Monroe County Community School Corporation
School Board Election 2022
The candidates
District 1
Tabetha L Crouch
Erin B Wyatt
Byron Turner
District 3
Ashley Pirani
Jon Hays
Daniel O'Neill
District 7
Brandon M Shurr (incumbent, unopposed)
How do I vote for the candidates?
District 1
Tabetha L Crouch
Erin B Wyatt
Byron Turner
District 3
Ashley Pirani
Jon Hays
Daniel O'Neill
District 7
Brandon M Shurr (incumbent, unopposed)
How do I vote for the candidates?
- The candidates will appear most likely on the back of the ballot. Sample ballots can soon be accessed here.
- The MCCSC school board race is nonpartisan.
- If you vote straight Democrat or Republican, you still have to vote for school board candidates.
- Although the candidates represent specific districts, they are all "at large" which means you can vote in every MCCSC district.
- Please see Monroe County's election page for more information here.
ICPE–Monroe County School Board Forum
The school board forum was on September 26, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. at Tri-North Middle School
You can watch it on CATS
The school board forum was on September 26, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. at Tri-North Middle School
You can watch it on CATS
Participating Candidates
District 1
Tabetha L Crouch
Erin B Wyatt
District 3
Ashley Pirani
Daniel O'Neill
Jon Hays
Co-Sponsors
Monroe County Education Association
League of Women Voters Bloomington–Monroe County
Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
University Alliance for Racial Justice
District 1
Tabetha L Crouch
Erin B Wyatt
District 3
Ashley Pirani
Daniel O'Neill
Jon Hays
Co-Sponsors
Monroe County Education Association
League of Women Voters Bloomington–Monroe County
Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
University Alliance for Racial Justice
Press on the school board race
Rachel Smith, "Filing Deadline Now Closed for MCCSC, R-BB School Board Elections. Here's Who's Running," Herald Times, August 23, 2022.
Rachel Smith, "Here's What MCCSC, R-BB School Board Candidates Say about Buses, Enrollment, and More," Herald Times, September 26, 2022.
Emma Uber, "Meet the Monroe County Candidates for School Board," Indiana Daily Student, September 21, 2022.
Ethan Sandweiss, "2022 Election Candidates," Indiana Public Media, October 7, 2022.
Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, "School Board Candidates: General Election: November 8th 2022."
Rachel Smith, "Filing Deadline Now Closed for MCCSC, R-BB School Board Elections. Here's Who's Running," Herald Times, August 23, 2022.
Rachel Smith, "Here's What MCCSC, R-BB School Board Candidates Say about Buses, Enrollment, and More," Herald Times, September 26, 2022.
Emma Uber, "Meet the Monroe County Candidates for School Board," Indiana Daily Student, September 21, 2022.
Ethan Sandweiss, "2022 Election Candidates," Indiana Public Media, October 7, 2022.
Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, "School Board Candidates: General Election: November 8th 2022."
Candidate survey
We sent out a questionnaire to every candidate. Questions and responses are below.
We sent out a questionnaire to every candidate. Questions and responses are below.
Tabetha L Crouch, District 1
1. Describe your connections to public schools.
I have two students in MCCSC with experience at 4 different schools within the district.
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
In my career as a communication specialist, I help develop and communicate policies and procedures to different audiences every day. Being in this role during a global pandemic has allowed me to experience creating policies in a constantly changing environment.
I understand that not everyone at the table has the best ideas and best solutions and that we must be open to receiving feedback and adjusting. I also understand the value of transparent communication.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
I believe the goal of public education is to provide children with the skills they need to be selfsustaining, productive members of the community. They should graduate with the academic ability to pursue a higher degree in the career field of their choice, go to a trade school, or be able to enter the workforce and have the life skills to live independently.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
While I am not a fan of standardized testing, I understand the need. From the research that I have done, I would like to see us move to the combination of a game-based assessment and social/ emotional skills. I feel like this would remove the pressure of test-taking and provide data on how we are developing well-balanced students.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
I want teachers to tell us what support they need. What gaps in support do we have and where do we need to improve.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
The biggest issues facing MCCSC are the lack of community trust and support. Clear, proactive, and truly transparent communication is needed to begin repairing the relationship between the school district and the community. The school board needs to show a willingness to be receptive to feedback.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
I do support the MCCSC referendum.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
I do not have a hard stance on this, as I support families having the right to choose the education that is best for their children without cost barriers being the deciding factor. There are certainly pros and cons to both sides. Our focus should be on improving and becoming a better choice.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
Education on what equity is and why it is important is the first step to addressing it. Our job is to educate students but to do that, we need support from families. Communication to families on the why behind cultural shifts (equitable versus equal) is critical to creating successful change.
10. During this year’s state legislative session, there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
Librarians are critical resources for students and staff. I do not agree with withdrawing or banning books from school libraries.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
We should be taking every step available to ensure a safe environment for students and staff. This includes a robust SRO program that is integrated into and supported by the local police department allowing our SROs to have all the training and tools necessary to do their jobs. SROs should be carefully selected and placed where they can build rapport with both students and faculty.
We should engage students in safety measures. Students see things differently. Getting their perspective on ways to increase safety will help identify gaps and get their buy-in as to why certain protocols are in place. Giving students a role in creating their environment increases accountability and their overall engagement in creating a safe environment.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
As a district, we should create guidelines on age-appropriate curriculum around each of these topics. We also need to ensure that our teachers are equipped to be non-partisan in each of these areas as well as class-subject appropriate. I would be supportive of forming electives around each of these areas that students could opt into.
I have two students in MCCSC with experience at 4 different schools within the district.
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
In my career as a communication specialist, I help develop and communicate policies and procedures to different audiences every day. Being in this role during a global pandemic has allowed me to experience creating policies in a constantly changing environment.
