On the Ballot: Board of Education candidates

​April Claphan
 
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
My motivation to serve on the Grain Valley School Board is to advocate for the best education for our students. Our school is the biggest asset to our community . I want to be part of the partnership between the school and the residents of  Grain Valley. What is best for our students will always be at the forefront of that motivation to serve. 
 
What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I have been part of the Grain Valley school district since 2003. Both of my kids went through the district. Having the parent lens has prepared me with the knowledge of the curriculum and policies and procedures that Grain Valley has established.  I currently work in the human resources department for a school district. This role has prepared me in seeing how school districts  systems can work and how valuable attaining great staff is for our student success.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
One of the challenges for Public schools is that our students have changed  and the world they are part of has greatly changed,  there are demands on educators to keep educating the same way as years past. We need to make sure we preparing our students with the tools they need to be successful in their futures no matter  what path they choose, may  it be college or a trade skill. 
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I truly care about Grain Valley. Our schools are the heart of our city and I want to work to keep Grain Valley on the cutting edge of education, our kids deserve the best. My experience provides me with a different lens that will be an asset to the decision making. People matter and I know I can ensure a solid partnership between the superintendent and residents of GV.
"Vote for April in April"
 


Julie Groff
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
I believe every child matters and their education should be the most important issue. Plus, there are a lot of outside influences trying to make their way into our schools.  I am running to prevent these influences from making their way into our schools.  I want to see education be the focus not politics.

What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I have a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Math.  I have taught special education and worked with adults who have developmental disabilities.  I have been the manager of a group home and I work with low income seniors.  Advocating for people is an everyday part of my job.  I was a stay at home mother when my children were young.  I also have 18 years of experience on the Board of Education.  
 
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I have volunteered in the schools for almost 20 years.  I started volunteering in the classroom and once my children were in high school, I volunteered as a Lunch Buddy.  I have been on the local PTA board, a Girl Scout leader, and a Pop Warner cheer coach.  I have also been a preschool teacher in my church.  
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
Here in Grain Valley, we are still able to attract good teachers.  In the high school, keeping the 8 block schedule helps.  We have had teachers leave for other districts and they come back because of the quality schools that we have.  We do need to keep our salaries competitive to continue to attract teachers.  Keeping class sizes small and having a supportive atmosphere from the board, administrators and parents is another way to keep attracting teachers.  We need to continue to strive for excellence and provide the support, tools, and training needed to achieve this.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
Staffing is an issue facing many businesses and the school district is also feeling that.  We need good staff at all levels.  From a bus driver who can be the first smile a child sees, to the mechanics who keep the buses running, every employee is important.  We need the staff to be able to operate the district, and we need to be able to pay the staff adequately for the work that they perform.  The lack of funding is a challenge for our district.  When legislators want to take tax dollars away from public education to support private education, it can be devastating for a community.  The Board members need to be advocates and fiscally responsible.  
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
My background in education and my leadership skills make me a good choice for the Board of Education.  I am conservative, fiscally responsible, and an advocate. I am supported by both parents and teachers.  The GV National Education Association has endorsed me.   
 
 

Michael Hackett

Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
Broadly speaking, I want to see our School District get better every year. I would like to say that I have never had an agenda to carry out on the School Board, but I believe that every member who comes to the table has an agenda of some sort. It is important to remember that your personal agenda needs to fit in at the right time, and then you should lead the charge.  For myself, I want to see issues of early support and intervention for our students expanded. If we can get kids on grade level sooner, the time and money spent there avoids higher costing interventions further along.
 
What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I have been serving our community and schools for the last 18 years in the capacity as a Board Member.  My direct experience as a longer term board member as well as being active in Public Education at the regional and state level, give me a broad and deep understanding of issues that impact our local schools.
 
