Tommy Buzan

Why are you running for the BOE?

I am running because I believe that the education of our children is the number one priority of our community. I believe that our teachers, coaches, administrators and support staff can have a positive impact on the lives of our children. Our role as Board Members should be to foster this relationship and always remember to keep the children as our focus. I moved here 5 years ago because after careful consideration, my family and I believed this was the ideal community and school system for us. I believed it then and I believe it now that J’ City School System is on the best in the state. I want to be a part of working with this community to continue to move our system forward. I feel with my background as a parent, educator, and businessman I can bring a new and fresh approach to the Board.

What are your skills/qualifications that make you a viable candidate?

I believe that my experience as a parent, teacher, coach, and business person give me a unique perspective of the challenges that are faced each day by our faculty and staff. I believe it will help me that I have a business background dealing with large capital and operational budgets, as well as the fact that I have been in the people business for over 25 years working towards developing common solutions and shared vision towards a common goal. But I would say that most of all I realize that this is not about me but about how I can be a productive part of a team. My goal will be simple: As a board what can we do to insure that our system continues to excel and provides the greatest opportunity for success for every one of our children.

What issues should the board look at immediately?

The most pressing issue and primary responsibility of the board is to select the next superintendant. We also obviously need to look at the financial challenges of our system and insure that we are frugal and diligent in prioritizing our expenses. We also have the responsibility of developing strategic plan that involves the community. We have to have clear measurable goals that are communicated to all of the stakeholders and focus our system.

What ideas or policies would you like to see incorporated into the school System?

Student Mentoring. We have such a talented community in Jacksonville. I would like to discuss a way that we can introduce the varied experience and skills of our citizens into the classroom. I have had the opportunity to be a part of a program that brought community leaders into 6th grade classes with the objective of helping these children develop goals, inspire hope, talk about overcoming challenges, and really just motivate them to reach their full potential. In my experience this was a great win/win for everyone.

Volunteer. PTO is alive and well at JHS and KSES. This is a great way to help our teachers, staff, and students.

Policies. Look at policies on a regular basis and add, update or delete when necessary. Make sure we are communicating our policies and procedures to our parents, staff, and faculty and insure that all stakeholders have a voice in the process.

What are your thoughts on the current financial situation the school system and what can the board do to help the system through proration?

Obviously proration has hurt our funding. I do have to say that I admire and appreciate the sacrifices our teachers and staff have made. The fact that our system continues to succeed at such a high level despite the financial hardship speaks to the comitment and dedication of our staff.

One of the small things that we have done as a board is to donate our stipend back to the schools. When you have teachers and parents bringing supplies from home we felt as a board that it was important for us not to take money from the system. I have to give the credit to our board of Lori Tippets, Phillip Pearson, Kelly Pearce and Caroline Ross for this action.

We need to work with our local and state leaders to insure that we are working together to uncover all available revenue for our schools.



What are you looking for in a new superintendent?

It is so important that we find someone that has the right vision for our system and children. He or she must be accessible, a good listener and most of all a team builder. I believe we need a leader that will engage and involve our community, has a history of success and has excellent communication skills. This is a few of the characteristics I will be looking for in our new superintendant.

What would you like voters to know about you?

That I am accessible and want to hear their concerns and ideas. That I believe that we all have a vested interest in the success of our schools and that if I’m elected I will do my very best to for the children of our community.

As a school board member I work for you – students, teachers, staff, and community. I will listen, treat everyone with respect, and will do my homework.

Eric Dryden

If elected

It is my intention, if elected, to support the administration of the school system in the revival of the high standards of educational practices that Jacksonville City Schools has been known for in years past. I would represent the community as their voice in the decisions that affect all of the students in the system. I will thoughtfully assist creating and putting into place policies and procedures that work toward the district’s overall objectives to include fair and equitable stewardship of funds.



Qualifications that make me a viable candidate?

My history of leadership in organizing fund raising projects for the school system and community.

JHS Band Booster President - Raising approximately $40,000.00 yearly in funding for the music program at JHS.

