Steamboat Springs School Board candidates, July 17, 2014

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Chris Johnson - Board Candidate Interview Questions

July 17, 2014

1. What has been your personal involvement with education in our community?

I have four children in the district two at Soda Creek, one at the Middle School, and one

starting High School. We have lived here (and been enrolled in school here) for the past 3 years.

I have also volunteered in different capacities within the schools and the district.

2. What do you feel is the number one challenge facing our schools today? Funding schools are being asked to do more special ed, gifted ed, social/emotional development, provide multiple meals per day for some students, small class sizes, attract and retain top-notch teachers, comprehensive testing, teacher effectiveness the list goes on, and is ever expanding. Our schools are better funded than some, and we have been good about doing more with less, but the list of must-haves and must-dos keeps growing.

3. Although the district is Accredited with Distinction from the state for academic achievement,

what are some areas in the school district that you feel can be improved?

Parent engagement parent engagement is one of the strongest predictors of student success,

and its free. We should cultivate this largely untapped resource to increase student

achievement.

Academic achievement Though we are Accredited with Distinction, there are still many

students who are achieving at the less-than-proficient level. We need to figure out why these

kids are struggling. Our district goal should be that every student is proficient or advanced this

may not be achievable, but it should be the goal.

Attract and retain high quality teachers Ive seen a lot of turn-over in the time that Ive been

here.

4. The board operates under a board governance model. In other words, the board establishes

policies to provide guidance to the administration in order to operate the district. The board

hires one employee, the superintendent, to lead the district and implement its policies. Do

you know anything about this process? Is this a model in which you can comfortably operate?

I am familiar and comfortable with this model.

5. Once the board discusses an issue and votes on an item, it is the expectation that the entire

board, including any dissenting members on a topic, will support the decision of the majority.

Can you support this philosophy? How do you typically handle conflict?

I absolutely support this philosophy. I dont see how a group could work together successfully

any other way. If there are differing opinions, which is quite normal and expected, then the

facts might need to be reviewed, and each person can and should present his or her argument.

A compromise can be suggested, because often both arguments are valid, and somewhere in

the middle can make sense. But once the vote has been taken, the decision is treated as a joint

decision.

6. The school board will soon be fully engaged in developing the 2014-15 budget. What have

been your experiences in preparing budgets and what do you feel are priorities that the board

should consider when preparing the budget?

I dont have a lot of experience preparing budgets for large organizations. I have been involved

in the district budget at the SAC and DAC level. As a priority, the board should continue to look

for efficiencies. They should examine whether the package that they are evaluating is operating

as efficiently as possible. They should make business decisions, not emotional decisions.

Furthermore, every budget decision should have a long-term result of supporting one or all of

the strategic anchors that the school board has adopted.

7. How would you determine whether the school board is doing a good job?

I would expect the board to approach problems with an open mind, discuss the issues with

respect and thought, and make decisions based on a long-term strategy which is in line with the

values of our community. This process should lead to continued or improved job satisfaction for

teachers and administrators, and continued or improved success for our students.

8. Board members sometimes have differences of opinion on an issue. Can you describe a

situation that you were involved in where a group with differing opinions and points of view

had to reach a final decision? Please describe the process, what went well, and what you

might do differently in a similar situation in the future?

I have been involved in many situations where there has been disagreement, but a final decision

had to be reached. The best strategy is first to be sure that everyone has had a chance to say

their piece. Listen respectfully no interruptions, no criticism. Ask questions make sure you

understand. Once all viewpoints have been heard, review the goals of the group. Quite often

the goals will guide the decision. I think that being respectful is the key to maintaining a

healthy working relationship. Nobody wants to feel like their ideas are unworthy.

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Board Candidate Interview Questions

Kim Schulz

July 17, 2014

PLEASE PROVIDE RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL REVIEW YOUR ANSWERS PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEWS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON JULY 17, 2014. ALL

CANDIDATE RESPONSES WILL BE PUBLIC RECORD AND WILL BE PART OF BOARDBOOK FOR THE MEETING.