I understand that not everyone at the table has the best ideas and best solutions and that we must be open to receiving feedback and adjusting. I also understand the value of transparent communication.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
I believe the goal of public education is to provide children with the skills they need to be selfsustaining, productive members of the community. They should graduate with the academic ability to pursue a higher degree in the career field of their choice, go to a trade school, or be able to enter the workforce and have the life skills to live independently.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
While I am not a fan of standardized testing, I understand the need. From the research that I have done, I would like to see us move to the combination of a game-based assessment and social/ emotional skills. I feel like this would remove the pressure of test-taking and provide data on how we are developing well-balanced students.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
I want teachers to tell us what support they need. What gaps in support do we have and where do we need to improve.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
The biggest issues facing MCCSC are the lack of community trust and support. Clear, proactive, and truly transparent communication is needed to begin repairing the relationship between the school district and the community. The school board needs to show a willingness to be receptive to feedback.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
I do support the MCCSC referendum.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
I do not have a hard stance on this, as I support families having the right to choose the education that is best for their children without cost barriers being the deciding factor. There are certainly pros and cons to both sides. Our focus should be on improving and becoming a better choice.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
Education on what equity is and why it is important is the first step to addressing it. Our job is to educate students but to do that, we need support from families. Communication to families on the why behind cultural shifts (equitable versus equal) is critical to creating successful change.
10. During this year’s state legislative session, there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
Librarians are critical resources for students and staff. I do not agree with withdrawing or banning books from school libraries.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
We should be taking every step available to ensure a safe environment for students and staff. This includes a robust SRO program that is integrated into and supported by the local police department allowing our SROs to have all the training and tools necessary to do their jobs. SROs should be carefully selected and placed where they can build rapport with both students and faculty.
We should engage students in safety measures. Students see things differently. Getting their perspective on ways to increase safety will help identify gaps and get their buy-in as to why certain protocols are in place. Giving students a role in creating their environment increases accountability and their overall engagement in creating a safe environment.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
As a district, we should create guidelines on age-appropriate curriculum around each of these topics. We also need to ensure that our teachers are equipped to be non-partisan in each of these areas as well as class-subject appropriate. I would be supportive of forming electives around each of these areas that students could opt into.
Byron Turner, District 1
Did not participate in survey.
Erin B Wyatt, District 1
1. Describe your connections to public schools.
Since their entries into kindergarten, my children have always attended MCCSC schools. Currently, I have a child in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary school. This allows me to have an up-to-date knowledge of the happenings in multiple buildings and the ability to relate to other parents.
From 2017-2018, I worked as a “Health Aide Plus” at Templeton Elementary School despite being a bit overqualified, as I was looking for a position in Health Services at MCCSC and it was the available option. During my time in the school system, I cared for the students when they became ill at school, gave them ice packs when they got hurt on the playground, administered breathing treatments and medications, sewed and washed their clothing when it was in need of repair or cleaning, worked with families whose homes were infested with bedbugs, provided accurate information to parents about how to manage head lice, gave hugs and high fives to students when they were in need of attention, and worked with the multidisciplinary team of teachers, social workers, speech and hearing specialists, and administrators to make sure students’ health needs were met. I also used my skills as a registered nurse to assess students with complex health issues and ensure they were safe at school. I also was able to provide educational programming about health topics, such as when I visited classrooms of kindergarteners and used fun activities to teach the importance of handwashing to stop the spread of germs. I planned the first large health fair/health education event, Templeton Healthapalooza: Where Health and Literacy Meet, and invited over 30 community organizations. Hundreds of families were in attendance, and comment cards that were filled out reflected that the event was meaningful and informative.
I personally attended public schools in Michigan and Indiana from 4th-12th grade, and then went on to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from a public state university. Currently, I am a PhD candidate working on my dissertation and am enrolled at Indiana University, another public state university.
An Aunt and five of my cousins are teachers and speech therapists at public schools, too!
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
I bring 15 years of full-time parenting experience, and 17 years of step-parenting experience. I would come to the board with over 20 years of experience as a registered nurse, and over 8 years of experience as a university professor. I also bring the experience of being an engaged community member and volunteer.
In addition, I believe the time I spent as a past employee of MCCSC offers me a bit more of an informed perspective on the work teachers and staff do every day with students, and an awareness of the challenges and unmet needs of so many of our students that need to be addressed. Before I worked inside the school system, I knew that not every student had access to the same opportunities and resources in the home setting, but having direct experience with students really opened my eyes. At times I was shocked by what some students had to endure at home, but I was also humbled by their resilience and strength. So many students are experiencing things like food insecurity, a lack of access to hygiene supplies, bedbug and lice infestations, physical and emotional abuse, discrimination, domestic violence, and drug use in their home that it is hard for many people without inside knowledge to understand. Some students do not get to experience stable or consistent housing..
Also, I feel that my ability to work with people of all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic levels, religions, gender identities, and sexual orientations is something special that I will bring to the board. The work I have done in my doctoral program studying social determinants of health and the negative effects of minority stress provides me with a heightened awareness of the issues our students who are members of minority group or are living in poverty face, and it also has prepared me with the knowledge to be able to help find solutions to address these gaps.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
The goal of a public education system is to provide a high quality, comprehensive, well rounded education that is equitable and accessible for all students. Public schools provide students with the needed skills in literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts, along with guidance and support on how to control emotions, express feelings, increase self-esteem, celebrate diversity, and co-exist with others. The goal of a public education system should be to prepare children and young adults with life skills and the academic knowledge that are necessary to be successful after graduation, whether students choose to attend college, attend a vocational school, train as an apprentice, or enter the workforce so that they can contribute to their families and communities in a way that feels adequate and meaningful for them.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
As a nurse, I think about how hospitals are evaluated by the Center for Medicare Services or the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program by looking at a wide variety of measures, and not just a single set of numbers. Standardized test scores only provide a narrow view of a school’s performance, especially as standardized tests are often biased toward White students who speak English at home, and standardized tests are not able to capture all the things that make a student bright and intelligent. Measurement tools such as student surveys about the school climate, and employee surveys about their satisfaction can provide important insight into if a school is successful. Measuring student growth and improvement throughout the school year, teacher and staff retention, graduation rates, college or trade school admissions, the number of extracurricular offerings and fine arts performances is something that should also be considered.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
The school board can support teachers by listening to their concerns, respecting their position as a trained and licensed professional, putting trust in them, and making careful decisions regarding the budget to ensure they are compensated fairly.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
No response.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
I absolutely support the MCCSC referendum and will be voting YES in November. I also voted YES on the referendums in 2010 and 2016.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
MCCSC’s referendum is a ballot measure that is voted upon by the public. The MCCSC Board of School Trustees are also elected by the public. Charter schools do not have publicly elected board members, and as such, there is less accountability to the public in terms of spending and budget. Notably, HB 1072 was a bill introduced in 2022 and would have required public schools to share their funding with charter schools and it did not make it through the Senate and was not enacted into law.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
I believe the equity goals outlined in the MCCSC 2021-2025 Goals & Priorities are a good start, and I would do my part to make sure we are making progress toward meeting those goals in a meaningful, measurable way. I was excited to learn about the establishment of the Student Equity Ambassador program, and I think we should check in periodically with the student leaders who volunteer as ambassadors to see how the district is doing in meeting their goals. Also, parental surveys and teacher/staff surveys could provide input about how well we are doing to ensure equity.