Past fund-raiser- PTO Kitty Stone Elementary-I solicited over $2,600 in local donations specifically for the renovation of the playground at KSES.

Organizer and fund-raiser of community outreach programs: House of Refuge board member. Where I provided recreational activities for under-privileged youth in our community and participated in the distribution of groceries for local needy families.

Training Leader for Celebrate Recovery in Jacksonville. (2yrs) Habitat for Humanity-laborer Housing Corporation President, Sigma Nu Fraternity, JSU-Leading fund-raising campaigns for a $400,000 housing project. As a long time resident of Jacksonville, and having a child who just graduated from the system (K-12), and one in high school, I know the strengths and weaknesses of the school system from the parents’ perspective. Being proactive in the community I am willing to work with the board and administration in being the best school system possible.

Issues that should be considered by the board immediately would be.

Seeking out and interviewing viable candidates for the position of Superintendent and hiring the most qualified individual for the post.

Reviewing the budget and assessing immediate needs in funding.

Promoting effective communication between the school board, the community and the City Council.

Review and repairs of structural concerns regarding both school facilities.

Reviewing all areas of spending to see if there are aspects of the current budget which can either be done more efficiently or that might need to be done away with.

Ideas or policies incorporated into the school system would be.

Stronger policy in place concerning drugs, alcohol, and school violence and bullying through no tolerance, no exceptions.

Policy regarding promiscuous activities on school grounds.

Stronger enforcement of dress codes.

Better communication between the Board and the community.

Greater visibility of the board at school functions (beyond athletic events)-providing sounding board opportunities for the students, parents and faculty.

Actively pursuing grant money, partnerships and donations in addition to the current revenue budget.

Provision of equitable distribution of funding to the various organizations in the school systems.

A review of the contracted services to see if we are getting the best that our dollar can buy.

A greater interaction between the needs of the schools and the volunteer spirit of the community in areas of work days for the landscaping, painting of the interiors of the building and general clean up which requires non-technical skill to accomplish.

Proration question/what I would do to assist.

The current proration of our school system is a reality we must live with and as such we must spend only within our means. I believe we must carefully budget and allocate funding to those areas of greatest need first with curriculum tools such as textbooks, up to date technology, and large scale supplies (such as functional copiers) for teachers in the forefront.

We must carefully assess areas of funding that are wasteful and make corrections as quickly as possible. We must pursue partnerships with area corporations who will live up to being our partners as sources of potential funding as well as actively seek donations and grants. The Board is tasked to lend support and counsel to the Superintendent, principals and faculty.

In a time of proration, the Board must adhere to a more tightly regulated budget and work within its finances.

What am I looking for in a superintendent?

For the next Superintendent of Jacksonville City Schools, I am looking for an individual who has the educational credentials, experience in the classroom and heart of a servant to the constituency of the community. I would like someone who is experienced in supervising both the elementary and high school and who has an understanding of the needs of both. I want a man or woman of integrity and who has a desire to see all of the students of the system be successful and who will enforce all measures of discipline to ensure that the school system is a safe and productive learning environment.

What would you like voters to know about you?

I’m a 36 year resident of Jacksonville, attended Jacksonville High School and received degrees from JSU in Political Science and an M.S. in Criminal Justice. I am an 18.5 year veteran federal law enforcement officer with the United States Department of Justice. Prior to that, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, and Food Stamp Fraud Investigator for the State of Alabama. I have served on numerous committees, including the Governor’s Task Force on High Rick Youth (1996-98), reviewing approximately $6,000,000 in state wide grant requests for program funding. I am the Band Boosters ‘ President at JHS and coaching a 7-under soccer team. I am married to Donja Dryden, 5th grade teacher at Pleasant Valley Elementary who also owns her own photography business. We have three children, Torsten, 18; Breihan, 15 at JHS and Anslin Rose, 6 . Community minded, honest and servant oriented, I will be every child’s advocate in our school system.

Charles E. Notar

Why are you running for the BOE?

The BOE is the key to local control of education. It sets the policies and procedures the superintendent, principals, and teachers implement. Jacksonville has one of the top academic standings in the area. Through my job and life experiences I believe fiscal responsibility, making decisions, and working as a team are key to a successful personal life and that of a BOE member.

