public Schools we believe in strong Public Schools um since living in [6:58] indana I've been fortunate enough to uh be a volunteer youth coach volunteer in classroom things like that and I've [7:04] really enjoyed my experience doing that um before having kids I really cut my teeth as a newspaper reporter Daily [7:09] newspaper reporter covering education specifically so I covered uh school [7:15] districts much larger than any like Rochester which is the seventh largest or um districts that are in very similar [7:22] size enrollment wise to Ido like U still water I think they are 22nd or 24th and [7:27] Os I want to say 23rd and enrollment size um so I've always had an interest in uh local governance I've covered [7:35] Schoolboard meeting hundreds of hours of Schoolboard meetings of from budget cuts to School boundary meetings to just um [7:41] informational sessions about what kids are doing in the classroom and I really enjoy it um with that with having really [7:47] a um appreciation for schools and having high expectations we need to have high participation as well so I wanted to uh [7:54] participate and share my experience with the district if I could thanks [8:02] uh hello uh Jennifer hooy thank you for having me here at this forum I appreciate the [8:07] opportunity um I've lived in the district for about 16 years I have two children who are seniors at the high [8:13] school and they were Frenchies to start with which is one of the um big uh [8:19] positives that we saw within Edina school district and um I have worked in [8:27] two local school districts and one in Houston I've seen a lot understand the inner workings behind the scenes and um [8:35] I'm looking for a way to give back to the community this seemed like a great opportunity um seen a lot in the 13 [8:43] years my kids have been in school actually earlier than that with Early Childhood um Education Services in the [8:49] district which I thought were great and um just looking forward to asking some hard questions and hopefully um being a [8:57] representative for all voices in the district thank [9:05] you thank you to the PLC for hosting this forum my name is Cheryl Barry and I'm excited to be a candidate for the [9:11] Adina Public School Board my husband Kevin and I have three kids in the school district one at Cornelia one at [9:16] Southview and one at the high school so I'm personally invested in the quality of the school experience at all schools [9:22] and for all ages I'm running for the school board because I believe in the importance of a strong public school [9:27] system I love our community and I really enjoy getting involved to help where I can I've been highly involved in our [9:33] district for a long time and I know many of you here from PTO PLC Lac and the Ed [9:39] fund I hope that you got to know me as someone who works hard cares deeply and adds value to the team professionally I [9:45] worked as a speech language pathologist in pediatric Hospitals and Clinics for about 10 years I truly care about [9:51] meeting the needs of each and every child in our district I currently work as a fing trapes instructor and aerial [9:56] performer at a circus school so I'm living our District's vision of discovering our possibilities and [10:01] thriving I am excited for the future of AD public schools and I'd love to serve our community on the school [10:09] board thank you the following is a general question you will each have 60 seconds to [10:16] respond we will begin with Jennifer hoovie followed by Cheryl Barry and finally with Elliot man your question is [10:24] what experience and abilities do you bring to the board and specifically what differentiates you from the other [10:31] candidates I have a lot of experience building consensus among groups that [10:37] don't necessarily dis agree and pulling forward decisions that maybe not [10:44] everybody is aligned with and really looking at the um what's best for for [10:53] many um knowing that there are going to be some who are not happy um [10:59] and I just truly believe that everybody has a voice and I'm open to listen to [11:07] every voice even if I don't agree with that person I think it's important to [11:12] understand all sides of a topic um when you're making a [11:17] decision especially when it's impacting students and the community um so I guess [11:23] I would just say that I I bring an open mind and um [11:29] just that's it [11:35] thanks um I think that the experience that I have working in our district will be an asset um I've spent a lot of time [11:42] in our buildings so when thinking about policy I will have an idea of how that [11:49] will be practically applied in our building um which I think is important my background as a speech language [11:56] pathologist will help me to keep every child in mind and the needs of everyone [12:02] when we are discussing policy and um help me to maybe ask different types of [12:08] questions when issues are are brought before the [12:15] board well I think my experience as a newspaper reporter um covering School boards and working with school boards [12:20] for several years um gives me a good foundation or at least a good start head start running at least maybe cuts my [12:26] learning curve a little bit um like I said before from working with task forces to the budget cutting [12:33] process and understanding how that works understanding how School Finance Works having a little bit little bit of a background on that and how it works with [12:38] as far as from the state and local uh situations or from covering Levy [12:44] campaigns or boundary changes and also just understanding how that reflects in the community and how those issues come [12:50] up and how they um are received I guess uh I also think it helps as a newspaper [12:56] writer you're always trying to find voices that are kind of Forgotten or not brought forward uh as a Schoolboard [13:02] member I think that's the exactly same thing as you want to bring voices to the table that maybe aren't going to be heard the voices that the people that [13:09] can't attend a meeting like this during the day but still have a voice in The District and we want to bring those forward and I think uh my newspaper [13:15] experience can allow me to do [13:21] that thank you the following is a general question for each candidate you will have 60 seconds to respond what are [13:27] your top three PRI prorities for our district how and why did you select these issues we will begin with Cheryl [13:34] Barry Elliot man followed by jenal [13:39] hoovie oh my goodness okay um I think my priorities would be [13:47] ensuring quality education for all students across the board um that's [13:53] primarily what we're here to do and uh I [13:58] have most of my experience volunteering at an elementary school and um I think that in those areas particularly we [14:07] could allow more opportunity for kids to get involved in the advanced and um [14:13] Talent Development programs than we than we currently do um we're using [14:19] testing as a barrier almost to entry um and oh my goodness 60 seconds goes by so [14:27] quickly um so another priority jumping topics would [14:32] be just ensuring that all students