The first year I lived here I worked as a substitute at Soda Creek and Strawberry Park. I had a long term substitute position for a maternity leave at the end of that year at Soda Creek. The following year I was hired at Lowell Whiteman Primary School, now Emerald Mountain School,

to teach English in 2nd through 8th grades. I have started a tutoring business this summer and tutor students in kindergarten through 8th grades.

2. What do you feel is the number one challenge facing our schools today? We need to find a balance with assessments. Assessments are necessary to monitor growth and

make improvements. In the past 10 years, there has been an increase in the weight that these multiple choice tests hold on decisions made for schools, teachers, and most importantly, students. The state tests are driving curriculum and teaching, and I dont believe the results are

as positive and effective as the intentions. We need to continue to evaluate students, teachers, and schools but need to develop more productive ways to accomplish this goal.



Every district has strengths and areas for improvement. At this time, it is not clear to me which

areas need improvement. I have not been engrossed in the workings of this district, so I come in with an open mind eager to learn about the strengths and ways that the district can continue to develop. I have read through a couple of the monitoring reports. These documents seem to

present valuable information about the possibilities for improvement from the perspective of the individual departments.

4. The board operates under a board governance model. In other words, the board establishes policies to provide guidance to the administration in order to operate the district. The board

hires one employee, the superintendent, to lead the district and implement its policies. Do you know anything about this process? Is this a model in which you can comfortably operate?

I have a general understanding of this process. As I understand it, the board is providing the bigger picture guidelines for the superintendent to follow. I feel that this is a logical role for a

board to play.

5. Once the board discusses an issue and votes on an item, it is the expectation that the entire board, including any dissenting members on a topic, will support the decision of the majority. Can you support this philosophy? How do you typically handle conflict?

This philosophy is important with any group, but especially one that operates in the public eye. When there is a conflict, I am interested in understanding the other persons point of view. I may not always agree, but at least I can understand his or her perspective. I also understand

that once leaving a board meeting, it is essential to support the decision of the group.

6. What have been your experiences in preparing budgets and what do you feel are priorities that the board should consider when preparing the budget?

My experience preparing budgets is for my own personal finances. When preparing budgets for the district, it is important to make decisions based on what is best for the students the district serves. There should be data to support that that these decisions will make a positive impact on

students.

7. How would you determine whether the school board is doing a good job? The board should evaluate and monitor progress, just like other parts of the district. If the board

is reaching its goals and operating within its policies, then it is successful.

8. Board members sometimes have differences of opinions on an issue. Can you describe a situation that you were involved in where a group with differing opinions and points of view had to reach a final decision? Please describe the process, what went well, and what you might do

differently in a similar situation in the future. As a teacher on the leadership team for my school, I was in this situation on a regular basis. The

people on the team were specifically chosen for their differing viewpoints and backgrounds, as well as our passion for education. During these meetings, we would listen to each others positions about the research we read in order to come to a decision that would impact

curriculum or instruction for our school. The people in this group had respect for each other and though the conversations became intense at times, there were never any personal attacks. At the end of the meeting, the decisions did not impact the relationships between the members of

the group. As that was several years ago, I have learned to listen more carefully. It is more important for me to understand other points of view than to have my own heard first.

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Board Candidate Interview Questions- Sherri Sweers

July 17, 2014

PLEASE PROVIDE RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL

REVIEW YOUR ANSWERS PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEWS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON JULY 17, 2014. ALL

CANDIDATE RESPONSES WILL BE PUBLIC RECORD AND WILL BE PART OF BOARDBOOK FOR THE MEETING


I was an adjunct professor at the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) here in Steamboat from

approximately Fall semester 2006 through Spring semester 2012. I taught Business

Communications and was responsible for class organization, agenda, books, grading and

reviews. CMC afforded me great latitude in teaching this course and I was able to design a class

where the students were taught practical methods of communicating in the business world; it

was, I believe, a class the students appreciated (and enjoyed if I might be so bold despite the 20

page paper). I thoroughly enjoy teaching. However, I left CMC to focus on my newly opened

legal practice in 2012.