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I have served as a School Board Member, member of the Band Parents Association, local Methodist Church, Missouri School Board Associations Delegate Member and Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City Vice President.  As you can see, Public Education ranks high on my list of priorities.
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
I want to increase the pay of our teachers and staff. In order to do that, the School District needs to engage our community and stakeholders in deep conversations and discussions about how our community wants to address this issue.  There are changes our State Congress will soon consider that will pull local tax money out of our district. If those dollars leave the community, they have an effect on the tight budget we have.  It will mean that we have less money to spend on opportunities for our students.
Grain Valley has been very lucky so far.  We have quality of life benefits in our School District that make us a place to be.  We have seen a much smaller exodus of teachers that has been happening across the state and nation. However, we will have openings for teachers and staff.  For teachers, we are seeking to get access to those newly graduating teachers earlier and earlier.  However, it is still difficult to find dedicated folks to work our busses and kitchens and keep the day-to-day of schools going.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
I believe that some of the biggest challenges facing Public Education today are going to revolve around budgets and funding.  As I have mentioned before, we have State Congressional action that may cause local tax money to leave the district, directly impacting funding for our local schools.  While Grain Valley starts a new teacher at $37,500 a year, our Governor rightly believes we should be offering more.  However, a $500 addition to the base pay will cost the district between $200,000 and $300,000 increase to our budget.  We have to find a way to fund that, and if there’s no more funding to cover it, it may require us to do something that we, and the community, has long indicated they didn’t want: increased class sizes.
In order to overcome these impending issues of budget and funding, I believe we have to engage our community and stakeholders, to have deep discussions about how we close these gaps and continue to be one of the best hidden gems in the area.
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I have a strong track record of supporting our students, teachers and community over the last 18 years.  I have worked to share the concerns of the community over pending legislation that will negatively impact our local schools with our State Legislators. I believe I can and will continue to serve our students and community in a way that continues to make our community stronger through Public Education, and will make us proud of Grain Valley and our School District.
 


Jeff Porter
 
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the Board of Education?
As I have been out speaking to members of the community during my door-to-door visits in the neighborhoods, this is one of the most asked questions.  My motivation to serve on the school board is purely my three children all under the age of five.  Their education and experience through the Grain Valley School District is of the utmost importance and I believe this to be true for all children in our community as they are our future.   I support a balanced education that is free from political views.  I do not have a hidden agenda or ulterior motive.
 
What experience or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
As Senior Project Manager of the company for which I work, I handle multimillion dollar contracts which has given me solid budgeting experience.  I also assist with the general operations and human resources of the company and therefore have experience managing our teams and making decisions with subjects such as health and general liability insurance.  I believe this will provide helpful oversight in these areas as well as others.  Finally, I am an Eagle Scout which proves my perseverance to complete work.  I think all of the above will give me guidance when these types of subjects are presented to the school board should I be elected.
 
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I am an active member of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Blue Springs, MO.  I have also been an election day poll worker and I am a volunteer for the monthly Senior’s Lunch at the Grain Valley Community Center.  Also, I have served as a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America.
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
Since last November, I have been regularly attending the school board meetings and I have been able to glean an overview of the budget.  However, attending meetings does not make us each privy to the itemized budget.  Should I be elected to the school board, I would suggest the school board closely analyze the district’s budget line-by-line to identify how money is being spent.  From there, a plan could be developed on how the district could find ways to improve teacher salaries and make them more competitive with the surrounding districts.   In order to address retention of employees, I must first understand the rate of turnover, in which departments is the turnover occurring and then determine why it is occurring.  As a member of the school board, I would request to review employee engagement surveys if they have been completed.  If not, I believe this is one way in which to begin the process for retaining employees.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
From my observations over the past two years, it appears that the COVID pandemic has brought to light that the parent-teacher relationship is not what it used to be.  I recognize that teachers have an extremely difficult and important job.  Daily, we entrust our children to our teachers for at least eight hours a day. The education and safety of our children is fundamental to the continued growth and development of our communities.  I want to support teachers and work with them to develop curriculum but I do believe parents need to be involved at the same time.  I think I can listen to both sides, parents and teachers, and assist with issues and rifts that have surfaced.  An example of this is from a parent I spoke with recently who had been trying to help her child with a learning disability.  She had scheduled time off from work during his breaks and thought this would be a good opportunity to spend some time helping him with school studies.  She asked his teacher and principal on two different occasions if his laptop could be sent home so they could work together over Christmas and Spring breaks.  It was not allowed either time and a reason was not provided to the parent as to why her child could not take the laptop home over break.  This was a very disheartening story to hear.  As a school board member, should I be elected, I want to provide an open door for parents to escalate their problems and concerns to the school board but will need to begin by understanding the process of how these items are brought to the attention of the board members. I believe the school board has a responsibility to help foster this parent-teacher relationship.
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I think I should be elected to the Board of Education because I can provide a fresh perspective with a different outlook and new ideas.  I am motivated to be involved with my three young children about to enter into the school district.  Also, I have experience managing businesses and people and I am willing to break down barriers between teachers/administrators and parents.  Parents know their children best and if they are taking an interest in their child’s education, they should be allowed to provide input.  While not all input can be implemented, teachers at the same time need to allow the parent’s voice to be heard.  I want to put our student’s needs first, keep political views out of the classroom and provide a balanced education for all students.
 