feel safe going to school and providing for [14:39] their mental health and mental well-being our high school students time is up [14:48] sorry was it as a Schoolboard member or my goals for the district the question was what are your [14:55] top three priorities for our district how and why did you select these three issues I guess my priorities as a [15:00] Schoolboard member um first is really to see a continuation of our strategic plan [15:06] uh so often times we see districts or at least I've seen districts where we have a five-year plan and we say this is our [15:12] great plan but it's not intermeshed with what we're actually doing in our district and so we create this thing we say this is great and then we put it off [15:18] to the side and we don't actually work on it uh I feel like the district is really set up to do well it's a living breathing document where if you're [15:24] following the board um you'll see that board action is always Linked In with where it fits in in the plan I think [15:31] that's really important um second I think our achievement gaps are huge and that's not just in that's in our state [15:36] it's in our country I think those are those are the kind of things that keep you up at night why aren't we hitting those kids why aren't we getting to those kids um lastly I think I'd really [15:44] like to see us as a district really and we've been doing this which I think is really great Forward Thinking stuff I'd [15:49] really like to see us continue to advocate for funding at the state level and really push for that because that's really where we can impact some change [15:56] um on the bottom line as far as with our budget budgets um my top three priorities are [16:04] really looking to improve special education services within the district for all students um improving the [16:11] relationship between teachers and administration and then um really looking at education right size for each [16:18] student um college is an option for everyone and how are we supporting those [16:24] students um from a teacher and District relationship perspective I think there [16:30] has been some history there that um has caused a riff it's not horrible but I [16:38] think we could improve that relationship and from a special education perspective [16:43] um you know funding just finding staff how do we get creative to ensure that [16:48] we're supporting all of the students who re um deserve and are required to [16:55] receive Services who may not be um getting what they need at this [17:02] moment thank you candidates there will be 90 seconds to respond to this next [17:08] question we will we will answer the question in the order of Jennifer hoovie [17:13] then Elliot man finalize finally with Cheryl Barry the first sentence of the Adina [17:19] Public Schools mission statement States EPS is a dynamic Learning Community delivering educational excellence and [17:25] preparing all students to realize their full potential what does that mean to you and how would you measure if this is being [17:35] delivered that's a great question um the full potential of all [17:41] students again as I said I don't think every student it's not a cookie cutter [17:47] um I think there's a tendency to drive that perspective and um think all [17:54] students are on the same track and they're not so I guess to measure how [17:59] well we're doing I would look to students and families um and really take inventory of [18:07] where students feeling today that they're being supported and then look ahead as well as students leave the [18:15] district um how are they launching are they successful um are they going [18:23] into um their future prepared for what makes sense for them [18:28] um I have a student who's very much College Bound and a student who is not and finding that balance for both of [18:35] them has been interesting um I think again we just tend to make assumptions [18:42] and I think we really need to stop and listen to the students and the teachers are listening and we are getting the [18:49] support for both of them that we need but I think you just need to speak up and feel comfortable if you're not [18:55] um don't seem to you seem to be maybe streaming swimming Upstream so I think really to understand if we're doing a [19:01] good job or not we need to measure that and I think the best way to do that is to talk to people and get the voices of [19:08] everybody in that um [19:13] survey well I think to me that really means to look at things through the lens of equity and when I think of equity I [19:20] think of um there was a a kiddo I was doing I ended up doing a story on when I was in Rochester where I was at the [19:25] alternate Learning Center I was talking to the principal about just different things to possibly do stories on [19:30] potentially and he saying oh there's this kid all you got to meet he had just turned 18 He was going to get his GED and he had been through every situation [19:38] you don't want your kid to go through he had been living he' been kind of going couch to couch there was drug use there [19:44] was obviously truancy it was every single thing so went and talked to him and and now he had kind of figured it [19:50] out of where he wanted to go he needed to go get his GD wanted to go to rctc [19:56] the um Community and Technical College that was in town that was really strong and talking to him was unpacking [20:01] everything was okay what happened in high school well this was bad in high school because I was always late I fell behind in this okay let's go back to [20:07] Junior House go we went all the way back to second grade his father was alcoholic who would his mom worked during the day [20:14] his Dad was supposed to take him to school and never did so every day going [20:20] past second grade he was falling behind falling behind and when he went to school it wasn't a safe environment it was a place where he would go where he [20:26] was looking at it like he was getting in trouble I mean I can compared to as like an adult when you join a gym and you don't know what you're doing kind of thing but he was in second grade and [20:32] that's really difficult and so when I look at that I I look at Equity I think of just meeting people where they are and what their needs are his needs were [20:38] going to be a lot different than mine where at second grade doesn't make it better doesn't make it worse but that's what finding that um the way to measure [20:44] that I think is through some through our standardized testing some is through our student and staff and parental surveys [20:51] um and also in our uh enrollment retention to see if we're keeping kids or if kids are [20:57] leaving when I think of a dynamic learning environment I think of the ability to [21:03] change to be adaptable and to be prepared for whatever is going to come next so I would like to ask the question [21:11] are we setting our kids up for Success at whatever their next level of education is going to be and I think you [21:18] measure that first of all at the younger Levels by talking to teachers you talk to the kindergarten teachers did the Early Learning Center prepare these kids [21:25] for a bigger School environment