10. During this year’s state legislative session there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
My personal view on school librarians is that they are individuals who have had specialized training and possess expertise to curate reading materials that are educational, entertaining, and engaging as well as age appropriate. As a general rule, I don’t believe in banning books unless they contain material that is deemed pornographic or instruct readers on how to commit acts of violence. I feel that if a school board is approached with a request to withdraw certain books from school libraries, they should require a written explanation as to why a book should be banned. The board should seek information from the school librarian as well as professional organizations specializing in school libraries before making any decision.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
I think school safety and violence prevention and promoting a positive school climate are two distinct issues, although I believe maintaining a positive school climate can reduce incidents like physical fights, bullying, and the threat of mass violence and destruction.
In regards to promoting a positive school climate, it has been shown that having a curriculum steeped in social and emotional learning can have an effect on relationship skills, decision making, self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness. Experts who are knowledgeable on implementing social emotional learning also state that this type of learning can promote equity and inclusion. When students begin to understand their own feelings, how to manage their own feelings, consider other people’s feelings, and how their own actions affect others, they are more likely to have positive relationships with their peers, even if they come from diverse backgrounds. When students who are members of minority groups who are often marginalized in society are actively included and respected in the school environment they can have a sense of belonging, importance, and pride.
In terms of preventing violence and promoting safety, I think there needs to be a very proactive approach that includes intervention by teachers, building administrators, social workers, counselors, and nurses. In school shootings such as Oxford High School, the perpetrator was flagged for suspicious behavior and parents were called, but the student remained at school and went on to murder and injure students and teachers. This never should have happened. Taking steps to recognize and address warning signs is an important step. Additionally, schools and law enforcement can work together to educate families on safely storing firearms at home and even provide them with gun locks. Limiting the access to firearms in the home, could have stopped many perpetrators of school shootings from carrying out horrific acts of violence and death.
The idea of arming school resource officers is a topic that often comes up in discussions with parents. Recently, when I did a search of literature in refereed, peer-reviewed academic journals, I found that shootings that occurred where an armed SRO was present actually resulted in more casualties. There is no clear indication that having staff carry guns leads to better outcomes or safer schools. There is research that indicates that having armed SROs present can sometimes lead to students of color being unfairly targeted or disciplined too harshly, as well as perpetuate the school to prison pipeline.
I think decisions on how to make schools safer and a more positive environment should best be made by involving all the stakeholders involved: the board, teachers, parents, students, social workers, nurses, counselors, pediatricians, public health experts, and criminal justice/law enforcement experts, and looking at the issues in a 360 degree manner.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
Restricting teachers from teaching about racism and historical injustice is pretty high on the list of things to do that are un-American. Not only are students robbed from the experience of learning facts and historical truths by doing this, but entire groups of students are marginalized and stripped of their dignity. Attempting to cover up atrocities of historical events such as the genocide of Indigenous people and Jewish people, or the capture and enslavement of Africans is unwise and harmful. The idea that students cannot handle such topics not only underestimates their ability to empathize and think critically, but it also implies that they should feel blame for events that happened before their birth. Having discussions about these times in history creates opportunities for learning facts, having meaningful discussions, and learning about how our country is still experiencing the effects today. Also, it can help empower students to take active steps to dismantle systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and classism so that the mistakes of our past are not repeated in the future.
I think the district can successfully manage teaching about difficult concepts by introducing them in ways that are age-appropriate, but also use clear, appropriate terminology. In my courses, I discuss providing culturally sensitive care and also discuss how medical misinformation is often rooted in the slavery era and how it persists today. When we have sensitive discussions, we establish classroom norms that are set by my students and myself and are agreed upon by all which serve to outline the behaviors and statements that are acceptable and unacceptable at that time. Parents and guardians who object to their students learning about particular topics could be offered a waiver to opt-out, but the opportunity to learn should not be taken away from all students.
Since their entries into kindergarten, my children have always attended MCCSC schools. Currently, I have a child in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary school. This allows me to have an up-to-date knowledge of the happenings in multiple buildings and the ability to relate to other parents.
From 2017-2018, I worked as a “Health Aide Plus” at Templeton Elementary School despite being a bit overqualified, as I was looking for a position in Health Services at MCCSC and it was the available option. During my time in the school system, I cared for the students when they became ill at school, gave them ice packs when they got hurt on the playground, administered breathing treatments and medications, sewed and washed their clothing when it was in need of repair or cleaning, worked with families whose homes were infested with bedbugs, provided accurate information to parents about how to manage head lice, gave hugs and high fives to students when they were in need of attention, and worked with the multidisciplinary team of teachers, social workers, speech and hearing specialists, and administrators to make sure students’ health needs were met. I also used my skills as a registered nurse to assess students with complex health issues and ensure they were safe at school. I also was able to provide educational programming about health topics, such as when I visited classrooms of kindergarteners and used fun activities to teach the importance of handwashing to stop the spread of germs. I planned the first large health fair/health education event, Templeton Healthapalooza: Where Health and Literacy Meet, and invited over 30 community organizations. Hundreds of families were in attendance, and comment cards that were filled out reflected that the event was meaningful and informative.
I personally attended public schools in Michigan and Indiana from 4th-12th grade, and then went on to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from a public state university. Currently, I am a PhD candidate working on my dissertation and am enrolled at Indiana University, another public state university.
An Aunt and five of my cousins are teachers and speech therapists at public schools, too!
