In the aftermath of the teachers strike, the Kent School District needs better communication among administrators, board members, teachers and parents.
That was the general opinion of Kent School Board candidates Bill Boyce, Tim Clark and Dale Smith at an Oct. 19 forum sponsored by the Kent Area PTA Council and the Kent Chapter of Stand for Children.
One of the dozen or so audience members asked the candidates how they would repair the damage done during the two-week strike at the start of the school year to improve the relationship between the district and the teachers.
“One word – communication,” said Boyce, who is running unopposed for reelection to Director District No. 4. “Personally, I did not like the strike. Are there things we could have done differently? Very much so. I have been working with my fellow board members and (Superintendent Edward Vargas) around communication. We need to work closely with the KEA (Kent Education Association) union rep., not only once year but bi-weekly or on a daily basis.”
Boyce said it’s especially important to make sure that the administration and teachers agree about the numbers for classroom sizes, one of the sticking points during the strike. He wants to see those numbers at least once a month and run the numbers by the KEA to see if it agrees with the numbers.
“Everything we do, we must do together,” said Boyce, who has served 14 years on the board.
Clark, a Kent City Council member and retired high school teacher, is running against Smith for the District No. 5 position on the Nov. 3 ballot, though Smith announced this summer he is no longer officially running for the seat due to changes with his employment. But Smith, an analyst for Boeing, withdrew too late to get his name removed from the ballot.
Smith still attended the forum and shared his concerns about the fallout from the strike.
“We need to be reminding ourselves in this district that the district belongs to the community and everybody who works for and with it is there to do that,” Smith said.
Smith said board meetings need to be more open to varied opinions so that everyone has a voice.
“We were told unless we could bring large numbers of people we didn’t have any influence,” Smith said about speaking at district meetings. “I feel deeply that is a morally wrong position. This is a public school district here to serve every student and family and its leadership needs to speak on behalf of those who do not have a voice.”
Clark said he and his wife talked to teachers who walked the picket lines.
“What became evident was the sense that there was not a fairness in terms of how we reach decisions in terms of not only the resources but the support in the classroom,” Clark said. “That is absolutely critical. The system will not work unless the teachers feel good about what they are doing.”
Boyce said class size, state funding and teacher pay are going to be the three main things he plans to focus on during his next four-year term.
“We are asking our teachers to do a lot, but they are not well compensated,” Boyce said.
Clark said the board needs to make sure they back teachers.
“We have to look at leadership and our ability to support staff and see that the appropriate training is there,” Clark said.
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