you asked the Middle School teachers did the fifth graders get prepared for [21:32] academically what they were going to be asked to do and socially that new environment of a lot more kids in um a [21:40] lot more having a lot more responsibility same with the high school did we properly prepare you and if not [21:47] how can we adapt how can we change in high school I think what that means is [21:53] the ability to adapt and change our curriculum um not necessarily in terms [21:59] of what's being offered but if a child decides that they have an interest in a new area can they get off whatever path [22:07] they're on and explore these new interests that they might have discovered that they have um can we help [22:14] them to be prepared for whatever career they are now thinking they might be interested in can we connect them to the [22:21] right people and I think we measure that by talking to our graduates and doing a [22:26] survey of of family and maybe even 5 Years [22:33] postgraduation thank you we now move to the first lightning round the answer is either yes or no by raising your paddle [22:41] and then your verbal response in this order Cheryl Barry Jennifer hovie Elliot [22:46] man School boards are nonpartisan positions have you have you or your campaign accepted financial support or [22:52] endorsement from a pack a political party or a political campaign no no no do you think politics [23:02] should influence teaching and instruction in the [Music] classroom no no no do you think politics [23:11] should influence individual board members and the school board policy no no no have you received [23:21] support or endorsement from the Education Minnesota the teachers [Music] union yes yes yes [23:30] yes we now move back to the general questions you will have 90 seconds to respond we will begin with Elliot man [23:38] then Cheryl Barry finally Jennifer hooie what specific ideas do you have to improve culture and climate in our [23:44] schools to ensure all students feel welcome respected for differences and enjoy an overall sense of well-being and [23:51] [Music] belonging well I think specifically you know at different [23:57] schools it's going to be different different things um there was a school there was a high school when I was in Rochester where the principal had every [24:04] student had to have an extracurricular activity and that could be a sport but it could be just I've said this in another Forum um it was really kind of a [24:11] cool idea but it could be a club of just um Magic the Gathering back then or uh [24:17] Pokemon cards but it was something where you had some connection to High School uh I think that was really important [24:23] because that's anytime we have those um transition points we start to lose [24:28] kiddos um and as the sports get more competitive we start to lose kiddos in that or as music gets more competitive [24:34] all those things uh I think at the high school level I think that's really important um I think just education [24:39] communication is always something I say as far as um educating ourselves about our district differences in communicating is on the younger side [24:46] when we can have our strong PTO like we do now I think that's really beneficial because parents are talking to each other um and then leading to those [24:53] relationships with their kids as well um so I think really it just involved of [24:59] getting involved is really kind of any any way you can get people into buildings and we saw that during the pandemic when we kind of had all stepped [25:05] back a little bit and try to do things just telecommuting because we kind of had to um we lose a lot of those [25:11] connections we lose a lot of those little things that you maybe don't pick up if you're not face to face so I think [25:16] some of those things of just doing our best to really get in touch with each other face to face is really [25:26] helpful um I think this is a great question and it speaks to um the mental [25:31] health issues that we're hearing in our schools um specifically from the students at the high school but also [25:37] from the adults that are in the building everybody wants to be in a building where they feel like they belong and um [25:44] at the middle and high schools for our students their advisory families are supposed to help them with that they [25:49] Middle School they start their day with the same group of kids supposed to be their family we want them to feel [25:55] especially connected to those kids and that adult in the building um I think we [26:00] do need to um receive some feedback from the students about what else we could be doing I know from being on the PTO for a [26:08] long time that we can plan events for our kids and we're going to think it's great and sometimes they don't agree [26:14] with us and they have other ideas so allowing them to give us feedback on [26:21] what else could we do what are you seeking what opportunities to connect [26:26] would be helpful to you and carrying that forward to our teachers as well I think students will [26:34] feel more like part of a family if our teachers feel like part of a family and [26:39] everyone wants to feel valued and appreciated and seeking feedback from [26:44] our teachers on what else could we be doing in that realm I think will will go a long way to making sure that everyone [26:50] feels like they belong um I think [26:58] it starts with the adults in the room as Cheryl was saying that when you have [27:05] adults who are fostering uh positive culture and climate that does then flow [27:12] down to the the students um and every every student [27:18] makes a connection in a different way so how are we making sure that those introverts are also being fed as well as [27:25] the extroverts and I think sometimes the thought of creating a family in a [27:31] classroom is great for some students and may not be what others need to feel that [27:37] connection and part of um a community and I think if if we can find ways to [27:44] make those connections within the students the staff um across the [27:49] district and with with the community um I think your climate improves just naturally because you actually care [27:56] about the person who's sitting next to you um they aren't just another student in the classroom they're somebody that [28:02] you have a connection with so I think making those personal connections is very important and um how we Foster that [28:09] again I think is different for the different kids um involved in staff as [28:14] well so I think we just need to keep that in mind as we're thinking about how do we build this community it looks a [28:21] little bit different for for each person thank you candidates there will [28:26] be 60 seconds to respond to this question what if any experiences do you [28:33] have with our multilingual community and families of color how do you plan to engage these communities in your work as [28:38] a board member we will begin with Cheryl Barry followed by Elliot man and finally jennif [28:46] fovie well at Cornelia we have the most diverse student population I believe in [28:52] the district and it's really cool um we are getting better at engaging