Occupation
I am an attorney (since 2002). Previously, I was a high school English teacher.
Where do you live (hamlet), and how long have you lived in town?
I have lived in Delmar for 17 years.
Why are you running for a seat on the School Board?
I am running for School Board because I have a vested interest in the success of our school. I have a child in BCSD (and two who graduated already) and so have an interest on a personal level in ensuring continued excellence. More broadly, I believe that good schools are essential for producing good citizens, and so am interested in working to maintain quality education for our community as a whole. I have always been involved in volunteer activities (generally coaching) in the community and would like to continue that practice in a new and different area.
What type of experience or skill set will help you fulfill your role on the School Board?
My dual background as a teacher and as an attorney will serve the Board well. As a teacher, I experienced the challenges that educators face daily. I was involved in the development and implementation of lesson plans and overall curriculum, which will enhance my Board participation. My time as an attorney also has provided a set of experiences that will help me serve the community. In practice, I consume and assess new information every day and am trained to weigh potential options and strategies based on conclusions that I reach about that information. All of this combines to provide a strong experiential background.
What do you think are some challenges the school district has been facing?
Undoubtedly, the largest recent challenge is the COVID pandemic. This health crisis has affected the district in multiple ways, from the most basic health and safety of the students and educators, to educational methods to staffing issues. Unfortunately, these concerns will be with the district going forward and will continue to be a focus of time, resources, and attention. Another challenge the district is facing is health and wellness of the students and staff. The past two years have been a time of unusual stress and uncertainty, which is in addition to the standard stressors of “normal” school experiences.
How do you plan to address these challenges?
The approach to the issues presented by
Robert
Tietjen continued
COVID are complex and ever changing. Addressing those issues will require a continual assessment of the latest information available and the competing factors for any decision made. One idea I would like to explore is the possibility of retaining some remote leaning capabilities for students who may not be able to attend class in person but who are well enough to meaningfully participate in learning activities. Regarding overall wellness, I would want to explore the resources available to the district that could be implemented to support students (and staff).
I view the school board as an opportunity to serve and to repay to some extent the benefits my family has received from their education at BCSD. I will act as an independent voice, with no goal other than to try to ensure the continued excellence of BCSD. The issues facing the district are varied and unpredictable. While it is not possible to make any absolute predictions about reactions to any particular issues, I will approach any questions with the attention and seriousness that they deserve.
Occupation (15 words)
Where do you live (hamlet) and how long have you lived in town? (25 words)
Why are you running for a seat on the School Board? (100 words or less)
What type of experience or skill set will help you fulfill your role on the school board? (100 words or less)
What do you think are some challenges the school district has been facing? (100 words or less)
How do you plan to address these challenges? (100 words or less)
Anything else you’d like to add? (100 words or less)
