BOE candidates sound off about goals, concerns
Four residents of USD 398 have filed for a position one school board seat and three have filed for a position seven seat.
These candidates will face-off in the primary election Tuesday. Recent boundary changes of the school district does not affect the primary election. All district residents will vote for a candidate in each of the two districts.
The Peabody Gazette-Bulletin asked the seven candidates to respond to questions related to the positions and the future of USD 398.
Here are their responses.
Position one candidates:
Bruce Burke
1) Why are you seeking a seat on the Peabody-Burns school board?
Burke: "I think it is time for a change in the school board. I think that fresh ideas and minds are needed to try to provide the best possible education for all children within the school district."
2) What goals or achievements would you like to see accomplished?
Burke: "I would like to see each and every child have a chance to be successful in their quest for an education. I also would like to see administration, faculty, and coaches held to a higher standard of accountability with regards to ethics, morals, and present a positive role model to our children."
3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current administration and board?
Burke: "I believe the faculty has at times lacked the support of administration. I also believe that the school district should present an opportunity to get an education that is fair, honest, and consistent for everyone."
4) Do you feel our curriculum and graduation requirements are sufficient to prepare students for college?
Burke: "I think the curriculum and graduation requirements are adequate in preparation for college if the student is above average or higher. But I have concerns about a student who might be classified as marginal to reach the college level or the students who enter the working world right after completion of high school. Time and again I have seen young people who cannot read or write effectively, or they cannot complete basic math skills."
5) Please list your qualifications for the position of school board member.
Burke: "I have four years of experience on the USD 398 site council which is an advisory group to the school board and administration, five years as a director of the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marion County, seven years facilitating the DARE program at Peabody-Burns Elementary School, seven years as a police officer of the City of Peabody, and currently serve as a director and secretary of the board of Peabody-Burns FFA Alumni Association."
6) Please provide personal information (i.e. family, residency, etc.).
Burke: "I have resided in the rural Peabody area most of my life. I am married to LaDeena and have a son, Derek, who currently is in the eighth grade at Peabody-Burns Junior High School. I graduated from Peabody High School in 1977 and Hutchinson Community College in 1979 with an associate of arts degree in technical education."
7) Any other pertinent information regarding education and the school board.
Burke: "I think the lines of communication need to be re-established between the school board, administration, faculty, and staff. I also would like to look into the high turnover rate of teachers at the high school faculty, and work to retain the quality teachers that we have."
Roger Elliott
1) Why are you seeking a seat on the Peabody-Burns school board?
Elliott: "As a father of four children, three actively in the school system and one through the system, I am very involved in my children's education and daily activities of their lives. I feel that a seat on the school board would help me be more involved with the education process. The future of education with its many hurdles needs people to be involved and informed to help further the directions needed to help all children become the best students they can be."
2) What goals or achievements would you like to see accomplished?
Elliott: "To be actively pursuing future problems (students' needs, enrollment, budgets) and not putting them off until they happen, meeting our issues with goals that meet the needs of the district now and in the future."
3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current administration and board?
Elliott: "For myself, I don't want to look to the past. I want to build on what's good and work to solve our problems in the future."
4) Do you feel our curriculum and graduation requirements are sufficient to prepare students for college?
Elliott: "Yes. My oldest child who has just gone through the system, is doing great in college but I also know that some students have different requirements needed to help them prepare for their future. Our system needs to continually improve on ways to help all students meet their needs."
5) Please list your qualifications for the position of school board member.
Elliott: "I have been involved with many children in the district through my own children, through coaching and mentoring students, and attending many school functions. I am a hard worker with an open mind and willingness to make very effort to improve the district for the good of education and its future."
6) Please provide personal information (i.e. family, residency, etc.).
Elliott: "I am a family man who has been happily married to Annette for 23 years with four outgoing children, Ashley, 19, a freshman at Emporia State University; Shelby, 15, a freshman at Peabody-Burns High School; Christa, 10, a fourth grader at Peabody-Burns Elementary School; and Chance, 6, a first grader at PBES. I have worked at Raytheon Aircraft since 1995. We live in the county and both my wife and I come from farming backgrounds. I enjoy watching and following my children as they grow and develop their own unique styles and personalities."
7) Any other pertinent information regarding education and the school board.
Elliott: "I hope whoever gets elected to the school board will have the future direction of our children's education as a top priority."