families [29:00] um with different backgrounds uh we we've we've tried some things and um [29:07] what we've had the most success with is building relationships starting with one [29:13] or two families at a time last year the PTO started the Multicultural advisory [29:18] Council and built connections um with families [29:25] and started asking those questions you know why why aren't we getting more families from um different backgrounds [29:31] to come to our events because we don't know what we don't know and uh we got some really good feedback PTO you know [29:38] we look everybody looks like me and so we're intimidating and we got really good advice and feedback and started [29:46] monthly meetings to build community well just to Echo a little bit [29:53] of what Cheryl was saying at Cornelia I've been really impressed um we had uh cultural night where everyone came with [29:59] different cultures which was really just a fun night where you the kids got to see a different side of their friends [30:04] and got to really have again that kind of communication education part of oh this is this is different than what I [30:10] know um which was really cool and my kids got to share um their mom's culture [30:16] from Brazil and things like that where it just breaks down some of those barriers of what we don't know which is really great um something I think the [30:23] district already does that's really great as far as um offering interpreters at community events uh the community [30:29] conversation about school safety the a couple weeks ago we had translators [30:34] which was such a great thing as far as lowering those barriers so people can feel involved can feel connected so like [30:41] Cheryl said it's not people like me where it's going well I do I belong there I don't see people that look like me as well um I think when we can [30:48] continue to do those things and kind of remove those barriers it's really [30:54] powerful um as I said my my kids started their uh careers here at Edina in the [31:02] French emersion program which um was a great amalgamation of a lot of kids from [31:08] across the district that you wouldn't get in your neighborhood school um where we were going to be going um which was [31:16] awesome because we met a lot of um people from across the district and from [31:21] many different nationalities I think um as a board member I would want to connect with those school and um [31:29] Community groups who um are really there [31:34] supporting or made up of the multilingual and people of color I I [31:39] don't know what I don't know um and I would really love to have a voice um [31:45] helping me and supporting me in that so that um I can be a better represent [31:53] representative of everybody [31:58] thank you now for another lightning round candidates please grab your paddles remember these are yes or no [32:04] answers and then your verbal response these questions are aimed at understanding what you have done to [32:09] potent to prepare potentially for being a school board member we'll answer in the order verbal answer in the order of [32:15] Cheryl Barry Jennifer hovie and then Elliot man have you visited at least one EPS [32:21] elementary middle and high school in the past year yes [32:27] yes yes have you volunteered in or for any of our schools since the start of [32:33] this school year yes no uh yes this is a three-part [32:42] question have you connected with any teachers at the elementary level to understand their goals and challenges [32:47] for the 2023 2024 school year yes [32:54] no I as a school member as just just a parent as a parent as a parent yes I I [33:00] mean I've talked to my kids as teachers I would say yes at the middle school level [33:05] yes no uh yes Middle School at the high [33:12] school level yes yes uh no High School [33:18] have you spoken with at least one principal in elementary middle and high school in preparation for running for the school board yes no [33:29] no have you attended at least one regular school board meeting in its entirety in the last year yes yes yes [33:38] have you attended at least one Schoolboard work session in its entirety in the last year [33:44] yes yes yeah have you taken time to speak with the superintend intendent in [33:49] preparation for this role on the school board yes yes yes have you taken the [33:56] time to speak with our assistant superintendent or any members of the district leadership team in preparation for this role on the school board no no [34:06] no thank you we will now move back to General questions you will each have 90 seconds to respond to the next [34:13] question what do you consider to be the two biggest successes for ad din public schools in the last year on the flip [34:20] side what is one area of opportunity we still need to improve upon please be specific we will start with Elliot [34:27] then Jennifer hooie and finally Cheryl [Music] Barry I think right off the bat [34:36] um the change in Reading standards not only in just uh the results we're seeing [34:43] but also in just the roll out of it was a really huge success in terms of our [34:50] teachers really took ownership and went at that at a huge at a really impactful [34:56] time we're already seeing some results with that um I think we're also seeing great results in our elementary [35:05] schools with our standardized testing things like that the biggest thing I think is just in some of our high school math I'm really troubled by that with [35:12] our um achievement gaps I'm really worried I guess it concerns me that we're not hitting back to where we were [35:19] pre uh Co levels I'd like to see us really uh get back to that I'd like to see us really kind of try to dial in and [35:26] see how we can get those kids some of those kiddos back on the right [35:35] track um I think I agree with Elliot on the bringing back the basics of literacy [35:43] has been a great um thing happening in the last year and seeing some of those [35:49] results is awesome and I appreciate the way the district um leadership is [35:57] aligning the Strategic plan all the way down to how it's impacting students and [36:03] really getting that alignment with what's happening in the classroom with a student all the way up to that strategic [36:09] um goal within the plan I think is very important because then you don't lose sight of why you're doing that thing um [36:18] an area for improvement um I think just making sure [36:23] we're meeting the needs of all students again it's not not only in the Dina issue but many districts are um short [36:31] staffed and how do we get creative how do we make eana um that place that people want to come and be our own [36:40] recruiting tool for for I know there's some great teachers out there how do we [36:45] get them to to stay and also to recruit them [36:51] in I think one of our B biggest successes is um um rebounding from coid [36:59] and it's not perfect yet but when I went to each of the buildings the elementary middle and high school to talk to the [37:06] the principles about it they every one of them independently said this year feels better this year feels like the [37:14] kids know what to do in our building more so than