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
I bring 15 years of full-time parenting experience, and 17 years of step-parenting experience. I would come to the board with over 20 years of experience as a registered nurse, and over 8 years of experience as a university professor. I also bring the experience of being an engaged community member and volunteer.
In addition, I believe the time I spent as a past employee of MCCSC offers me a bit more of an informed perspective on the work teachers and staff do every day with students, and an awareness of the challenges and unmet needs of so many of our students that need to be addressed. Before I worked inside the school system, I knew that not every student had access to the same opportunities and resources in the home setting, but having direct experience with students really opened my eyes. At times I was shocked by what some students had to endure at home, but I was also humbled by their resilience and strength. So many students are experiencing things like food insecurity, a lack of access to hygiene supplies, bedbug and lice infestations, physical and emotional abuse, discrimination, domestic violence, and drug use in their home that it is hard for many people without inside knowledge to understand. Some students do not get to experience stable or consistent housing..
Also, I feel that my ability to work with people of all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic levels, religions, gender identities, and sexual orientations is something special that I will bring to the board. The work I have done in my doctoral program studying social determinants of health and the negative effects of minority stress provides me with a heightened awareness of the issues our students who are members of minority group or are living in poverty face, and it also has prepared me with the knowledge to be able to help find solutions to address these gaps.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
The goal of a public education system is to provide a high quality, comprehensive, well rounded education that is equitable and accessible for all students. Public schools provide students with the needed skills in literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts, along with guidance and support on how to control emotions, express feelings, increase self-esteem, celebrate diversity, and co-exist with others. The goal of a public education system should be to prepare children and young adults with life skills and the academic knowledge that are necessary to be successful after graduation, whether students choose to attend college, attend a vocational school, train as an apprentice, or enter the workforce so that they can contribute to their families and communities in a way that feels adequate and meaningful for them.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
As a nurse, I think about how hospitals are evaluated by the Center for Medicare Services or the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program by looking at a wide variety of measures, and not just a single set of numbers. Standardized test scores only provide a narrow view of a school’s performance, especially as standardized tests are often biased toward White students who speak English at home, and standardized tests are not able to capture all the things that make a student bright and intelligent. Measurement tools such as student surveys about the school climate, and employee surveys about their satisfaction can provide important insight into if a school is successful. Measuring student growth and improvement throughout the school year, teacher and staff retention, graduation rates, college or trade school admissions, the number of extracurricular offerings and fine arts performances is something that should also be considered.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
The school board can support teachers by listening to their concerns, respecting their position as a trained and licensed professional, putting trust in them, and making careful decisions regarding the budget to ensure they are compensated fairly.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
No response.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
I absolutely support the MCCSC referendum and will be voting YES in November. I also voted YES on the referendums in 2010 and 2016.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
MCCSC’s referendum is a ballot measure that is voted upon by the public. The MCCSC Board of School Trustees are also elected by the public. Charter schools do not have publicly elected board members, and as such, there is less accountability to the public in terms of spending and budget. Notably, HB 1072 was a bill introduced in 2022 and would have required public schools to share their funding with charter schools and it did not make it through the Senate and was not enacted into law.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
I believe the equity goals outlined in the MCCSC 2021-2025 Goals & Priorities are a good start, and I would do my part to make sure we are making progress toward meeting those goals in a meaningful, measurable way. I was excited to learn about the establishment of the Student Equity Ambassador program, and I think we should check in periodically with the student leaders who volunteer as ambassadors to see how the district is doing in meeting their goals. Also, parental surveys and teacher/staff surveys could provide input about how well we are doing to ensure equity.
10. During this year’s state legislative session there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
My personal view on school librarians is that they are individuals who have had specialized training and possess expertise to curate reading materials that are educational, entertaining, and engaging as well as age appropriate. As a general rule, I don’t believe in banning books unless they contain material that is deemed pornographic or instruct readers on how to commit acts of violence. I feel that if a school board is approached with a request to withdraw certain books from school libraries, they should require a written explanation as to why a book should be banned. The board should seek information from the school librarian as well as professional organizations specializing in school libraries before making any decision.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
I think school safety and violence prevention and promoting a positive school climate are two distinct issues, although I believe maintaining a positive school climate can reduce incidents like physical fights, bullying, and the threat of mass violence and destruction.
In regards to promoting a positive school climate, it has been shown that having a curriculum steeped in social and emotional learning can have an effect on relationship skills, decision making, self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness. Experts who are knowledgeable on implementing social emotional learning also state that this type of learning can promote equity and inclusion. When students begin to understand their own feelings, how to manage their own feelings, consider other people’s feelings, and how their own actions affect others, they are more likely to have positive relationships with their peers, even if they come from diverse backgrounds. When students who are members of minority groups who are often marginalized in society are actively included and respected in the school environment they can have a sense of belonging, importance, and pride.
In terms of preventing violence and promoting safety, I think there needs to be a very proactive approach that includes intervention by teachers, building administrators, social workers, counselors, and nurses. In school shootings such as Oxford High School, the perpetrator was flagged for suspicious behavior and parents were called, but the student remained at school and went on to murder and injure students and teachers. This never should have happened. Taking steps to recognize and address warning signs is an important step. Additionally, schools and law enforcement can work together to educate families on safely storing firearms at home and even provide them with gun locks. Limiting the access to firearms in the home, could have stopped many perpetrators of school shootings from carrying out horrific acts of violence and death.
The idea of arming school resource officers is a topic that often comes up in discussions with parents. Recently, when I did a search of literature in refereed, peer-reviewed academic journals, I found that shootings that occurred where an armed SRO was present actually resulted in more casualties. There is no clear indication that having staff carry guns leads to better outcomes or safer schools. There is research that indicates that having armed SROs present can sometimes lead to students of color being unfairly targeted or disciplined too harshly, as well as perpetuate the school to prison pipeline.
