Teacher morale hot topic for several Hamilton school board candidates

The largest field of candidates for any school board race in Butler County this fall is for the Hamilton Board of Education

The race for the three open seats on Hamilton’s school board has attracted eight candidates: Incumbents Steve Isgro and Robert Weigel and newcomers Louise Jewett, Chris Mate, Anne Vaaler Mills, Zipporah Samples, Laurin Sprague and Patrick Wagonfield.

The Journal-News recently asked the candidates about their priorities if elected and what issues concerns them most about the city school district. Below are their answers, edited for space.

Q: Why are you running, and if elected, what major issues do you plan to make a priority while serving on the school board?

Isgro: I was elected to the board for the first time four years ago. Since then we hired a new superintendent. In two years scores have gone up. We still have a ways to go and I would like to continue to help.

Jewett: I am running for school board because I have been a teacher and parent of students in Hamilton City Schools and feel invested in the school district and community at large. I believe I can make a positive contribution in improving our schools and fostering better relationships among all stakeholders in HCSD. If I win a seat, I would like to tackle the issues of teacher recruitment and retention, improving curricula and career counseling for all students, and establishing cooperation among all HCSD entities as well as with the city and local organizations.

Mate: I am running for school board because I care about kids and I care about Hamilton. I believe teacher retention, closing the achievement gap by raising test scores, and improving teacher and staff morale throughout the district should be priorities for the school district. A united board can do work together to tackle these issues in a positive and productive manner.

Mills: The issues I plan to focus on if elected to the Hamilton City School board are communication and transparency, teacher retention/morale of staff, and state testing. We need to have more communication between the school district and the teachers, students and citizens in Hamilton. I would like to see the board be proactive in this communication. We all must work together as the students graduating today are the citizens of Hamilton tomorrow. We are losing 60 to 100 teachers a year in our district and we must find out why and how to change it. The state testing is overwhelming for our teachers and our students, and I don't feel the state report card is representative of what is actually happening in the classroom. I would like to see representation at the state level that can be a liaison between the state and our district. I am committed to doing what is best for our students and teachers while being fiscally responsible for the citizens of Hamilton.

Samples: The main reason I am running is for diversity — the district should reflect the population that we serve. State testing, recruit and certify multilingual educators and guidance counselors. Also, improve academic proficiency and graduation rates in the district.

Sprague: I am running because I have a demonstrated passion for our schools and community, and I want to make a difference in the lives of our students. Hamilton faces many challenges — low academic scores, teacher turn-over, students in need of social and emotional support, financial concerns, a low graduation rate and others. My top priority is the development of a comprehensive strategic plan to address our many challenges. The plan would incorporate feedback from students, families, community members, teachers and administrators. It is only by working together that we can meet the needs of our students and improve our schools.

Wagonfield: I'm running because I want to see continued success for our students. There is too much testing and not enough quality teaching time. I do believe baseline testing for students is essential to find out where they are scholastically and then develop a plan for the student. Teachers are the heart and soul of our schools and as a board member I will support them to continue to improve student performance … especially on tests that may prevent our students from graduating.

Weigel: I am a good choice for a second term because we are on the right track and we need to redouble our efforts to move our city and our schools ahead. We have recently seen tremendous academic gains lead by our teachers and staff. I have helped provide guidance to a team who was responsible for improving 18 out of 23 tested areas last year…

If I am re-elected, I plan on making the following my main priorities: 1.We must continue to improve student performance in order to prepare students for the new state graduation requirements… 2. We must find ways to support our economically disadvantaged population… 3. We must continue to recruit and retain high quality teachers that reflect the diversity that we see in our school district.

Q: What challenges most concern you in your local schools and what proposed solutions will you champion in trying to persuade your fellow board members to join you in solving those challenges?

Isgro: We live in a diverse school district with many challenges for students and teachers. The Board recognizes these challenges. We have to continue to support students and teachers and give them the tools and support to succeed.

Jewett: I am most concerned about two issues in particular. Over the past several years, teacher morale has been low and the district has lost many good teachers. … We need to find ways to attract and keep good teachers by showing respect for our teachers, listening to their ideas, and letting them teach rather than getting bogged down in unnecessary paperwork, statistics and meetings. Secondly, I am concerned that the recent focus on testing has limited our curricular offerings to subjects which have state tests with the result of losing higher level and elective classes that are enriching for our students. If we improve teacher morale and expand our curricula, every student in Hamilton will benefit — and this should be our goal. …

Mate: There are many challenges in our school district like many other districts in Ohio. Every year we ask teachers to do more and more in the classroom, expecting ever-improving results. At some point we need to evaluate our current practices with an eye to reducing the burden on classroom teachers, freeing them up to more fully focus on student achievement.

Mills: Staff retention and morale in the district are a huge issue right now. We are losing too many teachers and need to work more cooperatively with the Hamilton Classroom Teachers Association to get feedback from the teachers, and be transparent in the changes that are being made in the classroom and why the changes are being implemented. … I would also like to see a stronger relationship with the City of Hamilton. We need to start working with the city hand in hand. As representatives on the board, we need to build support and understanding of public education and lead the public in demanding a high quality education for all of students in the district. Our students need to be prepared for the next step in their lives.

Samples: Improve the achievement gaps between schools within the district: Proposing that we as a board partner with the City of Hamilton, local universities and other learning affiliates or associates to improve student academics by focusing in on instructional lessons designed to promote or improve upon students' critical thinking skills. Also by petitioning to Teachers Association the Union and creating community outreach efforts to help strengthen the relationship among students, teachers and parents.

Sprague: Hamilton is fortunate to have a very diverse student population that comes from a wide range of backgrounds. Unfortunately, many of our students come to school lacking some of the skills necessary to be successful in school. The district needs to expand the preschool program so that it is available to all families and is integrated with Hamilton's kindergarten and elementary curriculum.

Wagonfield: Budget cuts have created huge problems for most public schools in recent years. Less funding means smaller staffs, fewer resources and a lower number of services that we can provide for the students. As a board member I will work with educators, parents and lawmakers to come together and begin to find solutions for the benefit of all students in public schools. This district should not be forced to fund a math class by cutting a fine arts class. We should be able to fund all courses that will produce a well-rounded student.

Weigel: The biggest challenge facing Ohio public schools is the ever-changing graduation requirements. It is no secret that there are undeniable problems with these overly burdensome requirements. Last year the Ohio Department of Education granted a onetime band aid "fix" for this year's seniors. I fear that this year's juniors will be harmed from bad state policy decisions. I am not a huge proponent of the current state testing model but it is the yard stick we are given. I believe state testing should be minimized and those millions and millions of dollars could be reinvested into our local schools' budget. Columbus should let teachers teach and allow local boards to make more local decisions. …

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