Editor's note: This is part of a series of stories ahead of the May 13 Sioux Falls school board election. You can find other stories here, and keep following Sioux Falls Simplified for more details ahead of election day.
Simplified: We're less than a week away from the Sioux Falls School Board election, and Sioux Falls Simplified sat down with each of the four candidates to talk about a variety of issues to help you feel prepared to cast a ballot.
Tell me more. Who are the candidates?
The four candidates are (in ballot order):
- Elizabeth Duffy
- Trish Ringold
- Nan Kelly
- Thomas Werner
Learn more about them here:
Megan Raposa
Here's a look at what the candidates had to say about after-school care, supporting teachers and behavioral challenges.
What, to you, is the importance of after-school care, and what are your priorities when it comes to after-school care like the Community Learning Centers (CLC) at district elementary schools?
Duffy: I cannot imagine what we would've done without after-school care. The main priority has to be what happens between first bell and last bell, but so many of those kids lives and what really makes a difference is what happens outside of those times.
- We all have a stake in this. It's one of those things that can improve everything–graduation rates, decrease crime, keep kids out of trouble. We just want to give kids opportunities to do productive and positive things in their free time.
- I would support any way we can increase outside of school activities and supports.
Ringold: Yes, after-school care is important. We can't just have children kinda running around the streets of Sioux Falls because their parents are at work.
- If I'm honest its not really at the top of my list just because there are so many more important things that are happening right now with funding being cut and everything with that.
There is daycares and things that have after-school programs that if parents need to, they can use those areas.
Kelly: We have an excellent CLC model, and that is where our district shines in our partnerships with Boys and Girls Club, Embe, YMCA, Promising Futures Fund – all examples of partnership and support that the community has for quality after-school care.
- We need to keep that going. It's excellent. My kids enjoyed it, so i’m thankful, and I want to be able to pass that on to other generations of kids.
Werner: I have experience running an after-school (taekwondo) program, and after-school programs are, especially in today's working world, very necessary.
- One of the things I've always been disappointed with with the school district is the school district doesn't allow private businesses to advertise their after-school programs. Parents are limited in information, and they're kind of on their own to find options. I really think there are better ways to streamline that.
- I don't think we need to bombard parents with 15 different flyers, but there has to be better ways to show the options that are out there.
The Sioux Falls School Board also oversees Southeast Technical College. What are your priorities when it comes to supporting workforce development and the various paths kids can take after high school?
Duffy: I think the school district is doing an amazing job with that so far. If you’re a parent of a kid in, even middle school ... kids start identifying where their strengths are, but they don't know how that translates into a career yet.
- The reality (after high school) is going to be different for every kid. Having all those opportunities laid out for you and being able to explore them in this safe, no stakes environment is incredible. I would've loved that when I was a kid.
- We have to have multiple paths available, and it's fairly unique for the K-12 school district to have the technical college. I'm so impressed with what’s been developed.
Ringold: I would nudge kids toward a college education. You never can go wrong with a college education. I haven't 100% looked at the funding (state and federal) how (any potential cuts) would affect Southeast Tech.
- I did know they were a part of the Sioux Falls School District. I honestly don't really have a good answer for that.
Kelly: Our technical college here, Southeast Tech is widely supported regionally – the reason being is that we put out a skilled workforce.
- That plays right into economic development and quality of life and our community knows those are two important aspects of living, working and raising a family here.
- There are challenges because more kids want to have an education – we’ll take that. But now, we all need to step up to the plate and provide those avenues of accessibility to education for all children Our public schools provide that pathway.
- Southeast Tech is a robust, relevant institution that puts out a student that is ready to work with upwards of 90% placement and a waiting list.
Werner: Workforce development is very important. I really like the technical learning aspect of things, and I'm experiencing it firsthand (as a Southeast Technical College student).
- I come from the EMS world and healthcare–i was on the ambulance service in town full-time prior. The paramedic program that Southeast has is the best in the area.
- They really take an approach that is very hands-on, a lot of clinical aspects, and its very open to where they are able to ask all their questions.
- At Sanford's ER, we get students all the time, and I've never seen or heard any negative interaction.
What do you see as the school board's role in supporting teachers?
Duffy: It's probably one of the number one priorities. We’ve come a long way with teacher pay.
- (The district recently surveyed teachers for their opinions on cell phone usage). With that survey, you're listening to their perspective, their opinions.
- There's little things like how can we support teachers in a way that allows them to support each other and collaborate, share those ideas.
- I would hope that teachers currently feel very supported by the school board, and I would just want to continue that and build on it.
Ringold: Teachers need to be supported in any ways possible that we can. They are teaching our future. This is the future of our country, and they need to be 100% supported in any way that we can support them.
- I would love to see if we can maybe revamp the pay scale. I know that a lot of it has to do with seniority, which should be taken into effect. But, also, I think test scores should be taken into effect. I think the whole picture needs to be looked at when it comes to pay increases.
- I’m not a fan of the seniority – oh because you’ve been here 10 years you get a raise. I think everything needs to be looked at, especially in the education field.
Kelly: For us to support teachers it is teachers pay, it's keeping class sizes small, and it's giving them the resources that they need in terms of the programming to meet our measurables for student achievement.
- I can't think of a better way to use taxpayer dollars that go, then, to our public school that ultimately hires an army of educators to work with our children. Those teachers are buying houses. They're getting groceries here. They're having kids and sending their kids to school. It's part of that economic development piece.
Werner: It's about being able to be a positive sounding board for teachers to be able to express any concerns, wants or desires.
- Obviously there may be constrictions as being able to approve everything, e.g. funding, logistics.
- There needs to be transparency and open communication between all of the parents and the teachers and the superintendents and just everybody that's involved.
Is there anything else you want folks to know about you ahead of the election?
Duffy: Safety as a top priority–that is not just physical safety, but it is physical safety. I have confidence in the Sioux Falls schools and their safety protocols.
- Mental wellbeing and safety is also incredibly important. That's something I would keep top-of-mind as well. Our kids, adolescents in particular, have unique needs and unique things going on in their brains that we need to think about when we’re making decisions and implementing new things.
- You want kids to feel like they can be themselves and be supported and not be bullied at school.
- (I would also mention the importance of) collaboration amongst stakeholders. The school board can't do everything itself, nor should it. I feel like I can contribute (as) someone in a position of leadership who is good at collaborating and who can have good conversations.
Ringold: I just want to say get out and vote. This is the only thing on this ballot this time around, and these local elections always have the lowest turnout anyway. With it only being the school board election on here, it’s going to make it even worse.
- Get out and vote. These are our children, our future. We need to make sure we vote for the best interests of the children. We have to get out there and vote.
Kelly: We don't take for granted that of the voters that turned out for our $180 million bond (in 2018). Eighty five percent approved that bond. That speaks to our community and their support of public education, and we don't take that for granted.
- If we want Sioux Falls to continue to be an excellent place to live, work and raise a family, public education is essential – just like clean water, roads, bridges and a quality healthcare system.
Werner: I would say the biggest thing that's going to separate me between the other candidates is that I live and instill the values of taekwondo: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indomitable spirit.
- The biggest one I discuss and talk with my students is that indomitable spirit. To me, I don't have bad days, I have bad moments.
- Sioux Falls is such a great town. I've pretty much lived here my whole life. We’ve seen growing pains as a city, but also, when you look at the diversity that has come into our city ... it's not something that should be feared or forgotten about. It's part of the way of our world and embracing and learning from each other.