I think decisions on how to make schools safer and a more positive environment should best be made by involving all the stakeholders involved: the board, teachers, parents, students, social workers, nurses, counselors, pediatricians, public health experts, and criminal justice/law enforcement experts, and looking at the issues in a 360 degree manner.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
Restricting teachers from teaching about racism and historical injustice is pretty high on the list of things to do that are un-American. Not only are students robbed from the experience of learning facts and historical truths by doing this, but entire groups of students are marginalized and stripped of their dignity. Attempting to cover up atrocities of historical events such as the genocide of Indigenous people and Jewish people, or the capture and enslavement of Africans is unwise and harmful. The idea that students cannot handle such topics not only underestimates their ability to empathize and think critically, but it also implies that they should feel blame for events that happened before their birth. Having discussions about these times in history creates opportunities for learning facts, having meaningful discussions, and learning about how our country is still experiencing the effects today. Also, it can help empower students to take active steps to dismantle systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and classism so that the mistakes of our past are not repeated in the future.
I think the district can successfully manage teaching about difficult concepts by introducing them in ways that are age-appropriate, but also use clear, appropriate terminology. In my courses, I discuss providing culturally sensitive care and also discuss how medical misinformation is often rooted in the slavery era and how it persists today. When we have sensitive discussions, we establish classroom norms that are set by my students and myself and are agreed upon by all which serve to outline the behaviors and statements that are acceptable and unacceptable at that time. Parents and guardians who object to their students learning about particular topics could be offered a waiver to opt-out, but the opportunity to learn should not be taken away from all students.
Jon Hays, District 3
Did not participate in survey.
Daniel O'Neill, District 3
1. Describe your connections to public schools.
I have been educated and worked at public schools every stage of my life and career. I graduated from Bloomington North and hold five degrees from Indiana University. I worked as the Science Olympiad Coach at Bloomington North for eight years. I’ve taught numerous classes in the psychology of learning and instruction for the Teacher Education Program at the IU School of Education. I now serve as Chairperson of the Anatomy and Physiology Department, training nurses and other healthcare professionals at Ivy Tech-Bloomington. More detail on my education and career are available at my campaign website: www.oneill4ed.com
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
I have served as a teacher in multiple roles for over 2 decades (you can see my resume in detail at www.oneill4ed.com/experience.html ) including earning a master’s degree in education. I’ve won multiple major teaching awards at both IU and Ivy Tech. I have also been involved in local politics for most of my life and understand the importance of providing clear explanations of my principles and positions, listening to other points of view, and compromising to move forward. I bring personal experience and knowledge of Monroe County as well as skills I have built over my career as an educator to the board.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
I describe this very issue in more detail here: www.oneill4ed.com/mainplatform.html . In summary, the purpose of a public education system is to make accessible a quality public education to EVERYONE regardless of status or background. Public schools, properly supported, are the greatest engine of social justice and upward mobility that exist. A quality education provides people with the ability to fully function as citizens in a participatory democracy, to acquire the skills to earn a productive living, and to become lifelong learners through reading, culture, and the arts.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
No single measure or modality can adequately capture the complexity of an effective program of education of the scope of an entire school corporation, and there is danger in becoming fixated on specific metrics which can distort an evaluation and lead to suboptimization that drives the metric itself rather than the quality of education it is supposed to reflect. However, it is crucial that we have the courage to take a critical and professional look at the performance of our schools utilizing many metrics and means of evaluation. We need to look at numerous indicators across the ability spectrum to ensure that we are providing all of our students with the best possible education. This needs to include assessments of literacy and graduation rates, placement into vocational and two-year programs as well more traditional high ability measures including National Merit finalists, elite school acceptance rates, and scores on AP, ACT and SAT exams. We also need to measure faculty retention and satisfaction through surveys and exit interviews and the promotion of best practices such as master teacher mentoring.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
The board’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the school system has an effective short and long term strategy to create and maintain an effective learning culture. Teachers form the core of every learning culture. The board needs to direct the administration to provide opportunities for professional development, to recognize excellence, and to remove obstacles to learning. This means listening to teachers and not simply dictating to them through professional in-service. It means ensuring that wrap-around counseling and other behavioral services are provided so that teachers can remain focused on sharing knowledge and inspiring. Teaching is a difficult craft, and we must back teachers who are willing to go the extra mile in their own professional development as they set high standards for their students and inspire to them reach their goals. Great teachers need to be recognized and rewarded, not punished for holding themselves and their students accountable. We need to ensure that the evaluation process recognizes true success in the classroom based on structured subjective and objective outcomes. Nothing is more demoralizing than simplistic metrics and procedural checklists.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
MCCSC faces the same major challenges as every other K-12 system right now. We need to keep pace with the increasing educational requirements for knowledge-based work in order to stay economically competitive, and we need to ensure that we serve the diverse needs of high ability, average and remedial students equally effectively. We need to integrate better with the Ivy Tech system which provides high quality vocational education as well as a cost-effective transfer pathway to bachelors’ programs. We need to do a more thorough job of identifying and serving high ability students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
I served as the campaign manager of the 2016 referendum that is now expiring. I put in over 30 hours a week from late August through election day running the headquarters, recruiting, training and coordinating volunteers and raising money for the campaign. The referenda have become utterly essential if we hope to have the resources to tackle the challenges I identified above. Should the referendum fail, we will be in the awful position of deciding what we must sacrifice rather than what we can do to deliver a more effective education for every student. Yes, I strongly and unequivocally support the referendum.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
It is entirely appropriate that parents (and students) have the right to seek out regulated private school options. I am philosophically opposed to the use of tax dollars to support private schooling and thus I oppose the concept of “public” charter schools as is implemented in Indiana. Charter schools, as presently constituted, are effectively unaccountable to the taxpayers and thus it is wholly undemocratic that they should siphon tax dollars away from schools overseen by a properly elected board of trustees. I do not support the application of any public money whatsoever to local charters until such a time as they are brought under the direct control of a locally elected board.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
The entire point of quality public schools is to provide a good and effective education to every student. MCCSC has made significant strides in increasing support for diversity, belonging and inclusion. I applaud those efforts and will work to build upon them. However, we must ensure that these efforts get to the core of the equity challenge: ensuring that all students, regardless of background or identity, have full access to a high-quality education tailored to their individual needs. In the context of public schools, this means providing a quality main-sequence curriculum that serves the goals I outlined above and in more detail on my campaign website. It must also mean having suitable engagement for all students including those with special needs or high abilities, and that the identification and support of these students cuts past biases that arise from minority identities as well as socioeconomic background. Finally, it means having supportive remediation in place that helps students who fall behind maximize their own experience in an inclusive, supportive, and affirming matter. We must serve ALL of our students to the best of our ability.