What are your skills/qualifications that make you a viable candidate?

I hold Alabama teacher certificates for social science and history. I have a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. I have teaching experience at the middle and high school level as well as community college and university levels. I have served in several volunteer organizations that require fiscal responsibility, making decisions, and team work. Some of these organizations are the Jacksonville Fire Department, RSVP, the Red Cross, the city owned Jacksonville Hospital Board, and serving as a church elder. I also have 16 years of service as a Jacksonville City councilman. I came to Jacksonville in 1981 and have been amazed at the planned growth of the city and the progressive record of our school system. My two daughters graduated from Jacksonville High School and have gone on to college and successful careers that could not have been possible if they did not have a sound educational foundation.

What issues should the board look at immediately?

Hiring a superintendent; budgeting for the next three years; and finding ways to fund what our teachers and students need in order to have a productive life in our constantly changing and limited financial world. I think the present Board has done an outstanding job of providing more with less. I am willing to accept that task.



What ideas or policies would you like to see incorporated into the school system?

More teacher input on their in-service by school and even grade level. The system should apply for more research grants in math, science, and social studies. Some of these grants come with technology and teacher best practices training. There is a wealth of experience in our city and surrounding areas that can be tapped to provide “life experiences” in jobs and living that can be used as a resource in the school system.

What are your thoughts on the current financial situation the school system is in and what can the board do to help the system though proration?

The school system is keeping its head above water. That can be attributed to the hard work of the present board, superintendent, teachers, city, and parents. I would look to the outside contracts that the school system has for possible adjustments, and also look for ways to add assistance for the professional staff that does not require additional funding. I think three- to five year projections of where the school system should be in that time need to be created so that itemized payments of the present limited funding can be spread over a period of time (e.g. new technology and upgrades, maintenance, new curriculum, textbooks, etc.)

What are you looking for in a new superintendent?

The ability to listen, plan, organize, and lead. Transparency of what is taking place in the school system is also important. The superintendent should do these things so that the staff, teachers, students, and citizens have a “buy in” for decisions, not position related “top down” decisions. I fully understand a chain of command and that once a decision is made everyone makes it successful. However, in my experience when people have had the opportunity to provide input, they respond better to a decision they know all facets that went into that decision have been explored.

What would you like voters to know about you?

I love Jacksonville and will do my best to represent the school system and citizens of Jacksonville.

Mike Poe

Why are you running for the BOE?

Like most schools across the state, our school system is facing reduced funding at all levels. We will hire a new superintendent and will have transition on the school board with several new members. My decision to seek this position is a result of much thought and prayer over the past year. With 20 years of experience in the banking and financial management field and more than 15 years of experience on other boards, it is my expectation to have a positive impact as a Jacksonville School Board member. I am asking for the opportunity to put my experience to work and serve our community.

What are your skills/qualifications that make you a viable candidate?

• B.S. Degree in Corporate Finance and Investment Management

• First-hand experience in managing personnel and budgets

• 20 years experience in banking and financial management

• More than 15 years experience serving on other boards, including serving as Treasurer of the United Way of East Central Alabama Board, serving on the Finance Committee of the Regional Medical Center Board, and serving on the Executive Board of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce as Marketing Vice Chair

What issues should the board look at immediately?

• Work with the search firm secured by the Board to hire a highly qualified and experienced superintendent to manage our school system.

• Work with the superintendent, other board members, and the finance staff to balance the budget in such a way that we are not depleting reserves or compromising academic standards.

• Improve discipline in our school system. For example, consistently enforce the existing dress code and form a committee of students, faculty, parents, and administration to review the existing dress code for possible improvement.

What ideas or policies would you like to see incorporated into the school system?

• Have an annual “state of the school system” meeting open to the community to review status of the system and receive ideas, comments, and questions from the community. Also have several other less formal community forum meetings during the year for community input.

• Create useful surveys to distribute periodically to parents and students for feedback and ideas. Make comment cards available to parents.