Barry Peter
1) Why are you seeking a seat on the Peabody-Burns school board?
Peter: "I am truly interested in our school system and in the education of our children. I see challenges coming our way, and I would like to be a part of helping the district overcome them."
2) What goals or achievements would you like to see accomplished?
Peter: "I will strive to help improve communication between the board, the patrons, and USD 398 employees and staff. Another goal is help our students be prepared to excel in their continuous education."
3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current administration and board?
Peter: "I am satisfied with the administration as a whole, but like with anything, there is always room for improvement. When someone new comes in from the outside, they have different perspectives on how to attain and maintain goals."
4) Do you feel our curriculum and graduation requirements are sufficient to prepare students for college?
Peter: "With the two-tier system in place at the high school, those who are in the continuing education tier are reasonably well-prepared. Those enrolled in the vocational side may not be prepared for a four-year state institution, but would be prepared for their interests and goals they have for their future."
5) Please list your qualifications for the position of school board member.
Peter: "I am a member of the Peabody-Burns community and am currently involve din the district's site council. I have held that position for four years. My management skills from my occupation will be able to be applied to our school district's business with our district being Peabody's single largest employer."
6) Please provide personal information (i.e. family, residency, etc.).
Peter: "I have been a Peabody resident for 10 1/2 years with my wife, Beth, an employee of USD 398. Daughter Stephanie graduated in 2005 from Peabody-Burns High School and son Will currently is a junior at PBHS."
7) Any other pertinent information regarding education and the school board.
Peter: "I grew up in rural western Kansas and do understand what it takes to make things work in a small community."
Peggy Phillips
1) Why are you seeking a seat on the Peabody-Burns school board?
Phillips: "I currently am a Peabody-Burns board member and am seeking re-election to have some continuity for our board. We have some major changes coming in our district and I feel that some continuity is needed right now."
2) What goals or achievements would you like to see accomplished?
Phillips: "I would like to see us work toward establishing an at-risk or alternative program to help some of our students who are in need. Also I'm hoping we can come together better as a board and staff to be a more cohesive unit."
3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current administration and board?
Phillips: "I am happy with our board but I cannot discuss administration."
4) Do you feel our curriculum and graduation requirements are sufficient to prepare students for college?
Phillips: "Yes, our curriculum is aligned with the Kansas State Board of Regents. We have kept current in all requirements so we can enable our students to go on to the college of their choice."
5) Please list your qualifications for the position of school board member.
Phillips: "I have been a BOE member for seven and one-half years. I have attended numerous workshops offered by the Kansas Association of School Boards. While a board member, I have been a TEEN representative for two years and an ESSDAK representative for one year. I have been trained in interest-based bargaining and have been on the negotiating team."
6) Please provide personal information (i.e. family, residency, etc.).
Phillips: "My husband is Bob Phillips Jr. We have been married for 29 years. I have lived in Peabody for 34 years. We have four children, all of whom went all the way through our Peabody-Burns school system."
7) Any other pertinent information regarding education and the school board.
Phillips: "Education is constantly changing and I am very interested in making sure we change along with it, as a whole board. We are all interested in keeping 'up to date' with technology, curriculum, and safety, while constantly trying to keep our schools alcohol- and drug-free."
Position seven (at-large) candidates:
Gilbert Loewen
1) Why are you seeking a seat on the Peabody-Burns school board?
Loewen: "I have a love for the kids in our communities and a desire to see them be successful. I believe that a good education is a key to a successful life."
2) What goals or achievements would you like to see accomplished?
Loewen: "My goal is to work with the board to help the new superintendent become a part of both communities and educate our students the most economical way we can."
3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current administration and board?
Loewen: "I feel that administrators and school boards always need to be looking for ways to improve."
4) Do you feel our curriculum and graduation requirements are sufficient to prepare students for college?
Loewen: "I do feel that our curriculum and graduation requirements are preparing students for college. I believe that we will need to keep current in all age levels."
5) Please list your qualifications for the position of school board member.
Loewen: "Serving on the board the past nine years has given me an insight to the importance of running an efficient and successful school. I also have managed a business for the past 33 years."
6) Please provide personal information (i.e. family, residency, etc.).
Loewen: "I have lived and worked in this community all of my life. I am married to Venita and we have a daughter, Vanessa."