10. During this year’s state legislative session there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
We need to support our librarians and allow them to do their jobs. Selecting developmentally appropriate books for children and adolescents requires extensive training and professional judgement and should be delegated to our school librarians and educators. It is important to provide a broad selection of literature and non-fiction that reflects and celebrates the diversity of the community and provides students with access to many viewpoints. Parents and the community at large should be part of this conversation. We should provide a proper venue to listen and welcome their input. Regardless of the outcome, everyone should feel they were heard and respected.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
Wishing guns away will be no more effective than thoughts and prayers. We know students have brought concealed weapons into our schools. Arming regular school personnel is not the answer and is far more likely to exacerbate the danger due to accidents and poor crisis judgement. Armed, highly trained police should never be involved in routine discipline, but their quick response to an incident could save many lives should the worst happen. As for more routine matters, we need to lay down, and enforce, strict but fair expectations that the bodily autonomy of fellow students must be respected as a routine matter. We must allow for the fact that children and adolescents will make mistakes as they learn these crucial lessons and we should allow for compassion, growth and redemption in our disciplinary process. But we must provide, and enforce, clear and consistent rules to protect our students and preserve the learning environment.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
Noted psychologist Jerome Bruner argued that any topic can be taught in an “intellectually honest” but “developmentally appropriate” manner. Learning American history, including our moral failures, is critical to understanding the present challenges we face; it’s not about shame but responsibility. Martin Luther King stated, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” we should illustrate his wisdom by honestly teaching about our progress toward a more perfect union.
I have been educated and worked at public schools every stage of my life and career. I graduated from Bloomington North and hold five degrees from Indiana University. I worked as the Science Olympiad Coach at Bloomington North for eight years. I’ve taught numerous classes in the psychology of learning and instruction for the Teacher Education Program at the IU School of Education. I now serve as Chairperson of the Anatomy and Physiology Department, training nurses and other healthcare professionals at Ivy Tech-Bloomington. More detail on my education and career are available at my campaign website: www.oneill4ed.com
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
I have served as a teacher in multiple roles for over 2 decades (you can see my resume in detail at www.oneill4ed.com/experience.html ) including earning a master’s degree in education. I’ve won multiple major teaching awards at both IU and Ivy Tech. I have also been involved in local politics for most of my life and understand the importance of providing clear explanations of my principles and positions, listening to other points of view, and compromising to move forward. I bring personal experience and knowledge of Monroe County as well as skills I have built over my career as an educator to the board.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
I describe this very issue in more detail here: www.oneill4ed.com/mainplatform.html . In summary, the purpose of a public education system is to make accessible a quality public education to EVERYONE regardless of status or background. Public schools, properly supported, are the greatest engine of social justice and upward mobility that exist. A quality education provides people with the ability to fully function as citizens in a participatory democracy, to acquire the skills to earn a productive living, and to become lifelong learners through reading, culture, and the arts.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
No single measure or modality can adequately capture the complexity of an effective program of education of the scope of an entire school corporation, and there is danger in becoming fixated on specific metrics which can distort an evaluation and lead to suboptimization that drives the metric itself rather than the quality of education it is supposed to reflect. However, it is crucial that we have the courage to take a critical and professional look at the performance of our schools utilizing many metrics and means of evaluation. We need to look at numerous indicators across the ability spectrum to ensure that we are providing all of our students with the best possible education. This needs to include assessments of literacy and graduation rates, placement into vocational and two-year programs as well more traditional high ability measures including National Merit finalists, elite school acceptance rates, and scores on AP, ACT and SAT exams. We also need to measure faculty retention and satisfaction through surveys and exit interviews and the promotion of best practices such as master teacher mentoring.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
The board’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the school system has an effective short and long term strategy to create and maintain an effective learning culture. Teachers form the core of every learning culture. The board needs to direct the administration to provide opportunities for professional development, to recognize excellence, and to remove obstacles to learning. This means listening to teachers and not simply dictating to them through professional in-service. It means ensuring that wrap-around counseling and other behavioral services are provided so that teachers can remain focused on sharing knowledge and inspiring. Teaching is a difficult craft, and we must back teachers who are willing to go the extra mile in their own professional development as they set high standards for their students and inspire to them reach their goals. Great teachers need to be recognized and rewarded, not punished for holding themselves and their students accountable. We need to ensure that the evaluation process recognizes true success in the classroom based on structured subjective and objective outcomes. Nothing is more demoralizing than simplistic metrics and procedural checklists.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
MCCSC faces the same major challenges as every other K-12 system right now. We need to keep pace with the increasing educational requirements for knowledge-based work in order to stay economically competitive, and we need to ensure that we serve the diverse needs of high ability, average and remedial students equally effectively. We need to integrate better with the Ivy Tech system which provides high quality vocational education as well as a cost-effective transfer pathway to bachelors’ programs. We need to do a more thorough job of identifying and serving high ability students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
I served as the campaign manager of the 2016 referendum that is now expiring. I put in over 30 hours a week from late August through election day running the headquarters, recruiting, training and coordinating volunteers and raising money for the campaign. The referenda have become utterly essential if we hope to have the resources to tackle the challenges I identified above. Should the referendum fail, we will be in the awful position of deciding what we must sacrifice rather than what we can do to deliver a more effective education for every student. Yes, I strongly and unequivocally support the referendum.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
It is entirely appropriate that parents (and students) have the right to seek out regulated private school options. I am philosophically opposed to the use of tax dollars to support private schooling and thus I oppose the concept of “public” charter schools as is implemented in Indiana. Charter schools, as presently constituted, are effectively unaccountable to the taxpayers and thus it is wholly undemocratic that they should siphon tax dollars away from schools overseen by a properly elected board of trustees. I do not support the application of any public money whatsoever to local charters until such a time as they are brought under the direct control of a locally elected board.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
The entire point of quality public schools is to provide a good and effective education to every student. MCCSC has made significant strides in increasing support for diversity, belonging and inclusion. I applaud those efforts and will work to build upon them. However, we must ensure that these efforts get to the core of the equity challenge: ensuring that all students, regardless of background or identity, have full access to a high-quality education tailored to their individual needs. In the context of public schools, this means providing a quality main-sequence curriculum that serves the goals I outlined above and in more detail on my campaign website. It must also mean having suitable engagement for all students including those with special needs or high abilities, and that the identification and support of these students cuts past biases that arise from minority identities as well as socioeconomic background. Finally, it means having supportive remediation in place that helps students who fall behind maximize their own experience in an inclusive, supportive, and affirming matter. We must serve ALL of our students to the best of our ability.
