JC Schools candidates weigh in on teaching issues

Candidates for Jefferson City School Board took a stance on communication with teachers and teacher plan time in the latest round of News Tribune reader-submitted questions.

Candidates are nearing the finish line, with the election set for April 5.

Q: Will you meet with teachers and staff at least each semester to go over any questions, concerns or general comments for their school or the district?

Anne Bloemke-Warren

A: Absolutely. I look forward to identifying ways in which the board can better collaborate with our educators. Whether it is regular meetings, work groups, email newsletters or all of the above, I feel the board can do a much better job cultivating a team mentality for the district. We should all be working together to serve a common goal of providing our students the best education possible.

I also promise to maintain open and accessible two-way communication with faculty and staff throughout my term as a board member.

Adam Gresham

A: I am willing to meet with teachers and staff any time there is an interest in doing so. It is my intention to be in the school buildings throughout the year to facilitate these conversations, but I would welcome the opportunity to receive this feedback in more formal settings as well. Additionally, I will always make time for one-on-one discussions outside the building or formal settings.

Marc Ellinger

A: Yes, as a member of the school board, I would meet with teachers and staff at least twice a year to discuss all issues related to education in Jefferson City. I would encourage the school board to have open meetings and encourage staff to attend and speak their minds on issues. More importantly, I would visit each school building at least once a year, if not more often, to meet with staff and teachers and to observe our schools in operation.

Erika Leonard

A: District leaders have been meeting with teachers by building for the last few years, I would like these efforts to include board members so they can hear concerns. We need to retain our amazing educators and listening to concerns is key.

Q: Do you support teachers receiving their full plan time without interruption by meetings or other duties?

Anne Bloemke-Warren

A: Uninterrupted planning time is so important for our teaching staff, particularly at the elementary level where teachers are responsible for teaching all subjects, but receive half the planning time as their counterparts at the middle and high school levels. I will always vote to support uninterrupted and/or additional planning time for our teachers. Make no mistake: Teachers are still using planning time whether or not it is built into their school day. They just use it on their nights, weekends and vacations. We owe them more. They deserve evenings with their kids after spending their days caring for ours.

Adam Gresham

A: Having taught at the university level, I know first-hand the value of lesson preparation and absolutely support teachers' planning time. However, absences and staffing demands do not always allow this to happen. My expectation is that administrators manage their staff to maximize teacher's planning time and reduce conflicts which interfere.

Marc Ellinger

A: If teachers in a facility are having their contractually agreed to schedules altered to add other duties or meetings, that is a concern with the administration in that facility and ultimately the administration overall. Teachers should be in the classroom as much as possible and other unrelated matters should not interfere with teaching.

Erika Leonard

A: Our responsibility is to educate students and teachers need the board to remove barriers that prevent them from doing this important work. We must continue to ensure that teachers have resources including time to prepare. We must find a better way to fit in necessary meetings, professional development and planning time so we can help students learn.