I also have two children in the Steamboat school system. I have two boys, ages eight and ten,

both of whom attend Soda Creek Elementary school (3rd and 5th grade respectively). While I am

committed to my childrens education, admittedly my participation with the school is minimal,

mostly due to time constraints. I mostly assist teachers with certain topic assignments (e.g.

reading, writing or math groups) when requested.

2. What do you feel is the number one challenge facing our schools today?

a) Maintaining or bettering opportunity and excellence while balancing a budget (not a new

challenge I imagine);

b) Providing challenging curriculum and holding high expectations to maintain a level of

excellence not in Colorado or the U.S., but rather the world

c) Effectuating true change. Perhaps the number one challenge is simply change, itself.

Effectuating true change is difficult regardless of the field. However, there are places that

have proven to have successful educational systems elsewhere: incorporating what are

proven to be good policies and practices, yet which result in inevitable change in how we

normally do things, makes this task a top challenge.



Academia is always an area that can be improved upon, but sometimes along with the issue of

academics comes tough decisions and change as I reflected upon earlier. If the board, and

myself as a board member, if selected, can effectively make a change which improves academia

and takes it to an even higher recogniztion level then we will have improved!



hires one employee, the superintendent, to lead the district and implement its policies. Do you

know anything about this process? Is this a model in which you can comfortably operate?

Without sounding too lawyerly, this model is similar to a corporate model in the business world

where there are shareholders who appoint a board of directors; the board then hires officers

(Administration) to operate the day to day business; the board also appoints a Chief Executive

Officer (CEO) (the Superintendent) who is responsible for managing the other officers and

staff/employees of the business as well as the operation of the business generally. The CEO

reports to the board on the status of the business and related issues, while the board functions

to oversee the greater picture of the business. I work with this model on a daily business in

helping businesses get started and be successful. While my own business is structured slightly

different, the concept remains the sameeach level provides a service, invaluable input, and

accountability which in turns ensures success.




I have the utmost respect for the majority rule. No two people, and certainly not a board, will

ever view an issue or a set of facts the samethankfully. Difference of opinion, varied input,

and shared experiences are what ultimately create the best decision. That is a primary purpose

for a group or a committee or a board. In the event my opinion is different than the majority on

an issue, I shall completely respect and support the decision; otherwise, I defeat the purpose of

the group.

6. What have been your experiences in preparing budgets and what do you feel are priorities that

the board should consider when preparing the budget?

I manage my own business; I, along with my two partners, set our own budget; we simply

cannot succeed without following a stringent business plan balancing assets and liabilities. I was

also responsible for developing my own budget as the Assistant Athletic Director at the

University of Denver. While my budget was significantly smaller, I was responsible for setting

the financial parameters and maintaining a quality program.

That being said, I suspect preparing a budget for the school district is significantly more

challenging as funds fluctuate annually. I must admit that I do not have a full understanding of

all of the line items that must be incorporated into the school district budget, and without this

information, it is difficult for me to prioritize. However, in my opinion, the budget should be set

to focus on and accomplish those tasks important to the community and in line with the school

district mission.


Since the board is an elected body, the community is our best gage in determining the boards

performance. That being said, disseminating information to and obtaining input from the

community in a simple, convenient format is paramount in measuring the boards success. If

we can educate the community and ourselves, as board members, in a simple, convenient

forum(s) (which may or may not include the board meetings), performance, and the assessment

thereof, may be more successful. Teachers are our second gage in determining performance.

Most teachers know how to educate children best. Good teachers can determine what

methods, practices, and disciplines work best with children and what improvements need to be

made (not me). Therefore, while teachers report to principals, and principals to the

Superintendent, I think it very important that the board maintain a consistent, effective form of

communication with our teachers (in the union or not).

