For our 2019 Voters Guide, we emailed school board candidates a set of 18 questions on professional experience, local priorities and general issues. We have included those questions and the unedited responses. We have noted when candidates left questions unanswered. We have also provided links to candidate websites, campaign funding reports and other local media coverage when available.
Any questions or suggestions should be sent to: whitmancowatch@gmail.com
CANDIDATE BACKGROUND
Running against: Beth Ficklin
Website: www.susanbillweed.com
Social Media: Facebook
PDC campaign funding: Weed 2019
League of Women Voters survey: Vote411.org
Other recent coverage:
Moscow-Pullman Daily News: Weed, Ficklin vie for Pullman School Board post
League of Women Voters of Pullman: Candidate forum video
QUESTIONNAIRE
What is your current occupation or job title?
Office Manager
What other memberships or affiliations would you like to list for voters?
Member Pullman School Board since 2006, Pullman Civil Service Commissioner since 2003, Member Pullman Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since 1993, Member Washington State School Directors Association Resolutions Committee since 2009, Member Office of Superintendent of Instruction Citizens Advisory Panel on School Construction.
What professional effort or accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
Created the Pullman School Board Members Operating Protocol, Instrumental in design of the outside look of the new Kamiak Elementary School
What is your overall vision for the school district?
Keep aiming for 100% graduation rate, keep increasing reading, math, science achievement levels, keep providing as much support as possible for each and every student to achieve. Keep working on a positive and supportive culture within entire district. My personal goal is to try as hard as possible to create and support a Regional Skills Center.
What do you think your district does well?
High graduation rates. Great teachers willing to do what needed for their students.
How would you encourage recruitment and retention of quality teachers and staff?
Continued professional development and collaboration. Continue with School Board Teacher of Year and Staff of the Year Awards. Continue encouraging use of the “Shout Out” cards showing appreciation for all employees.
What are your highest priorities for capital or infrastructure investments?
LMS Bond election really important to create a much improved learning place for our middle school students, as well as air conditioning for those elementary schools who do not have it. Also support the enhancement levy & technology levy. I know community is tired of constant asks for money from City, Hospital, County and Schools. Excited about new Transportation Consortium which will help many Districts in our area – since many districts will be using will get a lot of funding from State.
Our biggest challenges – finding property within the City for possible future use – do need to be future looking at all times. Also funding to establish a regional skills center.
What programs or initiatives do you think need improvement or additional support? Why?
Mental health/behavior issues of our students are on the rise. However, our State Constitution provides only for “State to make ample provision for the education of all students within its borders”. Since the McCleary decision it has become more and more obvious our legislators are only minimally achieving this ruling and funding is for “education” no money for the other needs of our students. We need to get the state to find a way to help with these issues as the “job” of our schools and teachers is to EDUCATE, not solve their mental health or other issues.
Many regional school districts have had to make significant budget cuts in recent years. If you had to make similar cuts, where would you encourage administrators to start and why?
Such a difficult question – by District Policy we do have 2 months of money in reserves to assure all our staff will be paid if issues arise. We have a conservative, forward thinking Finance Director who is a great steward of our Districts money. If budget cuts are needed that would be on the State – and we would need to try to put public pressure on our legislators to provide what is needed as well as required by our state Constitution as well McCleary decision.
Do you feel the school board is responsive to staff and community concerns? What, if anything, would you change?
Our responsiveness has greatly increased within the past 2 years – and was definitely needed. I believe every Board member is more than willing to listen to any stakeholder over their concerns, comments, suggestions. Our schools are supported by the community tax payers, we are elected to represent them and therefore must listen to all their concerns. We do listen, but sadly change within a publicly funded institution takes a very long time and is not easy.
How would your rank your expectations for the school district’s transparency on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating a discrete approach and 5 indicating a proactively open approach?
Five
Do you think the state should remove the cap for local school levies? How would you personally balance the district’s funding demands against the community tax burden?
Our community is amazingly supportive of our school levies. I have worked on every School District Levy committee since 1982 and am constantly impressed with the support our schools receive. I believe in equity in funding so even though I feel our community would support most any levy there are so many struggling districts especially on our side of the Cascades that cannot pass any levy that they do need more state support. Our current enhancement levies do provide extras to enhance our students education and of course we will always want to do as much as we can for every student which more funding would allow but I believe we have asked for enough!
What is your position on charter schools?
Fabulous for big cities but in small communities are a drain on our schools. Our state pays Charter Schools the same funding per student as public schools but are certainly not held as accountable as our public schools. They do not have to follow the innumerable state mandates and strings that come with every dollar we are funded – yet we have to support many services for Charter Schools – extracurricular activities and sports.
Would you support making union negotiations open to the public? Why or why not?
The Pullman School District is the first in the state to be fully transparent – all our negotiation meeting are open to the public, all offers and discussions from both sides are posted on our website. One of the best effects of our transparency is negotiation meetings are much more civil – and those of our staff that are being representative can see exactly what is being said and what is being negotiated. I view it as a win/win.
What steps do you think should be taken to improve student safety? What is your position on active shooter drills and other similar exercises?
Sadly these things have become reality – wish I know the answer – some parents feel the precautions we currently take are scaring our students, others feel we are not preparing our students enough. I do not know the answer but feel that awareness of these potential situations is necessary
How do you think public education has changed most since you were a student?
Wow – given my age (73) a whole lot of changes have been made not all for the good.
If you could wave a magic wand and instantly change one thing about your district, what would it be and why?
I truly believe I am just one of 5 on the School Board and any want waved would have to be done by all 5 of us. We are a Board of 5 very different people, each with our dreams and ideas of what is best for our students. Think my want would be waived to hugely increase pay for our teachers while increasing their work hours so we could extend school year to more than 180 days thus increase all we can do for our students.