last year um so I think [37:21] that's that's been a success because the teachers put in a lot of work last year getting them to to that spot I think the [37:28] introduction of the letters reading program is also a huge success for our district and the Ed fund has worked [37:36] really hard on getting grants and raising money to make that happen even before the state uh made that more of a [37:44] a mandate um but it's a great program and it is a lot like the training that I [37:50] got as a speech pathologist so I'm really hopeful that it's going to help kids um across the board I think [37:58] opportunities to improve um going to go back to mental health again that is what [38:04] we hear the most from students at the high school um just saying you know there's a lot of stress it takes a lot [38:11] to get into High School it takes or getting to college and it takes a lot to just be a student nowadays so um [38:18] supporting them in any way we can I think is another area we need to keep looking [38:24] at thank you you will each have have 90 seconds to respond to the next [38:30] question we will begin with Jennifer hoovie then Cheryl Barry and finally Elliot man if tasked with budget cuts [38:38] what one thing would you focus on cutting first and if you could add things what would be your [38:46] priorities I don't know that I could answer that question without knowing more details about the budget um where [38:53] the funds are coming from what we're trying to fund um what we can [39:00] fund because the the money isn't just one big pot of money it's can be spent [39:06] on certain things um and not other things so I would have to know more [39:12] about what we're trying to fund to know where we could cut funds and where the funds [39:17] are um and where I would add funding um again I think we would have [39:25] to look at where are our biggest gaps and right now I [39:30] feel like we've got some goals here to um you [39:35] know increase the diversity in our staffing how are we going to do that how are we going to create a culture where [39:42] um a diverse staff wants to come here and it feel feels comfortable working here so I think I would focus um funding [39:50] on on hiring and retaining the best teachers that we can can find because [39:55] that will really impact what happens in the classroom and that's where the meat and potatoes of education is um we need [40:03] to focus on that so that is my answer as a [40:10] non-answer um yeah I'm not going to go there what I would cut um but thankfully that wouldn't be my job on the school [40:16] board yes the school board does uh ratify the budget but no one member is [40:22] going to say we're going to cut this um we have a really good director of bus and finance and a strong team that puts [40:28] forth recommendations and I would ask a lot of questions about what students [40:34] would be impacted for each of the decisions but um it would not be a to me to cut something um if I had a magic W [40:43] and could add something my preference would be to add a world language to the elementary schools um I I would like [40:50] Spanish but I would be open to suggestions from from families too [40:58] well if I was adding I'll make that real simple I would add more teachers in the buildings um on the flip side as far as [41:04] picking one thing to cut um our schools are not at a point where we have a lot of low hanging fruit left it we're not [41:11] at a point now where there's a lot of fat still left every cut now impacts a program greatly I don't have experience [41:21] with the district in a way that I could say oh I saw this this was wasteful I don't see that in classroom I see [41:26] teachers buying things on their own Pockets I don't see a wasteful school [41:31] system that's waiting to cut things because if we would have wanted to cut it already we already would have uh that said that process starts with a starting [41:39] your task force the the brr R I forget how many RS there are in the Ido one um [41:45] but you start doing that and you start soliciting opinion you start having those conversations start prioritizing [41:51] what you can cut what you can't cut and then also like Jennifer and Cheryl have said um you're also looking at your [41:57] dollar figure of what you can cut what you can't cut so it's kind of a impossible question to answer I think in [42:03] terms of um we we're not I don't want to be in the business of cutting things we're going to have to at times and I [42:10] understand that we're going to have hard decisions um but I don't come to this at a situation of wanting to break things down because they're wasteful I just [42:15] don't see that in our schools as it as it currently [42:20] pertains thank you now for the next lightling round candidates please grab your paddles remember these are yes or [42:27] no questions please hold your paddle up and then answer verbally in this order Cheryl Barry Jennifer hovie Elliot man [42:35] do you know how the state funding formula works for public education [42:40] yes no not exactly yes do you know the per pup [42:46] amount the state provides to our district [42:52] no no uh yes do do you know the total annual operating budget for [43:00] EPS yes no [43:05] yes thank you you will each have 60 seconds to respond to this general question we will start with elot man [43:12] then Cheryl Barry and finally Jennifer hovie per the Strategic plan literacy is identified as the priority for the [43:19] district given the implementation of the comprehensive literacy plan what next steps do you think need to be taken [43:28] I think we need to continue on with our plan we're still uh working our plan we're still um training our teachers and [43:35] doing uh teacher development um it's I want to say 144 hours that we had [43:41] started and we've got most of our Educators in that um I think now we continue working that and continue [43:48] working it in the classroom um a thing in education is it doesn't just happen once and it's over we have to continue [43:55] working it and continue planting those seeds and continue doing that um I I think we continue working our plan as [44:01] it's as it's [44:09] composed making notes um so what happens next now that we have our elementary [44:16] school teachers largely trained in letters we trickle that up so we take that program um extend it to the middle [44:24] school and the high school um honestly those are the kids that I'm most concerned with right now for literacy I [44:31] think our elementary school students they're going to follow that plan they're going to do well I think with letters but our elementary school or [44:37] middle school students they missed a lot of classroom time in elementary school [44:43] and it's hard to identify kids with literacy issues once they get good at [44:49] hiding them and um so we look at our test scores we do the best we can to [44:56] work with teachers um training them in the next steps for our ly plan um and [45:03] work with those families now I agree with both Elliot and Cheryl [45:11] that we need to stay the course and there is a plan in place um I do think [45:16] we need to check in on that plan make sure we're on the