The Charles Town Middle Builders Club hosted a forum for Jefferson County Board of Education candidates virtually Tuesday evening, with Laurie Ogden, Kathy Skinner, Carmen Taylor-Bratton, Andrea Elliot and Joyce Smith all taking the time to answer the questions of the young constituents.
All candidates were invited to participate in the forum. Smith joined late, not available to answer all questions.
Maggie Slover kicked off the questions by asking if the candidates would support a gender-neutral dress code, each candidate agreeing that boys and girls should have the same rules to be fair, and Ava Brenneke followed that with a question surrounding resources available to staff and students for mental health support, as well as the possibility of a non-academic mental health counselor in the schools.
Both Ogden and Skinner, the incumbents running, noted that the board began the Social-Emotional (SOMO) Department in 2018, the members understanding the need for support for both students and staff. Ogden stressed that while the state does not fund those kind of positions, the Jefferson County board sees the value and need for the support.
Bratton said she’d like to see a survey pushed out to learn what resources are need and supported a position to provide immediate support. Elliot, whose expertise falls in mental health, added she’d like to see resources for parents, as well as mental health issues, increased during the pandemic.
Megan Caltrider inquired about offsetting money staff pays out of pocket for supplies and increasing morale as a preventative measure for future employee shortages.
Ogden and Skinner both mentioned annual stipends provided to teachers and that it was recently implemented for service personnel to also receive a stipend. Skinner also explained the recruitment and retention plan that was implemented recently, while Ogden stressed that employees need to have their voices heard.
“I do always think there’s room for improvement, so we’ll continue to work that way,” Ogden said.
Bratton emphasized her belief in giving not just employees but parents and students a seat at the table several times throughout the night, including in response to Caltrider’s questions. She also said funds could be reallocated to offset costs, Elliot echoing that thought and adding an audit should be done every year to ensure money is being used as best as possible.
Both Emma Kinder and Henry Fesperman, who served as moderator, asked about steps to prevent bullying, punishment and support for students related to bullying.
All candidates stressed the need for students to feel safe in schools and for clear policy to explain how situations should be handled, clear disciplinary actions to be taken. All four who were on at the time also urged to support both the victim and the bully, finding the cause behind the actions and how to prevent future situations, in addition to consequences for the actions.
Skinner and Elliot both mentioned conflict resolution, while Bratton noted that all parties — parents, teachers and students — need a seat at the table if a bullying policy is revised and revisited.
Brenneke asked how students can best have their voices heard and help the board understand what they believe to be the issues in schools. Each candidate, Smith having joined, urged students to reach out to the board, administration and teachers with thoughts, with Ogden and Skinner encouraging emails and public comment presentations, while Bratton and Elliot focused on regularly held roundtable experiences.
The final question focused on the use of cellphones in the classroom, Caltrider noting the non-academic use and asking about suggested intervention.
Ogden stressed the need for teaching phone etiquette, and both she and Skinner explained the policy allows for each teacher or personnel to manage their area as fit, each handling cellphones differently. Bratton and Elliot believe phones don’t need to be in the classroom, with each individual stressing the weight having a phone taken away and carrying a parent pickup of the device needed. Smith the concluded question-and-answer portion by saying the issue needs to be looked into, input needs gathered and the policy may need rewritten.
The full forum can be found on the Builders’ CTMS Builders Candidates Forum Facebook page.
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