FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS : Six candidates in race for at-large Position 1
Posted on Sunday, September 7, 2008
With Fayetteville Public Schools grappling with such issues as a longstanding debate regarding the future of the high school, a retiring superintendent and plans to redraw attendance zones, the school board election attracted a lot of interest this year.
Fayetteville School District patrons will choose between one of six candidates in the at-large Position 1 board member race when they go to the polls Sept. 16. Early voting for the election starts Tuesday.
Whoever is elected will serve a three-year term on the board.
The position became open for election when former board member John Delap resigned in order to take a teaching job. Conrad Odom, one of the six candidates, was appointed in July to serve in the position until the election.
Other candidates are Stacy Furlow, Jim Halsell, Jeanie Hill, Joe Lee and Mike Malony.
One of the immediate issues the candidate will likely deal with is the high school, as the University of Arkansas recently withdrew an offer to buy the campus property last month. The school board had planned to sell the current campus to help subsidize new construction elsewhere, but all indications now point to the board developing a plan to restructure the current site.
Candidates were asked to respond to a survey of questions about their views on school issues. The following is a summary of their responses.
1. Tell us about your background. Why did you decided to run for school board, and what do you believe your qualifications are ?
STACY FURLOW Furlow is a pediatrician who grew up in Fayetteville, graduated from FHS and the University of Arkansas and has lived in Fayetteville continuously since 2000. She said she decided to run in part because she has seen first hand the difference a strong education can make. She wants to see Fayetteville become one of the best school districts in the nation and says she is well versed on issues facing the district.
JIM HALSELL Halsell works as a mortgage broker and says he has more than 25 years business experience in sales, marketing, employee development and management. He has been an active member with the Washington Elementary Parent Teacher Organization.
I want to be a part of the decisions that must be made to ensure that the Fayetteville Public Schools remain world class, he said.
JEANIE HILL Hill has lived in Fayetteville since 1994 and was employed with the district from 2000 to 2005. She also worked as a classroom teacher in three other districts.
I wish to use my experience and interest in education to assist the community in providing direction for the school district, she said. My experience and qualifications include being a past educator in three states, as well as an active volunteer in this community.
JOE LEE Lee is the chief executive officer of the J. B. & Associates marketing firm. He said he and his wife have tried to be active volunteers and school parents during the last eight years. Lee indicated one of the reasons he decided to run was his frustration regarding the high school situation and problems with selling the school to subsidize new construction.
The Fayetteville board is in need of serious leadership to get this done, he said.
MIKE MALONY He claims 20 years working in the business world and five years of experience teaching English at high schools. He refers to his time away from the business world to teach as a sabbatical and says he is running in part because he never lost his passion for educating future experiences. He said his background in business and education should be helpful given the issues the district is facing.
CONRAD ODOM Odom grew up in Fayetteville, graduating from FHS, and operates a law practice in Fayetteville. He has past experience serving on the Fayetteville City Council and Fayetteville Planning Commission. This past experience has prepared him to understand, analyze and resolve difficult and sometimes divisive community issues. He said he is running for school board because he wants to make sure children have the best education possible.
2. Please list in detail your thoughts on the high school situation.
STACY FURLOW She said the high school has been in need of replacement for many years, and it is time to proceed. She favors the most financially feasible option, whether at the current site or a new one, and considers location secondary.
The decision must be based upon an objective evaluation of our current assets and options, she said.
JIM HALSELL With the UA having recently withdrawn an offer to buy the school, Halsell said (It ) creates a real opportunity to turn our attention to the many opportunities and advantages of building at the current location. All kinds of plans, big and small, have been circulating but have not been fully explored by the board.
JEANIE HILL It is my desire to provide the community with the most effective proposal that would require the least amount of increase in our millage rates, she said.
She said she also favors designing the school so it has a smaller school environment within the same campus setting.
JOE LEE I favor creating a forward-thinking plan that determines where Fayettevilles growth is heading and building to accommodate that growth, he said. We should pursue all potential opportunities for building the new school without having to ask the citizens for a millage increase.
Location could be determined in part with this planning. He is against adding ninth grade to the campus.
MIKE MALONY He served on the committee that developed a recommendation to move to Mornignside Drive. Malony said he would like to reconsider that option and re-open negotiations with the UA to buy the current site. He said he would also like to review the ninth grade decision.
Can we stay at the current location ? I would love to, but the community doesnt ask the board to make decisions based on emotions, he said.
CONRAD ODOM He said, with the withdrawal of the UA offer, the district must determine the most cost-effective way to develop a 21 st-century facility.
I would not support any alternative that did not include an entirely new structure whether it was on a new site or the current one, he said.
Odom said he does not favor revisiting the ninth grade decision given the previous analysis and community feedback on the issue.
3. How do you think the district should approach redrawing attendance zones ? It is an issue the board is planning to tackle in the coming months.
STACY FURLOW She said some of the principles that guide the process should include walkability to schools, keeping neighborhoods together, utilizing current space before building new elementary schools and a goal to maintain zones for at least five years.