right course as [45:21] teachers are brought into the district making sure that they are brought speed appropriately and understand [45:29] um what is happening around literacy um and yeah just keep keep stay in the [45:36] course and measure um make adjustments if we need to but we need time to [45:42] complete the quote unquote roll out but as Elliot said it's never ending and we [45:47] need to just um make sure that we're focusing on the the right um things for [45:55] the te teachers and the students as we roll it [46:00] forward thank you you will each have 60 seconds to respond to this question how should EPS support the [46:08] social and emotional health of all students and staff we'll start with Cheryl Barry then Jennifer hooie and [46:14] finally Elliot [Music] man well I think that um we are [46:21] fortunate to have our Frasier therapist in all of the school buildings um thanks [46:28] in large part to the education fund for students who need support uh we need to make sure that all the students know [46:35] that those services are available to them and that teachers know that those services are available to them as well [46:42] um but before a student maybe is reaching out for help we need to um keep [46:47] working on that climate and Community belonging um help kids make connections [46:56] help them find their extracurricular U my oldest is a freshman at the high school and I did not realize how many [47:03] opportunities for clubs and activities and sports there are it's a little overwhelming and for some students I [47:09] worry that it might be too overwhelming so having somebody guide them and say [47:14] you know what I'm getting to know you you might be a good fit for this and helping them through that process I [47:19] think would help um I think it's important to focus [47:25] on the whole student not just the academic but also the emotion excuse me [47:31] the social and emotional um pieces of the student and the staff around them um [47:37] as I stated before the you know the adults in the room really do set the [47:42] tone and we need to make sure that our teachers and staff are cared for as much [47:48] as our students are um I think if if a [47:54] teacher or a staff member isn't comfortable or knowledgeable about how to [47:59] identify students who might need a little bit of extra help how do we support that and again each each person [48:06] is different and it might show up different so I think we need to make sure that we're keeping an open mind and [48:14] um looking at the individual and some people don't speak up so how are we [48:19] reaching out and making sure that we're connecting with even some of those quiet people [48:26] well you know we had a forum last night that was put on by the students that was really great and we had a very similar question um about how do we support the [48:33] mental health of our students and I've been kicking around my head because through the Ed fund uh we have [48:41] Fraser therapist in the buildings which has been great we've been able to use that my my family has had been able to [48:46] use that but a bigger issue is we could fill the whole school buildings with therapists but if we're not dealing with [48:53] the root causes nothing's going to change why we need to look at really seriously [48:59] why are our kiddos either so anxious or identifying with such problems with mental health [49:05] are there things we can do and at a board level um often we get questions about very you know classroom type [49:12] details that really aren't in our purview or don't really make sense for us this is a great high level discussion I feel like that are these societal [49:18] issues are these state issues are these local is it our local culture that we can try to fix um [49:26] I think we need to really look in and dig in at some of these root causes to understand why all of our kiddos are [49:31] telling us that this is such a big [49:37] issue thank you you will each have 60 seconds to respond to this question we'll start with Jennifer hooie then [49:43] Elliot man and finally Cheryl Barry collaboration and getting input and feedback from teachers is important with [49:51] limited teacher contract hours how do you plan to get teacher voice and input into board decision- [49:59] making that's a great question I'm not sure how that's happening today um and I [50:06] would hate to ask teachers to put in more time outside of their work hours than they already do doesn't seem fair [50:12] but there's plc's perhaps There's an opportunity to put together what's [50:18] already happening in buildings where they're they're filtering things up and [50:23] if there's trust within the building get that to the principal and the principal can take that um further up um [50:32] I think there there just there has to be opportunities in there and I know [50:37] there's work days can we harness some of that time to allow teachers to have a voice um and come together collectively [50:46] again funneling things up so it's not many voices um but a very clear and [50:53] concise um message that that's coming specifically from a building is how I'm [50:59] thinking of it well I think first off we have the [51:06] teachers union which is a great resource in terms of they are supposed to represent the needs and wants of [51:11] teachers um working alongside with the Union I think is helpful um now I say [51:17] that there's going to be times when the district and Union we're going to have kind of competing interests and that's okay but if we both understand we're [51:24] trying to get to the same place I think that helps if we have you know good faith um teachers are busy enough I [51:31] hesitate to want to say oh we should start this committee or start this Zoom where is it a situation where people [51:38] really want to uh take additional time the other thing is I guess when we solicit teacher [51:45] Voice or teacher um feedback are we actioning on are We is it actionable are [51:51] teachers feeling that we're just with open ears and actually using that somehow um so I guess if as a board we can look [51:58] and see is are we using that feedback into action I think would help because [52:03] if we're just soliciting input it doesn't really go [52:09] anywhere when I met with the staff at the high school we talked about this a little bit and what feedback I got from [52:16] them was they really appreciate it and like it when school board members show up show up to events that they're [52:24] already at show up up to the school building and see how much work they're already doing and I think the more we [52:30] show up for them the more they will trust us to give us feedback on things I [52:37] have spent a lot of time at Cornelia and so I know a lot of Staff over there really well and I'm over there [52:43] volunteering every Tuesday and Friday and I get a lot of hey Cheryl let me ask you this hey Cheryl how about this like [52:49] great and I feel like I have a really good trust established in that building and uh this is where I think it's [52:54] helpful actually to have kids scattered in several different buildings um even though I get a ton of emails but um the [53:02] more we show