Meet your candidates - Jeff Butler - Candidate for McPherson School Board

Candidates' responses have not been edited.

1. What is your background, and how will it help you to serve this district? I have been a resident of McPherson since 1979 when moving here with family as my father was an alumnus, professor and administrator at McPherson College. I attended USD 418 and graduated in 1987. I was involved in the Distributive Education program at McPherson High School and was also a multi-sport athlete. Currently I have worked in local government for 13+ years and have raised 3 kids all of whom have attended USD 418. I feel that my longevity within the community, familiarity with the schools, as well as my current position working with the community and public sector and experience with line-item budgets presents an asset to the district should I be elected.
 

2. Describe your qualifications and experience for this office and explain your reasons for running. How would you be an asset?
   Having 3 kids, all of whom are now young adults and seeing their successes and challenges while attending school in the district have, I believe allowed me to see firsthand, some of the strengths and challenges or USD 418. Not long ago I took the time to visit all facilities, have discussions with administrators and teachers, and discuss with them what vision they have for the success of the students and the district. I have participated in recent committees and community meetings to discuss with staff and community members what is working, where we could see improvements, and long-term planning for care of facilities, better work environments, fiscal responsibility, transparency and community engagement, teacher/staff retention, and sustained student success. These are all items I push for as part of a team of board members if elected.
   
3. What are the priority issues facing our community, and how would you address them if elected?
   Based on discussions with employees and within community meetings there is a definite need for facilities improvements. Finding the best plan to satisfy the needs of staff and students is priority, but that must also be balanced with community stakeholders. It is not an easy balance by any means, but improvements are a necessity. Comprising a plan that includes long term planning for both budget and maintenance, fiscal responsibility of taxpayer funding, and detailed plan transparency within the community will be needed if funding is to be successful in my opinion. Better facilities will also help to promote better, and safer, work environments for staff and learning experience for students.
   
4. What are the most important challenges facing our community, and how do you propose to address them?
   Another priority, as well as challenge, is creating a more positive culture within the district internally as well as building trust and transparency within the community. The path to success I feel relates to better communication and understanding day-to-day operations within the walls of the district, willingness to listen and compromise, and maintain focus that ultimately the students will always be the ones most affected by actions of board members. Building a strong school culture is proven to correlate with student success and employee morale.
   
5. Describe your commitment to public education
   I feel there is a need to better support teachers and administrators in a positive manner to improve culture and provide the absolute best atmosphere for student safety and learning. We can do this by making sure teachers and staff are paid competitively, stressing the importance of retention, and rewarding performance, as well as providing adequate learning resources and training for teachers, Continued development of a strong relationship between Parents, Teachers, and Children will elevate the path to success both emotionally and academically. There also must be a strong connection of support and trust between Administration and Educators, which in my opinion is crucial to promote access to information, positive change, and make sure that needs are addressed as the landscape of learning changes. Lastly, better engagement with the community. Much of the community is not aware of things such as the condition of facilities, budget challenges, and staffing challenges. Recent Community meetings are a step in the right direction and should continue to be utilized along with various forms of traditional and social media so that information reaches as much of the community as possible.
   
6. A district is only effective if it serves all constituents. What specific steps would you take to ensure that from all walks of life benefit from equity, access, an inclusive opportunity?
   As board members, or in the past as a member of a committee or team I think the first and most important aspect is to be a good listener, and hear feedback from all sources to summarize what may be the best course of action, or at least a good starting point. We need to be able to trust the data and information given to us by staff and administration and factor that in with the more personal feedback that we receive to make smart educated decisions. Funding should be required to be available for these initiatives and make sure that programs to promote equity and inclusion are promoted and encouraged to all students. Staff should be educated in these programs and initiatives and help promote inclusive learning environments. Lastly Administration should verify and report that these programs and initiatives are being followed by staff and make sure the parents and constituents are aware and educated of their availability.
   
7. How will YOU ensure all students are “welcomed” in your district?
   As board members we are responsible for making sure proper policy is in place that provides for an all-inclusive atmosphere for student learning. The curriculum provided should satisfy all students and promote their success regardless of learning level and ensure every student is included and valued. As part of this staff should be given the opportunity and resources for training and education to assist students with social and life skills as well as encouraging student learning groups and collaboration and cultural and diversity education. Administration will need to adhere to these policies and encourage staff to report any disparages so that they can be resolved quickly. Board members should also be advocates and supportive of both staff and administrators in these initiatives.
   
8. Specifically, how should “school safety” be enhanced or improved in your school district?
   Currently there are resource officers in the district, which is a great start. We need to make sure that students feel safe and that mental health assistance and counseling is available and promoted for all students. As mentioned earlier, promoting a positive culture/environment and making sure policies of inclusion are in place will help students feel safe and promote positive behavior. Staff should take part in regular safety training for all workplace hazards. Proper policy and preparedness should be in place so that Administration, Staff, and Students all know what to do in case of an emergency. Policies and Procedures should be clearly communicated to Staff, Parents, Students and the community to ensure all vested parties that our schools are a safe place for all. Physical Security should allow for Detection of Risk and Authorized access as well as environmental detection such Air Quality and Smoke/Vape Detection and connected prevention and determent. Anonymous Reporting should be encouraged as it could potentially save lives.
   