8. Board members sometimes have differences of opinions on an issue. Can you describe a

situation that you were involved in where a group with differing opinions and points of view had

to reach a final decision? Please describe the process, what went well, and what you might do

differently in a similar situation in the future

Unfortunately, my profession reveals many conflict situations that I must frequently address. A

typical means of resolving conflict in the legal profession is mediation. I am actually a huge

supporter of mediation, which involves a third neutral party who listens to the facts and the law,

and makes recommendations accordingly. Typically, the parties are separated in different

rooms with the mediator, which provides more up-front, frank discussions. The mediator then

moves between each room discussing the pros and cons of each position, in hopes that a

middle ground is found and agreed upon. I have had mostly successful results with mediation.

I recognize, however, that mediation may not work (or be possible) with a board, although I

believe certain of these settlement techniques can be used to assist the board with differing

opinions. A good mediator or group leader is key.

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Board Candidate Interview Questions Tami Havener

July 17, 2014

PLEASE PROVIDE RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL

REVIEW YOUR ANSWERS PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEWS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON JULY 17, 2014. ALL

CANDIDATE RESPONSES WILL BE PUBLIC RECORD AND WILL BE PART OF BOARDBOOK FOR THE MEETING


My work for over 30 years has been in Early Education. I have also worked within our

community as a School Board member from 2000-2005. Prior to that time and during my board

tenure, I served on the Education Fund Board as well as the Growth Commission. I have also

served on various school evaluation committees, and strategic planning groups for the SSSD. I

worked at the elementary school as a special education para in the early 80s; and I was a

consumer of Re-2 services as a foster parent for several years.

2. What do you feel is the number one challenge facing our schools today?

The challenge of balancing all of the various external stakeholder demands (READ Act, Educator

Effectiveness legislation, high-stakes testing, etc.) with the daily and long-term needs of the

whole child (academic, cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and familial) in our classrooms.



I believe in a model of continuous improvement. So there is always room for improvement in

every area. Even when you have achieved excellence, most likely there is still room for further

improvement, or at the very least there needs to be a commitment to maintaining that level of

excellence.



hires one employee, the superintendent, to lead the district and implement its policies. Do you

know anything about this process? Is this a model in which you can comfortably operate?

We used policy governance when I served on the board previously. I have numerous board

experiences with a variety of governance models, and policy governance is my own preferred

style.




This is the only philosophy that allows a governing body to move forward. Rarely does everyone

agree all of the time, so dissent and conflict are bound to occur. A healthy decision can only be

reached if all viewpoints are heard, albeit in a respectful manner.

6. What have been your experiences in preparing budgets and what do you feel are priorities that

the board should consider when preparing the budget?

I only actually prepare budgets for my work. All of the Boards I have served on have staff that do

the preparation of budgets, based on a variety of inputs, including board priorities, for boards to

then review and approve or change as needed. Priorities to consider include the challenging

balancing act as listed in #2 above, as well as community or electorate input. I do have a solid

understanding of school finance in Colorado.


By evaluating district results against the Results policies, as well as evaluating board

performance against the rest of the board policies.

8. Board members sometimes have differences of opinions on an issue. Can you describe a

situation that you were involved in where a group with differing opinions and points of view had

to reach a final decision? Please describe the process, what went well, and what you might do

differently in a similar situation in the future.

First, you need to use various tools that are successful;

listen first, talk second,

active listening,

keep people and problems separate,

set out facts,

explore options,

and a host of others.

Selecting the specific tools to use depends on the issue and the personalities around the table.

But perhaps most important, is the rule to make sure good relationships are the first priority. If

you have treated each other calmly and have spent time building mutual respect, it is much

easier to be courteous to each other and remain constructive problem solvers under pressure.

What I always try to do differently in each of these challenges is to remember to breathe

deeply!

ChrisJohnson-letterChrisJohnson-questionskim-letterkim-questionssherri-lettersherri-questionsTami-lettertami-questions

Documents

Steamboat Springs School Board candidates, July 17, 2014