Waitsburg School Board Candidates

Lisa Morrow

Waitsburg School Board, District 4

Unopposed

Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?

I am running for re-election.

My priorities are the kids in our school and community. We have an amazing school and I want to help it stay that way.

What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend?

We are always struggling to offer more options for the students. I think that the administration is doing a great job of focusing on this and have added more electives back to the curriculum this year that we were not able to offer in the past. I believe that they are thinking outside the box and brainstorming to come up with even more in the future. I support the staff in this and always am eager to hear what plans they have next.

What do you see as the major issue(s) facing your school district? Public education?

I believe that our current issues are the politics in the media currently. I would love it if the kids could just go to school and be "Kids" again. We are slowly getting back to a new normal, and I am so glad that we are able to have students in the buildings again. It has been a rough year and a half and I just want to ensure that they are able to obtain a good education and excel.

Sarah Boudrieau

Waitsburg School Board, District 1

Unopposed

Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?

I am running for school board director for many reasons. Three reasons are simply my own children. A 2018 graduate, an 11th, and 5th grader. My priorities have been, and will always be, the students. From education to athletics, all of our kids are important. When I received a card from a student stating that they are grateful for my hard work, and to keep fighting for them, it made my purpose clear. Their small voices are often not heard, but are just as important. These kids are our future, and we need to help them succeed and navigate the uncertain world that we are currently living in. Simply put, they are counting on us.

What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend?

I understand that our small district cannot offer the same classes or electives that larger districts can; however, there are vocational programs outside of the high school that can be utilized alongside their required class schedules. Sometimes the 4-year college thing is not always the right fit, and that is OK. I believe our district already has the capability of providing more alternatives to our students, and I am looking forward to seeing our graduates reach their goals with more options available to them. As time goes on, our world is changing and we need to evolve with the youth to tailor their education so that they thrive.

What do you see as the major issue(s) facing your school district? Public education?

Right now, I feel the most significant issue facing our district is the loss of "local control". With the governor implementing a 'state of emergency' for almost 2 years, it has reduced our leadership to nothing. Only our small community knows what is best for our kids' education needs, and we should be able to have a say in those decisions. Waitsburg should not be put in the same box as a King County district. I have sent a letter to Governor Inslee, as a board member, inviting him to our community to see how our district has been impacted by his decisions. I also feel that our state's public education leadership has gone too far with the attempts to implement various programs that can take time away from learning the core educational requirements, and some of these programs may not be a good fit for our community. We live in a beautiful area with unique people and strong values, all of which need to be respected.

Ann Miller

Waitsburg School Board, District 3

Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?

I am running for the Board of Education because I have a passion for education, and seeing students succeed. I come from a family of educators, and have some personal experience in Early Childhood Education. With 3 young children enrolled in the Waitsburg School District, and working with teens in our community, I have a personal connection with what happens in our schools.

If elected, my top priority is making sure the community and the parents of our students are heard when they have concerns, and are involved in our students' education. As someone who has been regularly attending School Board meetings for the past couple of years, I have seen and heard the frustrations of many parents and community members who feel they are not being heard by some members of the Board. I wholeheartedly want to change this, and unite the parents/community and our School Board.

What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend?

I would love to see more electives offered to our middle and high school students. Growing up in a larger school district that offered a moderate amount of electives, I have seen the benefits that electives have on both the strengthening of practical skills and academics, and the hidden talents or passions that students possess. I'd really like to see what our students can gain by having more electives available to them.

What do you see as the major issue(s) facing your school district? Public education?

Currently, I see the vaccine and mask mandates and their negative effects on student enrollment as major issues that our district is facing or will be facing soon. I also see a large problem with the growing level of apathy and disrespect that many students (not just in Waitsburg) have been showing to their peers and teachers.

Stephanie Cole

Waitsburg School Board, District 3

Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?

I am running for the Board of Education because the success of Waitsburg School District is very important to me. As my eldest daughter nears Kindergarten age, I want to be directly involved in the decisions made for my children and the children in our community. If elected, my immediate priority would be fighting against potential vaccine mandates for children, unmasking our children, and examining current and future curriculum requirements. My overall and long term priority would be to strengthen relationships and improve communication among administration, staff, parents, and students. Everyone should feel heard and valued.

What issues do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and offerings? What changes would you recommend?

I need to take a closer look at the Waitsburg School District's academic program before sharing what issues I believe need to be addressed. Nevertheless, I am not partial to currently used Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum or Common Core. I recommend researching and implementing different curriculum that align with our community and culture. Furthermore, I do not agree with Critical Race Theory or the recent passing of the comprehensive age appropriate sexual health education law.

What do you see as the major issue(s) facing your school district? Public

education?

The major issue I see both Waitsburg School District and public education facing is less individualized education. We must educate in a holistic manner and meet children where they are. What is considered appropriate for one student may not be appropriate for the next student. Districts should be allowed to embrace their individual culture and treat students as individuals, not as a statistic or a standard.