 
​
Jason Williams
 
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the Board of Education?
There is no one special issue motivating me to seek election to the school board.  I am strongly motivated by my love for this community and the desire to serve the teachers, staff, and students of our district.  My goal is to help teachers and students fulfill theirs.
 
What experience or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I feel that my experience and educational background are highly beneficial to a potential role on the GV School Board.  I have a degree in Administration of Christian Education. I was an educator for 8 years between 2000-'08, and have many family members past and present involved in the education system. I have sat on various community and sports boards, giving me experience dealing with budgets and helping to solve problems. I am currently the Lead Pastor of Valley Community Church in Grain Valley and Administrator of Valley Child Care.  I am also a parent of current students in the Grain Valley District, and a parent of a Grain Valley alumnus.
As the Lead Pastor of Valley Community Church, I have been heavily involved in events related to both the community and the school district. Whether those are events that our church is hosting, or events that the community or schools are having that we get to be a part of, we jump in and get involved in in any way that we can because we believe in the importance and value of community. 
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
The recruitment and retention of teachers is and will continue to be an ongoing challenge in the coming years.  There are several points of consideration that the board will need to look at to help meet this challenge: 

• Possibly raising the base salary for teachers and staff to be more competitive with larger districts in the area. 
• Increasing the number of years a teacher is able to receive raises. 
• Making sure benefit packages are adequate. 
• Recruiting more substitute teachers so that current teachers will be able to have their plan periods. 

I also think that finding creative ways that parents and the community can show our appreciation to our teachers and staff will be an important piece moving forward.  We have some of the best educators in the state, and I believe it is important to show them that they are appreciated!
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
The biggest ongoing challenge will be the retention and recruitment of teachers and staff.  However, I feel that there are a couple other areas that are a very close second, and will need the attention of the board and administrators.  One of those is Mental and Emotional Health for both teachers and students.  The strain on teachers over the last 2 years has been enormous.  Fewer subs means more time covering other classrooms without time to prepare.  Not only making it difficult to be as effective, but weighing on the minds and emotions of teachers and administrators alike.  Some students have struggled to catch up, dealing with new social behaviors, spending more time studying and learning virtually, and so on.  That is why making sure that we give every teacher and student the opportunity and ability to speak with a trained professional that can provide proper counseling to those who need it is so important.  We also need to be ever vigilant where safety is concerned.  Not that our schools aren’t currently safe, but to make sure that they stay that way.  New technologies and ways to keep our students and teachers safe from both physical threats as well as virtual threats is vital.  Having the proper and necessary number of staff on hand to implement and ensure proper safety protocols is also something that will need to be considered in coming years.
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
In order to meet these obvious challenges, as well as the unseen challenges we will face in the coming years, it will require strong leadership.  There is no doubt that we are moving into an unprecedented time at the tail end of a world wide pandemic.  The challenges are great but the opportunities are also great; and we need to be ready to seize those possibilities.  With my experience as a leader in many different fields, I look forward to facing these challenges for the students and teachers of our school district if elected.  The future is bright in Grain Valley and I believe it can continue to be for many years yet to come.