10. During this year’s state legislative session there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
We need to support our librarians and allow them to do their jobs. Selecting developmentally appropriate books for children and adolescents requires extensive training and professional judgement and should be delegated to our school librarians and educators. It is important to provide a broad selection of literature and non-fiction that reflects and celebrates the diversity of the community and provides students with access to many viewpoints. Parents and the community at large should be part of this conversation. We should provide a proper venue to listen and welcome their input. Regardless of the outcome, everyone should feel they were heard and respected.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
Wishing guns away will be no more effective than thoughts and prayers. We know students have brought concealed weapons into our schools. Arming regular school personnel is not the answer and is far more likely to exacerbate the danger due to accidents and poor crisis judgement. Armed, highly trained police should never be involved in routine discipline, but their quick response to an incident could save many lives should the worst happen. As for more routine matters, we need to lay down, and enforce, strict but fair expectations that the bodily autonomy of fellow students must be respected as a routine matter. We must allow for the fact that children and adolescents will make mistakes as they learn these crucial lessons and we should allow for compassion, growth and redemption in our disciplinary process. But we must provide, and enforce, clear and consistent rules to protect our students and preserve the learning environment.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
Noted psychologist Jerome Bruner argued that any topic can be taught in an “intellectually honest” but “developmentally appropriate” manner. Learning American history, including our moral failures, is critical to understanding the present challenges we face; it’s not about shame but responsibility. Martin Luther King stated, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” we should illustrate his wisdom by honestly teaching about our progress toward a more perfect union.
AShley Pirani, District 3
1. Describe your connections to public schools.
I am a product of public education. I currently have two kids in the district and serve as our school’s PTO President. I am also volunteering with our school’s drama club and am a part of our school cohort that will be canvassing our community to talk to voters about the importance of the Referendum. I am deeply invested in seeing our district thrive.
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
I have served on several boards, committees, and programs over the last decade, including: Beacon, Inc Board as our Development Committee Chair, the 2022 State of the Black Community Address Committee, Advisory Board Member of the Persisterhood Workshop. I am also an alumnus of Leadership Bloomington as well as Hoosier Women Forward Class 4. These spaces have given me the opportunity to grow, learn, and advocate on a variety of important fronts. For example, I learned how to be in coalition with a variety of voices, stand back to allow others to be heard, while also allowing a place to work through differences of opinion.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
The goal of public education should be about providing a safe, welcoming space for all students to grow and learn. This includes providing access to opportunities they might not get otherwise.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
MCCSC currently uses The Whole Child Support System as one method of evaluating success. I support the continued use of this method as a tool. Part of this approach must include working to shrink the disparities in disciplinary actions. As of 2020 Black/African American students only made up 6% of the student population, but made up over 10% of the disciplinary actions. Economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities are also at higher rates for discipline. This contributes to interrupted learning which can place these groups of students at a learning disadvantage. Making strides here would go a long way in creating a more equitable learning experience for all.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
The school board can begin by listening to their needs and addressing them. I think an annual, anonymous survey to all teachers would help provide good insight into where we are falling short for them. Then from there, we can assess how best to go about tackling those needs. Do we currently have programs that can take some of those on? Do we need to look into new and creative ways to figure it out?
In my conversations with teachers, I’ve heard about supply shortages, the need for teacher retention programs in all schools with higher priority populations, hungry kids, etc. These were just a few of the common threads that I’ve been hearing about from those in the classroom each day.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
There are three things that come to mind when considering the biggest challenges for the district. The first is the referendum. We rely on those funds to keep MCCSC thriving and future-forward. It will allow us the ability to raise teacher and staff pay as well as keep other programs running. Without it, we risk the opposite—cutting programs and positions. The second challenge, is transportation. While the district is closing the gap on bus drivers, we are still seeing a shortage which can complicate our drop-off and pick up times. I am looking forward to seeing what the impact is with the changes made to our transportation system. And lastly, we continue to see gaps in our support staff and substitute teacher numbers. The district is struggling to fill these spots. Our paraprofessionals, for instance, are crucial to our schools and when there are gaps, it impacts our schools in big ways.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
Yes, I understand the importance that money holds for our district. I am part of a team canvassing to help educate voters on the importance of voting “yes” on the referendum.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
No, I do not support sharing referendum money because charter schools (and private schools who receive public dollars) do not have the same community oversight that public schools do.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
First, I want to see our boundary maps looked at. It’s been 17 years since the last time and the community was told we needed to wait on the 2020 census data. We’re two years past the release of those numbers, so the time is now. We know our population has grown around 15% since the last review. We need to review to ensure our lines our equitable and best serve all.
Second, we must provide robust training to all teachers, administrators, and staff on equity. This must include training from vetted professionals who can also provide resources and mentoring for all as questions arise. We have inconsistencies across our schools in how our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities are treated.
And finally, I would like to assess the impacts of interrupted learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those in our priority populations.
10. During this year’s state legislative session there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
Librarians are one of the gateways to learning for our students. They provide an invaluable role in our school system, and I am happy MCCSC has placed importance on having a librarian in almost all schools.
Generally, these types of requests target certain demographics of our population who might not see themselves represented in books very often. Representation matters! When we start talking about book banning, we are setting up our children for a narrow worldview. I trust our teachers and librarians to do their job and I do not believe in censoring them while they do it.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
I believe the decision to disarm the high schools, School Resource Officers (SRO,) was the right move. Studies have shown an armed SRO does not prevent school shootings.
When we focus on whether there should be an armed SRO or not, rather than the social and emotional well-being of our students, we aren’t addressing the root causes. I am thankful that our school corporation has been provided funds through the Lily Endowment to ensure we have funding for our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. SEL helps create empathic and well-rounded students.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
Our district should continue to seek out material (and authors that identify in a variety of ways) based in facts and verified data. We also need to continue to trust our teachers to do their jobs. There are many injustices that have occurred throughout our history and still occur today. This can be difficult to hear. However, when we attempt to censor these parts of our history, we are doing a disservice, particularly to our BIPOC students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities.
