Three Candidates Running For Springdale School Board

Saturday, September 7, 2013

SPRINGDALE — Three candidates are seeking election to the Springdale School Board, one of whom is unopposed.

The election is set for Sept. 17. Early voting will take place at the Washington County Courthouse from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning Tuesday and continuing weekdays through Sept. 16.

Jeff Williams holds an at-large position on the board, but is running for the Zone 2 position. He is unopposed. David Van Bebber, the incumbent, did not seek re-election.

Zone 2 serves the northwest portion of the district.

Brian Moore and Michelle McCaslin Cook are running to replace Williams in the at-large position.

There is also a continuation of the 40.5 school millage on the ballot, but it does not involve an increase.

Profile

Springdale School Board Candidates

At-Large Position

Brian Moore

Age: 42. Born: Oct. 26, 1970

Residency: Lifelong resident of Springdale

Family: Wife, Melonie; two children

Employment: Vice president, Engineering Services Inc.

Education: Professional engineering license; bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from University of Arkansas; Springdale High School graduate

Military experience: None

Political experience: None

At-Large Position

Michelle McCaslin Cook

Age: 41. Born: June 14, 1972

Residency: Lifelong resident of Springdale School District, except 1995-1999 when she lived in Houston

Family: Husband, John; three children

Employment: Stay-at-home mom

Education: Elementary special education teaching certification, St. Thomas Alternative Certification Program in Houston; bachelor’s degree in marketing management, University of Arkansas; Springdale High School graduate

Military Experience: None

Political Experience: None

Zone 2

Jeff Williams (unopposed)

Age: 50. Born: Nov. 21, 1962

Residency: Grew up in Springdale, moved away for 15 years after college and moved back in 1999

Family: Wife, Christine; five children

Employment: Chief financial officer, America’s Car-Mart

Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, University of Arkansas; Springdale High School graduate

Military Experience: None

Political Experience: Serving in at-large position on Springdale School Board since 2008

Answers were edited for clarity.

What do you think is the biggest issue in the School District and what is the best solution?

Cook: Growth is a large issue in the district. Student population has grown quickly, and the district does a good job building new schools. District officials need to watch where the money for new schools is coming from. Acquiring computers for Common Core testing will be a monetary challenge. District officials need to find the money and not rely solely on the Arkansas Department of Education.

Moore: The biggest issue in the district is student achievement. The district is doing a good job of helping students through the Alternative Learning Center and the prekindergarten program. Those programs should receive more funding and expand.

Williams: The district needs to focus on student achievement in all levels of learning. Using data to look at specific students can help.

Do you support or oppose Common Core standards? Why?

Cook: Supports Common Core because school districts have to work with what they are given. Common Core needs to be implemented in a way where it will meet the needs of students. She dislikes that some classes were dropped because of Common Core, and lessons aren’t as broad as they once were.

Moore: Supports the standards because it is the direction the U.S. is going. Common Core allows students to look at multiple solutions to a problem instead of just one. It helps educate nontraditional learners and those who don’t have natural skills in certain subjects.

Williams: Supports the standards because they allow teachers to go more in-depth into lessons. The standards emphasize problem solving skills. These skills will help students in the future, because employers want to hire people who have those skills.

Do you believe district growth has been handled properly over the years? Have new schools been built in a timely manner? Do you have suggestions for improvements?

Cook: The district has done a great job building new schools under budget. Newer facilities in the district are up-to-date. She said she would like to see more upgrades for older schools.

Moore: The district has handled growth well over the years. It is difficult to project how many new students will be in the district each year. The district has done a good job building new facilities and being efficient with taxpayer money.

Williams: The district has done well handling growth. They have built quality new schools while being cost effective.

What areas do you think need improvement? How would you suggest they be improved?

Cook: Some schools do a better job than others of reaching out to parents. This is improving through use of social media, she said. She would like to see the schools improve communication with parents, including with non-English speaking parents.

Moore: Security needs to be increased at all of the schools. There should be more buzz-ins at doors and more required identification for parents to pick up students. Students not headed to college need to be given more guidance in furthering their education. Students need to learn in high school how to study effectively for college work.

Williams: School officials need to use test data more often to help increase student achievement. District officials have already identified this as an area of focus, but he wants this to continue.

Do you have a particular project or program that you would like to see implemented by administrators?

Cook: Some schools get less money than others. Students in schools with less money are missing opportunities. She wants all students in every school to get what they need. Parent teacher organizations need to stay strong in schools so they can keep bringing in money to help schools.

Moore: Doesn’t have a specific program or project in mind he wants implemented. He wants to see an increase in student achievement. The Alternative Learning Center and prekindergarten programs should be expanded to meet this goal.

Williams: Wants to see the academies in the high schools expand. Students involved in academies get more personalized instruction and get to focus on a subject area they’re interested in. Academies help students connect over common interests, which is good for large high schools