I understand that emotions run high when talking about this issue, and I promise to be fair, objective and to make decisions that benefit the district as a whole, she said.
JIM HALSELL To the extent possible, the new attendance zones should maintain walkable neighborhood schools, he said. Decisions must be made to effectively use the classroom space currently available in the district while striving to keep students attending their nearest school.
Halsell also indicated that letting students finish at current schools might ease the transition.
JEANIE HILL I would like to see the board revisit the Enrollment Distribution Project that was completed a few years ago, she said. There is a great deal of information included in this project that was studied thoroughly, and I believe that this valuable information could be of benefit to the board at this time.
JOE LEE No rezoning needs to proceed until we have established a game plan for growth, he said. Its important to work with city planning to determine growth patter ns, which will enable the school system to let residents know far in advance what they can expect boundaries to encompass.
He also favors taking proximity into account so students can walk or ride bikes when possible.
MIKE MALONY We all agree that keeping neighborhoods together and minimizing walking distances are very important, he said. But school boards must literally draw the line somewhere, and thats why we need the best possible process to do so.
The process should include starting with an open mind, encouraging organized community input and deliberating based on principles and priorities, he said.
CONRAD ODOM Odom stated he favors rezoning options that will allow students to spend the least amount of time on the bus and develop zones that allow children to keep attending schools within walking distance.
We should not make a parent drive a student to school when it is possible for them to walk to one that is closer, he said.
4. Superintendent Bobby New is scheduled to retire in June. What are some qualities and qualifications you will look for when hiring the next superintendent ?
STACY FURLOW A superintendent should be a purposeful and goal-oriented leader who understands our district, city and status in the state, she said. He should be an exceptional communicator, be open to new ideas and not afraid to take a position on controversial issues.
JIM HALSELL Halsell said, 1. Compelling vision for the future 2. Consensusbuilding around that vision 3. Collaborative leadership style 4. Communicate effectively.
JEANIE HILL It would be advantageous for the candidate to have experience in a similar school environment, she said. I would want to ensure that the candidate has a strong business background along with strong educational and administrative experiences.
JOE LEE We should hire within the distr ict because the position requires a thorough understanding of the community, the school, administration, budgets, growth patterns and a willingness to get things done, he said. A superintendent should have the proper background education and experience.
MIKE MALONY Besides the right academic background and work history, the superintendent should be able to relate to people with various viewpoints and should have a deep understanding of the process of education, he said.
Our superintendent needs to major in the majors what does it take for kids to learn ? and the minors will fall in line, he said.
CONRAD ODOM He said he favors the criteria developed by a 2007 summer committee, which included that the superintendent have a terminal degree in education and successful prior education experience. Also, he said, the superintendent should be well rounded and focused toward high student achievement and success.
5. Are there any other issues affecting the district that you are concerned about ? What would you do to address these issues ?
STACY FURLOW The pre-kindergarten program needs to be expanded to help more disadvantaged children, she said. She would also like to implement a foreign language program at the elementary schools and increase the number of agriculture classes offered at the high school.
JIM HALSELL The discussion about opening / planning for a second high school needs to begin.
As I talk with constituents across the district, there appears to be a large number of people who do not want one large high school, he said. They believe that student achievement is better in smaller schools.
JEANIE HILL The various classroom sizes and funds provided to or received by certain schools is one of her concerns.
Equality from school to school and classroom to classroom is a challenge, she said. I would address these various issues in the redistricting process.
JOE LEE We are falling behind other area schools in infrastructure; people are moving into other areas, he said.
Lee added his other concerns include lack of planning, too much focus on the most pressing issue of the high school and lost opportunities to sell the current FHS campus.
MIKE MALONY The board should have a member with prior classroom teaching experience, he said, and he could provide this. He said he is concerned about a lack of curriculum coordinators in the district, which adversely impacts instruction. The district also needs to use technology to offer more courses.
CONRAD ODOM The capital needs of the high school have overshadowed other needs in the district, he said. He is also concerned about adding pre-kindergarten and making sure the curriculum serves students that are in the middle. It is also important that the district continue to offer competitive teacher salaries.
6. Do you have any family members who work for the school district or in education, and have you ever worked for the Fayetteville School District or other school districts ?
STACY FURLOW She has never worked in education, but her sister, Lesli Zeagler, is a guidance counselor at FHS. Her brother-inlaw is an assistant principal at the school.
JIM HALSELL He answered, No.
JEANIE HILL She was formerly employed by the school district as a media assistant from January 2000 to May 2005, first at Woodland Junior High then at McNair Middle School. She also has worked as a teacher in Springdale and in Texas and Oklahoma.
JOE LEE None of his family members are employed with the district.
MIKE MALONY His parents are retired teachers and his wife is a former teacher.
I have been an employee of both Fayetteville and Springdale schools, teaching American literature to 10 thand 11 th-graders from 2000 to 2005, he said.
CONRAD ODOM His mother, Lana Odom, taught at Root Elementary School from 1966 to 1969. His sister, Holly Wimer, works as a pre-school teacher in Fayetteville.
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