Editor’s notice: This text has been up to date to incorporate feedback from candidate Violet Olszyk.
With the 2023 particular election coming Could 16, 5 candidates are competing for 2 open positions on the Springfield Public Faculties board of administrators.
These elected will be a part of the five-member board. No incumbents are working for reelection.
Springfield is the second largest district in Lane County, with about 9,500 college students enrolled.
All three positions are at-large, that means residents within the Springfield district can vote for each positions. The district covers the city of Springfield.
Director Place 1:
Candidates: Self-employed Geena Davis, retired engineer Ken Kohl and caregiver Violet Olszyk.
Extra about Ken Kohl
Kohl, 63, moved to Springfield in 1995. He earned his bachelor’s diploma from Oregon State College and has since spent greater than 30 years working as an engineer. In 2020, he retired from his place on the Oregon Division of Transportation, the place he labored for 17 years.
Though Kohl would not have any youngsters at Springfield at present, all three of his youngsters graduated from the district. He has been an lively volunteer and has served on the finances committee since 2006.
Kohl stated he’s working for the board out of an obligation to offer again to the neighborhood.
“I care about making finances priorities which might be accountable, and assist scholar success,” Kohl stated. “I wish to be certain that all youngsters within the district are supplied with the most effective schooling potential and do what I can to assist them turn into worthwhile members of society.”
If elected, Kohl wish to enhance neighborhood engagement in addition to engagement with college students and employees. He’d additionally like to hunt methods to spice up commencement charges and literacy proficiency. He additionally helps the continued growth of profession technical schooling programs within the district.
Kohl stated his in depth expertise working with groups and the general public have ready him for a place on the board.
“My power is analyzing and fixing issues,” Kohl stated. “As a extremely engaged volunteer within the district for over twenty years, I’ve expertise partaking with academics and college students and listening to their suggestions, concepts and considerations. My dedication is to all youngsters within the district.”
Extra about Geena Davis
Davis didn’t reply to The Register-Guard’s inquiries. On Davis’ marketing campaign submitting, she listed herself as self-employed. She beforehand labored as a supervisor at a 7-Eleven comfort retailer.
Her submitting states she attended Lane Neighborhood Faculty the place she earned her GED.
Extra about Violet Olszyk
Olszyk, 31, grew up in California and moved to Springfield in 2017. She is a caregiver at Gateway Gardens, an assisted dwelling and reminiscence care heart in Eugene.
She earned her bachelor’s diploma at California State College, Lengthy Seashore.
In response to her marketing campaign web site, Olszyk has 5 youngsters, two of whom attend Springfield Public Faculties with a 3rd starting faculty within the fall. She has volunteered together with her youngsters’s Boy Scout pack and is a parent-teacher affiliation member at Maple Elementary.
“I’m working for college board to enhance transparency, security and schooling requirements,” Olszyk stated. “As a dad or mum, I believe our district wants extra dad or mum views on the board to refocus our priorities on educational high quality.”
Her priorities embody high quality schooling and core topic proficiency, transparency, supporting employees and faculty security.
Though Olsyzk has been happy by in-school security and self-discipline, she stated not all dad and mom really feel the identical, so she’d just like the district to maintain engaged on these elements so households “can relaxation simple figuring out their youngsters will come house safely after faculty.”
She stated she desires to make sure the district finances displays the wants and values of the households the district serves.
“I’m married to a trainer, so I’ve a perspective of schooling as a dad or mum and an educator,” Olszyk stated. “Each are invaluable within the position of college board director.”
A further candidate
Heather Quaas-Annsa may even seem on the poll. Nonetheless, she has discontinued her marketing campaign and is endorsing Kohl for the place.
“I imagine he’ll make a superb faculty board member,” she said in an electronic mail.
Director Place 4:
Candidates: Nonprofit employee Nicole De Graff and carpenter Anthony Reed.
Extra about Nicole De Graff
De Graff, 49, is initially from Phoenix however grew up in Cottage Grove. She moved to Springfield in 2013. She attended the College of Oregon, however didn’t full a level. She was previously an actual property agent and now works for Oregon Mothers Union, a nonprofit that advocates for parental rights in faculties and a student-first schooling system.
De Graff’s youngsters beforehand attended Springfield faculties, however she has since enrolled them in a close-by public constitution. De Graff was elected a precinct committee individual for the Oregon Republican Occasion. She additionally beforehand served on the Willamette Management Academy Board of Administrators.
She beforehand rantwice for the Oregon Home of Representatives, however misplaced within the major elections for district 11 in 2020 and district 12 in 2022.
De Graff additionally utilized to fill the vacant seat on the Springfield board in 2019. She was certainly one of six candidates, however Lisa Barrager was chosen to fill the slot.
“I’m ‘simply’ a mother who desires to serve others,” she stated. “I do know there’s loads to study as regards to coverage, budgeting and overseeing the superintendent and youngsters, however I’m totally dedicated to doing my finest to take heed to the neighborhood and their wants. I’ll carry a much-needed perspective as a political outsider and dad or mum in addition to a former faculty board member (not SPS) to this place.”
De Graff desires to prioritize transparency and constructing neighborhood belief if elected.
She’d wish to see faculties “refocus on the fundamentals” by serving to college students turn into proficient in studying and writing.
“I do not imagine our district is failing, nevertheless it may very well be higher,” De Graff stated. “SPS has many nice packages and I’m excited to be part of serving to them develop. I actually need us to recollect why we ship our youngsters to highschool.”
Extra about Anthony Reed
Reed, 37, grew up in Oakridge. He moved to Springfield in 2005. He accomplished a four-year apprenticeship by Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute at Mt. Hood Neighborhood Faculty and is now a journeyman carpenter.
Reed has two sons in highschool at Springfield.
“I’m working for Springfield Faculty Board as a result of I care,” Reed stated. “I hear too many individuals saying our faculties are failing our youngsters and I’m not keen to just accept that. I wish to see Springfield Faculty District turn into a shining instance of what’s potential when, as an alternative of writing our faculties off, we band collectively to ensure the faculties are supported, protected and efficient.”
Reed stated scholar security is his primary concern. He stated faculties must be a protected place the place college students really feel welcome, and there must be an emphasis on constructing that setting with a concentrate on psychological well being.
He additionally stated he values public remark at board conferences, which give the board perception into making the most effective selections for the district.
“I’m a working-class man,” Reed stated. “My accomplice is an educator and my youngsters attend Springfield faculties. I do know what it’s wish to work a full-time job after which rush house to make it to your youngsters’ sporting occasion regardless that you are lifeless drained. I really feel like I characterize the vast majority of people in Springfield and we must always have a voice on the board.”
Miranda Cyr reviews on schooling for The Register-Guard. You possibly can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or discover her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.