I am a product of public education. I currently have two kids in the district and serve as our school’s PTO President. I am also volunteering with our school’s drama club and am a part of our school cohort that will be canvassing our community to talk to voters about the importance of the Referendum. I am deeply invested in seeing our district thrive.
2. What skills and experiences will you bring to the board?
I have served on several boards, committees, and programs over the last decade, including: Beacon, Inc Board as our Development Committee Chair, the 2022 State of the Black Community Address Committee, Advisory Board Member of the Persisterhood Workshop. I am also an alumnus of Leadership Bloomington as well as Hoosier Women Forward Class 4. These spaces have given me the opportunity to grow, learn, and advocate on a variety of important fronts. For example, I learned how to be in coalition with a variety of voices, stand back to allow others to be heard, while also allowing a place to work through differences of opinion.
3. What is the goal of a public education system?
The goal of public education should be about providing a safe, welcoming space for all students to grow and learn. This includes providing access to opportunities they might not get otherwise.
4. What is the best way to evaluate our schools? What criteria should be used?
MCCSC currently uses The Whole Child Support System as one method of evaluating success. I support the continued use of this method as a tool. Part of this approach must include working to shrink the disparities in disciplinary actions. As of 2020 Black/African American students only made up 6% of the student population, but made up over 10% of the disciplinary actions. Economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities are also at higher rates for discipline. This contributes to interrupted learning which can place these groups of students at a learning disadvantage. Making strides here would go a long way in creating a more equitable learning experience for all.
5. How can the school board support teachers?
The school board can begin by listening to their needs and addressing them. I think an annual, anonymous survey to all teachers would help provide good insight into where we are falling short for them. Then from there, we can assess how best to go about tackling those needs. Do we currently have programs that can take some of those on? Do we need to look into new and creative ways to figure it out?
In my conversations with teachers, I’ve heard about supply shortages, the need for teacher retention programs in all schools with higher priority populations, hungry kids, etc. These were just a few of the common threads that I’ve been hearing about from those in the classroom each day.
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the Monroe County Community School Corporation?
There are three things that come to mind when considering the biggest challenges for the district. The first is the referendum. We rely on those funds to keep MCCSC thriving and future-forward. It will allow us the ability to raise teacher and staff pay as well as keep other programs running. Without it, we risk the opposite—cutting programs and positions. The second challenge, is transportation. While the district is closing the gap on bus drivers, we are still seeing a shortage which can complicate our drop-off and pick up times. I am looking forward to seeing what the impact is with the changes made to our transportation system. And lastly, we continue to see gaps in our support staff and substitute teacher numbers. The district is struggling to fill these spots. Our paraprofessionals, for instance, are crucial to our schools and when there are gaps, it impacts our schools in big ways.
7. Do you support the MCCSC referendum?
Yes, I understand the importance that money holds for our district. I am part of a team canvassing to help educate voters on the importance of voting “yes” on the referendum.
8. A law in Indiana allows public school districts to share money raised through a referendum with local charter schools. Would you support sharing referendum money with local charters? Why or why not?
No, I do not support sharing referendum money because charter schools (and private schools who receive public dollars) do not have the same community oversight that public schools do.
9. What would you do to promote equity across the district?
First, I want to see our boundary maps looked at. It’s been 17 years since the last time and the community was told we needed to wait on the 2020 census data. We’re two years past the release of those numbers, so the time is now. We know our population has grown around 15% since the last review. We need to review to ensure our lines our equitable and best serve all.
Second, we must provide robust training to all teachers, administrators, and staff on equity. This must include training from vetted professionals who can also provide resources and mentoring for all as questions arise. We have inconsistencies across our schools in how our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities are treated.
And finally, I would like to assess the impacts of interrupted learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those in our priority populations.
10. During this year’s state legislative session there was a bill (SB17) that threatened to fine and put school librarians in jail for sharing “harmful material” with children. While SB17 failed, bills often return. What are your views on the role of librarians in public schools? What are your thoughts on how a school board should respond to requests to withdraw certain books from school libraries?
Librarians are one of the gateways to learning for our students. They provide an invaluable role in our school system, and I am happy MCCSC has placed importance on having a librarian in almost all schools.
Generally, these types of requests target certain demographics of our population who might not see themselves represented in books very often. Representation matters! When we start talking about book banning, we are setting up our children for a narrow worldview. I trust our teachers and librarians to do their job and I do not believe in censoring them while they do it.
11. What types of school safety strategies would you favor in our schools to prevent violence and promote a positive school climate?
I believe the decision to disarm the high schools, School Resource Officers (SRO,) was the right move. Studies have shown an armed SRO does not prevent school shootings.
When we focus on whether there should be an armed SRO or not, rather than the social and emotional well-being of our students, we aren’t addressing the root causes. I am thankful that our school corporation has been provided funds through the Lily Endowment to ensure we have funding for our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. SEL helps create empathic and well-rounded students.
12. In this past year’s legislative session, several bills would have restricted what teachers could teach about race, racism, and historical injustice. How should the district handle teaching concepts and content involving race, history, and gender?
Our district should continue to seek out material (and authors that identify in a variety of ways) based in facts and verified data. We also need to continue to trust our teachers to do their jobs. There are many injustices that have occurred throughout our history and still occur today. This can be difficult to hear. However, when we attempt to censor these parts of our history, we are doing a disservice, particularly to our BIPOC students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities.
BrandOn M. Shurr, District 7
Did not participate in survey. Running unopposed. Incumbent.
Additional Information
Summary of school board candidate forum from the University Alliance for Racial Justice.
Interested in other races and forums? See League of Women Voters webpage.
Vote411.org is an informative website. Enter your address, it will show you all the races and questions you can vote on and provide information on candidates too.
Summary of school board candidate forum from the University Alliance for Racial Justice.
Interested in other races and forums? See League of Women Voters webpage.
Vote411.org is an informative website. Enter your address, it will show you all the races and questions you can vote on and provide information on candidates too.