9. There is great national concern regarding the status of the teaching profession and whether there are adequate numbers of highly qualified teachers to fill current teaching positions. How will you work with district leadership to ensure vacancies are filled with highly qualified staff, new teachers attracted, and senior staff supported?
   The board will need to be assured that the Superintendent is vested and supportive of teachers and staff and will participate in the recruitment and retention process. The board will need to be in constant collaboration with the Superintendent and Senior Staff to assure that teachers and staff are provided a competitive wage and benefit package that aligns with other districts. As a board member we need to assure that teacher and staff needs are met and that budget adjustments are made accordingly to allow for proper instruction and resources. Creating a relationship with area colleges to attract new students is important. Offering hiring workshops and recruitment initiatives and providing resources for Senior Staff and Administration to maintain these initiatives I believe are important to maintain a pipeline of qualified educators. Great communication, understanding of what’s feasible in the budget as well as listening to teachers’ needs and shortfalls for successful education in my opinion will direct proper decision making.
   
10. If you are elected (or re-elected) how should constituents measure your performance at the end of your term? What would you need to do to earn an “A” (excellent) grade? Identify specific benchmarks. If you are currently serving on the school board, how would you grade your present leadership?
    Ultimately decisions by the board are voted upon and not based on one member’s ideas or opinions, but rather a collaboration and consensus of all members representing adherence to policy, fiscal responsibility, staff support, student success, and community engagement. I feel like if board members address these interests and stakeholders equally then it will be something all can be proud of and us as board members can be proud of our tenure. I feel like if I was to meet or exceed all needs being met by the stakeholders then it’s something I could be proud of.
    
11. Transparency is critical in order to develop trust, improve community engagement and ensure support for public education. How will you ensure the district is transparent with the community? What are the strengths of the district, and what do you see as its biggest challenges?
    I feel there is a lot of disconnect and lack of transparency within the district now, although I see the main issue as lack of communication and urgency by administration to make improvements. I think efforts have ramped up some, but communication needs to be ongoing, it needs to reach all residents and stakeholders thus requiring contact via multiple forms of media as well as regularly scheduled community meetings. The district has passionate and qualified educators that often exceed and go beyond what is required of them. I also feel not enough attention is given to classified staff and their importance to daily operation of the schools. Therefore, it’s important to listen to what their challenges are and how we continue to support them with proper pay and resources. The learning and work environment also must improve. Funding is needed to make facilities improvements/repairs. Board members have the task of collaborating with the Superintendent, Building Administrators, Teachers. And the Community to determine what is reasonable and provides the necessary facilities and safety to students and staff. It’s not easy by any means, but necessary. Continued discussions and Community Meetings are necessary to determine the best plan moving forward. I believe a long-term maintenance plan MUST be part of any proposal as we do not currently have one in place. This, as well as budget shortfalls, has led to facilities being in disrepair.
    
12. How can the board be more accessible to the entire community?
    As a former parent in the district, it was very discouraging to only be able after some searching find board member emails on the school website and then send them an email regarding concerns, most of the time getting a “thanks for that information” in return. While there does need to be caution as to not stepping into administrative boundaries, I feel like more steps can be taken to engage with the community through periodic town hall type meetings, a social media presence., and more visibility and accessibility in numerous formats. Board members represent all members of the community and should be easily accessible and willing to listen to ideas and concerns of constituents.
    
13. An individual school board member has no authority; decisions can only be made by the Board as a whole. What skills or traits will help you contribute to its functioning?
    Problem solving and collaboration is part of my everyday position as well as working directly with the public. The ability to find common ground and brainstorm ideas to resolve issues is something I do daily and feel that is what successful Board of Education members do as well. I also feel that my experience of coming up through the school district, as well as having 3 kids come through the district, gives me some ideas and insight into what works and what could be improved. Additionally, I believe that my experience with public sector and line-item budgets can offer a positive aspect as a potential board member.
14. School issues have become fiercely divisive. Can the school board do anything to lessen the rifts in the school district?
    Board members in my opinion can do a better job of listening and set personal opinions aside and rely on factual data and feedback from staff and the community. In previous Bond attempts for example, there was a narrow focus of community input, and I believe that the views of the community were not fully understood or considered. I think recently, there has been more effort put towards community engagement and renewal of trust. Continuing to find ways to show transparency and provide community outreach and information will be key. The community wants to know that our teachers and staff are being taken care of, our facilities are being kept in shape, and that the best budget decisions are being made with their funds that go toward the schools.
    
15. Do you believe charter schools strengthen or weaken public school districts? (and why)
    There are some questions that Charter Schools funnel students away from public schools which can affect ours financially. The problem I think we are having locally is that some students are moving to other nearby districts for various reasons. So honestly, I think the focus should be on why that is happening, and how do we make USD 418 more attractive and welcoming to those students.
16. Anything else our readers should know? I would welcome people to my campaign Facebook page where I would be happy to have personal discussion with them, and I am sharing some information that I think would be interesting and educational. I’m interested in hearing ideas and I would love to hear from staff in the district and receive a current update whether positive of challenges they are facing! https://www.facebook.com/jeffb4USD418boe