Jeffrey Pohlman
1) Why are you seeking a seat on the Peabody-Burns school board?
Pohlman: "I think it is time for a change within the school board. I see a lot of changes I feel need to be made and would like the opportunity to help and be a part of seeing these changes through. I feel there needs to be more backbone in the rules and fairness among all the students as well as expecting our teachers and coaches to be good, moral leaders and examples to the students, in and out of school."
2) What goals or achievements would you like to see accomplished?
Pohlman: "I would like to see our school be the very best it can be for all students! There should be fairness among all students, and all young people should have the opportunity for success. The school should find a way to meet each student's needs for success. At the same time maintaining control and safety of each student there."
3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current administration and board?
Pohlman: "I believe the administration has lacked in supporting teachers and enforcement of rules within the school. Too often I have felt that incidents that have been dealt with have been dependent on who you are and not following their own rules and protocol which is printed in the school handbook and describes the protocol and punishments for certain incidents. Again, fairness and discipline needs to be the same for every student."
4) Do you feel our curriculum and graduation requirements are sufficient to prepare students for college?
Pohlman: "I don't feel the graduation requirements are out of line, but I do feel the focus of these requirements are for the better students. All students have the right to an education and a school district should be making sure every student is getting the necessary attention for success — whatever that takes!"
5) Please list your qualifications for the position of school board member.
Pohlman: "I have been the chief of police for the City of Peabody for eight years. I have employees who I manage and oversee. I also am responsible for an annual budget in which I manage and help prepare each year. Since I have become police chief, I have started an annual purchase program for new patrol cars which includes updated equipment to use in our jobs. I have helped to create additional positions, full-time and part-time, within the department, and currently I am involved in a building program for a new city shop/police department. For the past two years, I have served on our economic development board, helping to set up projects and seeing them through."
6) Please provide personal information (i.e. family, residency, etc.).
Pohlman: "I have lived in the Peabody area for 16 years. I have a 16-year-old son who has grown up in the Peabody community. My parents and one of my three brothers also live in Peabody. I have a strong love for Native American and western history. I have a real desire to help our community to be all it can be and influence young people to make a difference in today's society. I believe this starts at home, but also can be strongly guided and influenced within the school."
7) Any other pertinent information regarding education and the school board.
Pohlman: "I would just like to say I hope to have the opportunity to serve our community in this capacity. It would be a great honor to serve as school board member and would be done so in a serious nature. The future of our young people is very important to me as an individual and to our community."
Anthony Zappone
1) Why are you seeking a seat on the Peabody-Burns school board?
Zappone: "I was asked by several people in the community to consider being a candidate for school board in order to give the people within USD 398 a choice on election day. Additionally, I have too often been dissatisfied by decisions and policies supported by the board majority and the administrators within the district. Those decisions and policies have had a detrimental effect on students and staff o Peabody-Burns."
2) What goals or achievements would you like to see accomplished?
Zappone: "In order to create an environment where students can better succeed, my primary goals are: a) to convince the BOE that we need to take the search for administrators more seriously by having a common vision as to the qualities and abilities a superintendent and principal should possess. Also we should not keep renewing contracts year after year with the hope that the administrator(s) in question will eventually gain the staff and/or community support along with the experience necessary to perform in their positions; b) to work toward stopping the continual teacher exodus and turnover, and promote teacher retention and stability."
3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current administration and board?
Zappone: See response to question one.
4) Do you feel our curriculum and graduation requirements are sufficient to prepare students for college?
Elliott: "Yes, I think our curriculum prepares students for college as long as they apply themselves and do the work required by the curriculum. However, pressure for social promotion is great and stems from the U.S. Department of Education on down. Those students who graduate by only going through the 'motions' and doing very little work, will, more often than not, struggle in college or drop out."
5) Please list your qualifications for the position of school board member.
Zappone: I have held positions of responsibility within the private sector as well as the government sector. I have been a junior high and high school teacher and coach since 1992. As teacher and coach, I have been employed by the Marion-Florence and Peabody-Burns districts. I now teach at Remington High School."
6) Please provide personal information (i.e. family, residency, etc.).
Zappone: "I am married and have two children. My wife, Lorrie, is an artist and works as a substitute teacher. My daughter, Anna, is a freshman at Emporia State University, and my son, Joseph, is a sophomore at Peabody-Burns High School."