up and are known to the teachers the more they're going to feel comfortable just not having to go out of [53:07] their way but we're there give us feedback thank you now for the last [53:14] lightning round candidates grab your paddles remember these are yes or no [53:19] questions should teachers and principls have input into deciding what courses are offered in their buildings [53:26] yes yes yes should it be required that the district teaching and learning [53:32] Department be involved when the board is crafting or modifying policy regarding new course [53:37] offerings yes yes yes is it appropriate for the school board to be involved in [53:43] selecting specific literature and textbooks for EPS classes no no no do [53:50] you think our current course offerings provide enough rigor for our students [53:56] yes yes yes do you think our current course offerings provide enough intervention or learner support for our [54:04] students no no no thank you we will now have three [54:11] final general questions and then he closing statements the next question is allotted 60 seconds what do you think [54:18] about the district sustainability efforts to date and what would you prioritize in the next 5 years we'll [54:24] start with Jennifer Huey then Elliot man and Cheryl [Music] [54:37] Barry sustainability from an environmental perspective yes okay [54:45] um you know I think the district is doing what it can [54:51] um from a budget and other perspectives [54:58] um and I think it's a it's a hard nut to crack [55:03] because there's not a perfect answer for every situation we have aging buildings [55:08] and I appreciate that we're not just trying to tear things down but we're using what we have from a resource [55:13] perspective and um well I think always more can be done I I believe that um the [55:20] efforts to date fit in line with what I would expect from a public [55:25] with limited funds that um have a lot of pressure on [55:31] them I think the next five years as we renovate our schools as we um make [55:38] changes when we can incorporate things like solar panels things like that I think that's great we have some of our buildings already with solar panels it's [55:44] great to have that there are kind of forever buildings so it can make sense um I think having a lens having a a look [55:51] or lens on including that in New construction I think is also pretty beneficial and then when we [55:59] can do things like reducing our plastic use in the building things like those when doable it's hard when you have kids [56:05] I think that's just kind of Common Sense stuff when we can do those kind of things um if we can um [56:11] increase more um composting opportunities things like that or we can have where we involve kids and we do [56:17] some of these things as well already if we can kind of continue on with that I think that that's um a good way to [56:23] go um I'll be real honest this is not my area of expertise although um I wish it [56:29] was I think there are a lot of uh ways for the school district to partner with [56:36] the city on this issue and we listen to The Experts we have some really engaged [56:44] students across all of our buildings who are interested in environmental issues I [56:49] think we listen to them let them lead the way as much as we can um let our our [56:55] environmental leadership teams from the high school and the middle school partner with the ele Elementary School [57:01] and see if we can get movement going in that area but um otherwise I would say [57:06] we got to listen listen to The Experts and and do what we can thank you this question is allotted [57:13] 90 seconds how will you build consensus and support in the community around the work [57:19] of the school district what community connections do you bring to the school board we'll start with Elliot man then [57:25] sh robberry and finally Jennifer hooie I think in the community just from [57:33] a down low level around my kids um from working in as a youth coach in different [57:39] sports and things like that I end up talking to parents a lot where you end up hey aren't you on the board do you know about this so I have some of those [57:45] connections that way also in the community with uh my wife's work as a state senator I end up going to more [57:51] things that maybe I wouldn't usually in the community so I have some connection that way where they you know oh you're [57:56] running for school board let me tell you about this those kind of things um I think though like we've talked about [58:03] before uh just showing up is the most important thing seeing a face making those inperson connections are really [58:09] important where um usually people aren't going to email a Schoolboard member they will but not as much as just when [58:16] they'll talk and say oh hey this is going on or that's going on I think those are really some of the um most [58:21] important connections we can make [58:27] so I was always taught that a strong leader listens twice as much as they speak and I would go back to my speech [58:32] language pathology roots and say we got to listen to people communication disorders happen when people either [58:38] aren't able to express themselves or if they feel like they aren't being heard and that's where I feel like on certain [58:45] issues some anger starts to Bubble Up where um either you're not listening to [58:51] me or you're not really hearing what I'm saying and and what I've found before um [58:57] you know issues on the PTO come up sometimes and as PTO president I would I would feel some angry calls occasionally [59:03] and it's let me hear what you're saying and let me express to you that I do understand what you're saying and if we [59:09] can resolve it great if not please just know that you were heard and that goes a [59:15] really long way um as both Elliot and Cheryl have [59:22] stated making connections with people is important um my my uh boss is one for [59:31] saying if you're not getting along with somebody have lunch with them because that really makes a connection with that [59:36] person you understand them on a personal level um once you have that connection you can have better conversations um I [59:43] don't think that you know one time showing up to a a forum or a committee meeting [59:50] counts because you can't have those really good conversations without making [59:56] uh building a relationship you're not going to hear the real truth behind what's what's happening in the community [1:00:01] good or bad and so I think it's really about getting out and meeting with a [1:00:08] broad um spectrum of of people and um you know I know there's a lot of of [1:00:14] neighborhood communities out there that are thriving because of some people in [1:00:20] this room um and really trying to make those connections um I also have connections with people [1:00:26] through my kids' Sports and so people I wouldn't normally connect with I I do [1:00:33] see on a regular basis so finding those opportunities and again the if if there's a really [1:00:40] difficult conversation how do we how do we have lunch about or a connection to [1:00:47] have a better conversation thank you this will be your [1:00:52] fin final question and is allocated 60 seconds we'll start with Cheryl Barry [1:00:57] then Jennifer hovie and Elliot man how would you sell or Market the Adina [1:01:03] School District to a family moving into our [Music] [1:01:08] community I would say welcome I also chose Adina to move here my husband and [1:01:13] I based on the public schools if you are looking for a school district with strong academics welcome we've got that [1:01:21] here if you're looking for amazing Sports programs we've got 200 championships come on board um if you [1:01:29] are interested in just being part of a really active and engaged Community we've got that for you as well um we [1:01:36] have students from gosh I think how many different languages are [1:01:42] spoken by families in ad Public Schools um a lot um so everyone has a place here and [1:01:52] um we can help connect you to to someone and um to help you make [1:01:58] this your new [1:02:04] home um that's an interesting question because I never thought myself as living [1:02:09] in Idina personally um so having uh cracked into the the um [1:02:17] Community I have found my place within the community even though um it might be a little bit different than some others [1:02:24] so I think think uh as Cheryl said there is a place for everyone and while it may not look that way from the outside I [1:02:30] think we really need to promote that um and and live that um to to really make [1:02:39] that a reality for for those who are moving into the district I think um you [1:02:44] know we obviously have a reputation and how do we show that that it's a w very [1:02:52] welcoming Community um I have a great neighborhood a great school culture and [1:02:58] um feel very supported um and I so how do we get the word out [1:03:05] there I think just by living it I guess first I would tell the person [1:03:10] I don't have anything to sell you but I would like to share something with you um I'd like to share my community with [1:03:16] you we have I want to say more than what is it more than 90% of our teachers have master's degrees we have experienced [1:03:23] teachers in our community when I go out door knocking this is something I shared last night at The Forum I would go out door knocking and [1:03:30] sometimes people would say oh the schools aren't the same as they were and it was just kind of coded like oh it's it's different there now as if it was [1:03:36] worse and from talking with the kids last night it's it's not the same as it was it's better we're doing more and [1:03:42] more things every day every month every year we have kids doing experiments with [1:03:47] NASA we have kiddos getting computer science certification when they're in [1:03:53] high school we have kiddos doing great things on our athletic fields we have great things happening in our drama [1:03:59] programs we have great things happening in our our music programs and our band programs [1:04:04] um so we can sell if you want to say sell but I would say we can share those things because um we're doing so many [1:04:10] great things in our schools and we have so many things to be proud of does that mean everything's perfect no nothing's it's not all I'm up on time but I'll [1:04:16] finish it real quick um things aren't perfect there's always um continuous improvements to be made um but we have a [1:04:22] lot of things going on and and we should definitely share those with people thank you we will now begin [1:04:29] closing statements each candidate will have 60 seconds we will start in this order Elliot man Jennifer hooie and [1:04:36] Cheryl Barry I'll kind of just continue on what I was just saying um we have a lot of [1:04:44] great things going on in the school I think our board is in a really great position right now when we were thinking [1:04:49] about moving back to the area in 2009 um from watching Dino boards just watching [1:04:54] boards and that I was familiar with from other reporters that were working in areas um the vitri all or kind of the [1:05:00] ingression at meetings was was worrisome um and I remember thinking like o is this do we want to move here is this [1:05:07] going to work and and watching the board since then move on is they're really in a great spot and I feel really honored [1:05:14] to be able to try to continue that work um we talked about the Strategic plan a little bit before I'd like to see us see [1:05:21] that plan through so often as I said before before we start work we plan the work and then we don't work the plan uh [1:05:28] I think we can we're fine-tuning it constantly we're doing things to help [1:05:33] kids and I think we're on the right track like I said nothing's perfect there are kiddos we still need to help [1:05:38] out we're still not reaching every single kid every single time but that doesn't mean we're not doing great [1:05:44] things it doesn't mean we're not on the right track uh just excuse me want to thank [1:05:51] you again for the opportunity to be here today um I decided to run for Schoolboard at [1:05:58] kind of as a last minute sort of deal because a friend of mine who is a [1:06:03] teacher at the high school reached out and said there are three spots and two people and somebody needs to step up and [1:06:11] she's somebody I can't say no to so I didn't uh take the step lightly um and [1:06:18] I'm not perfect but I think that the leadership in the district is exceptional and I look forward to [1:06:25] working with and supporting them in what they are doing with the Strategic plan [1:06:30] and doing everything I can to ensure that we have alignment um from a policy [1:06:35] and District level and then kind of get out of the way and let them do their work and report back to us how things [1:06:42] are going and making sure things are on track first I'd like to thank PLC for [1:06:50] hosting this forum and thank you to everyone attending or watching at home for your interest and engagement in Indina Public Schools I hope that my [1:06:56] answers today have helped you get to know me better and if you have additional questions for me or you want to talk more about my responses please [1:07:03] reach out via my email elect sherberry gmail.com or you can check out my website elect sherry.com I'm really [1:07:11] excited for the future of AD dyam public schools and I would love to serve our community by helping set each and every [1:07:16] student up for a success for whatever comes next in their educational or vocational Journey so I hope to earn [1:07:22] your vote we have come to the end of our candidate [1:07:27] Forum the PLC wants to thank each of the candidates for taking the time to join us this morning we greatly appreci the [1:07:33] appreciate the opportunity to learn more about each of you and we thank you for your willingness to serve the students families staff and the community of [1:07:40] Adina Public Schools I also want to thank the audience for attending and the Adina parent leadership Council for [1:07:46] hosting today's event a reminder that a recording of today's Forum will be available online soon at the Adina [1:07:52] Public Schools website and finally please remember to vote on Tuesday November 7th thank [1:08:22] you