• Enforce the existing dress code to create a better learning environment. Also create a committee of students, teachers, and parents to review the existing dress code for possible improvement. Empower teachers and administrators to enforce it consistently. The student dress code should be easily accessible from the school’s web site in printable form.

• As a Board member, attend City Council meetings as often as possible and establish an open communication channel with the Council regarding the ongoing status of the School System.

What are your thoughts on the current financial situation the school system is in and what can the board do to help the system through proration?

I look forward to working with the finance staff to analyze the system’s income statement and balance sheet. With the State’s requirement to maintain one month of operating expenses in reserve, the board will be charged with operating more efficiently and building reserves back to minimum levels without compromising academic standards. In order to gain ideas, I would encourage the superintendent and finance staff to contact successful systems across the state that have found ways to operate more efficiently. I would work with our local delegation in Montgomery to secure all possible funding and seek all viable private and public grants from foundations. The Jacksonville City Schools Foundation, with help from the Calhoun County Community Foundation, could raise funds to support programs at our schools in the long term. Other schools are expanding their foundations and we should empower our Foundation Board to do the same.

What are you looking for in a new superintendent?

Because we have excellent schools, a great small-town quality of life, safe neighborhoods, and great people, we should be able to attract a highly qualified and experienced superintendent with the help of the search firm hired by the Board. In my opinion, the next superintendent should possess the following qualities:

• have discipline as a top priority—discipline related to student conduct as well as discipline in the area of academic excellence;

• have experience in school administration and a doctorate is preferred;

• have excellent character, high moral standards, and a passion for his/her work;

• treat students, parents, and teachers with respect and expect respect in return;

• have an open door policy, be able to accept constructive criticism, and treat everyone fairly; and

• enforce the rules consistently.

What would you like voters to know about you?

While I did not grow up in Jacksonville, my family has become very involved in the community. My wife, Mindy, brought the Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) strategic planning program to Jacksonville. My children both attend Jacksonville schools, with one at JHS and one at Kitty Stone. We are active members of Jacksonville First Baptist church, where I have served on the Stewardship Committee. I am not a politician and have never run for public office. I believe the most effective leaders are those who serve selflessly. I believe that one learns more from listening than from speaking. I am for following policies and procedures consistently and not playing favorites. I do not claim to always have answers, but I am a hard worker, seek the wisdom and experience of others, have a passion for public education, and believe in Jacksonville. I ask for your vote on August 24.

Stephen Kelley Smith

Why are you running for the BOE?

I am running for Board of Education to serve the Jacksonville community by striving to fulfill the Mission Statement of our schools, namely academic achievement and social development.  We are the best and I want Jacksonville City Schools to remain the best!  To achieve this requires continuous attention.  We must be attentive to our students’ educational needs to be competitive locally and globally.

As I have stated before, no board member has a child at Kitty Stone Elementary.  A parent representative on the board will do much to address the needs of our children at the elementary school.  To have continuous quality improvement, we must have open lines of communication with people in the community.  I would welcome input from those in the community that I would be representing because it is their child’s education and future at stake.

 

 What are your skills/qualifications that make you a viable candidate?

I am a problem solver and a hard worker and, most importantly, I have a vested interest in the continued excellence of our school system.  I will fairly and ethically carry out the duties as an elected board member. Americans have a healthy sense of fairness, and everyone performs better when things are done fairly.  Not doing so hurts morale and detracts from mission effectiveness.

My experience as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy with experience as the Engineering Training Officer, in addition to my 25 years of clinical and managerial experience as a RN will serve me well in the role of public servant as a school board member. The USS John F. Kennedy was a small floating city with a population of 5000. We had everything including an airport, hospital, restaurants, a TV station, power company, police force and government.  As a Naval Officer and member of the wardroom, it was my job to work with all of these people and solve problems to get the job done.  Of course, we also traveled around the world and cooperated with other cultures and countries.

In addition to my Military Service, I have served the community of Jacksonville in many ways over the years.  I have volunteered for Jacksonville PARD as a soccer Coach, and I have worked with the scouts in Troop 19.  I have been involved with work done on the Train Depot as well as many other church and school projects.  I am also a member of the Kiwanis Club that sponsors our Key Club at Jacksonville High School.  Recently, I worked on landscaping at Kitty Stone with about 50 others in my church family from Jacksonville First Baptist Church.  I have experience working with others on Mission trips to Honduras and our Gulf Coast.  I enjoyed and learned a lot talking to the public about the issues that face our schools during my 2008 campaign.

 

What issues should the board look at immediately?

The issue that must be addressed immediately is our budget.  We cannot continue to spend 25,000 dollars more per month than we receive.  Our reserve funds are almost exhausted and we cannot depend on city, state or federal funding to get any better any time soon. We must find savings in our budget soon so we do not impact our Educators or our students adversely.  This will take ingenuity and hard work.  Not doing this could risk losing local control to Montgomery secondary to state takeover.  Other school systems have gone bankrupt, and we must do what it takes to avoid this.  There are ways to save money that will not impact personnel or our classrooms, and I am committed to finding such savings and making the appropriate changes.  I demonstrated my willingness to save money in 2008 when I announced that, if elected, my school board salary would go back to the school for use in the classroom.  This spring, the Board announced they would now do this. We must find savings in the budget to SAVE JOBS and KEEP LOCAL CONTROL of our schools.

 

What ideas or policies would you like to see incorporated into the school system?

I would like to pursue board policies that create more openness with the public that the Board serves.  Contact information for each board member should be easier to find, and the public should be able to ask questions at Board meetings.  Current policy requires 2 weeks notice to be placed on the agenda of a meeting, and then your speaking time is limited to 3 minutes.  The taxpayers of the City of Jacksonville are funding these meetings, and they should be allowed to voice concerns and ask questions during the meetings.

I would also like to see some sort of non-voting student representation on the board, perhaps one or two from the high school and a couple from the 6th grade at Kitty Stone. The student body would elect these student board members and it would be a valuable civics lesson for the schools.  Non-voting student representatives at the meetings would increase parent participation as well.

What are your thoughts on the current financial situation the school system is in and what can the board do to help the system though proration?

The current financial situation has to be addressed immediately.  The period of procrastination has passed; we are now entering a time of consequence.  As stated above, the Board must find savings and eliminate waste to SAVE JOBS and avoid being taken over by the state.  All other issues will not matter if we do not elect leadership to solve the budget situation.  

 

What are you looking for in a new superintendent?

Our new superintendent must demonstrate the leadership abilities necessary to get us through this period of proration and the qualities required to continue the Jacksonville City Schools long tradition of academic excellence.  I would prefer to select someone with superintendent experience that has successfully dealt with a budget crisis similar to the one we are faced with now.  I want someone who is fair and ethical and willing to consider and discuss all sides before making final decisions on the issues. I want a person that is willing to try new things, but has the wisdom to keep the things that are important to our community and to our students. Traditional practices that have been shown to be valuable to our students should not be taken from them without public discussion.

 

What would you like voters to know about you?

Voters have known since 2008 that I am in this for the long haul.  I am not doing this for my own self-interest or self-promotion.  Approximately 700 Jacksonville residents voted for me in 2008, and I want to assure the voters that I am committed to this school system and community.  I am not going anywhere.  My family and I are well established in the Jacksonville community.  Solving problems and making sure we stay the best school system are my concerns. I believe new leadership must be elected to face the challenges ahead.

As in 2008, I chose not to accept contributions for the campaign. There will be no question about the votes I cast as a board member.  Upholding the public trust and doing right by my constituents is first and foremost in my heart.

I communicate regularly with city government and representatives of our State Board of Education.  I have children at Kitty Stone Elementary and Jacksonville High School and that gives me insight that only a parent with children in the system can have. The only way to assure parent representation on the board for the entire term in Place #1 is by electing Steve Smith.

Fiscal viability, Ethics in Office, Courage to Care.  It is not just a campaign slogan. I have demonstrated these qualities to Jacksonville as a husband, father, involved citizen and church member.  I would be honored to represent the people of Jacksonville in Place 1 on the Board of Education.