Questionnaire for Tooele Education Association

The Tooele Education Association invited all school board candidates to fill out a survey to share with their members. While some of this information is repeated in other parts of this site, some is new, and might be the answer you're looking for! As always, please reach out with your own questions, I'd love to answer them. As this survey was submitted specifically for a teacher audience, maybe you're wondering how this applies to you as a parent and/or taxpayer. I'd love to chat about it. (EmilyForTooeleSchools@gmail.com)

Note: This post is pre-dated to allow more fundamental posts to be above it on the website. Today is October 12, 2022. 

When I was a teacher in the public schools . . . fun fact, that stuffed pig ended up to be so beloved by my son most of his stuffing has come out. :)

Complete questionnaire, as submitted to TEA:

1. Tell us about yourself.

My husband and I moved to Tooele County 15 years ago, and we have fallen in

love with the community feel here. We have 6 children ranging from 1st-11th

grade, that are very active in school sports, dance, and music. I love fitness,

being outdoors, traveling, reading, and getting to know people. I am a teacher,

and I am fascinated by how people learn. I enjoy researching issues and finding

creative solutions to problems.

2. What is your education experience?

I received my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Brigham

Young University. I also minored in Teaching English to Speakers of Other

Languages, which earned me the Utah K-12 TESOL endorsement.

I taught Kindergarten in Provo School District and learned firsthand how

wonderful and difficult being a full time teacher can be. Some notable

experiences I had while teaching:

● I was my school's Numeracy Coordinator. I was responsible for

professional development in math for the teachers in our building,

participated in additional math training and conferences myself, and was a

part of a district mathematics curriculum adoption. This adoption effort

lasted two years and allowed me to observe mathematics instruction

across the state. I was appointed as a district K-2 curriculum trainer before

I left the district to move to Tooele County.

● I participated on the district Kindergarten committee. We discussed issues

specifically related to Kindergarten in the district, including assessment

procedures.

● I served as our school's representative for the Provo Education

Association, which is the Provo affiliate of the Utah Education Association.

● Since my Utah Teaching License was issued, it has always remained

current. I have attended workshops and conferences and taken online

classes to be eligible for license renewal every 5 years. This has kept me

informed about new research and best current practices in the classroom.

When I moved to Tooele County, I took on raising my children as my primary

job. However, I have always remained teaching in some capacity. I have

taught preschool, taught English online, and tutored elementary students.

In 2020 Tooele Education Foundation asked me to help distribute information

and answer questions about the bond proposal on the ballot that fall. In this

capacity, I worked with school and community leadership all over the county

to learn of the problems faced in the schools and possible solutions. I was

able to talk with finance experts and ask difficult questions. I spent many

hours researching laws, policies, and school district history. I then found

ways to present my findings to the public.

I am currently working as a guest teacher in Tooele County School District. It

is wonderful to get to know the teachers, staff, and parents in our schools

and see their joys and challenges.

One thing I have learned through my experience in education is I can never

stop learning! Each student, teacher, and parent has their own story and their

own needs. Each interaction I have teaches me something new and helps

inform my ideas of what good policy would look like for the district. If elected

as a member of the school board, that will continue to be true. I want to use

our collective experience to make our schools the best they can be.

3. Why are you running for Tooele County School District Board of Education?

What special strength(s) can you offer to the District?

When I saw that my district representative would not be running for another term,

I considered the experiences I’ve had with education and our community. I

realized I am in a unique position to see educational issues from many different

perspectives, and that serving on the school board would be a great way for me

to serve our county.

I have learned not to assume anything about why people do the things they do.

My strength is that instead of leaning into my own perspective or assuming a

situation is a certain way, I do research. I read online, I look to experts and policy

makers, I ask various parties involved in situations, and try to get a more clear

picture of what is going on. I am very research driven, but also I realize there is a

human element that isn’t captured in data, and listening to people’s experiences

is also important to me.

4. The Tooele Education Association [TEA] is committed to Shared Governance.

Shared Governance promotes that all parties affected by a decision should

participate in the decision-making process. How do you see your role as a Board

member to help facilitate the Shared Governance process in schools and District

departments?

This is a principle I absolutely believe in. I was encouraged by the newsletter the

district sent out last week, sharing highlights of the latest board meetings. While

the meetings have long been available online, making sure patrons are getting

information in ways that is digestible to them is an important step in giving more

people a window into the decision making process. I see my role beginning as an

observer - checking to see what processes are in place to facilitate Shared

Governance. Then, as a questioner - asking all parties what is working for them,

and where they hope to see improvement. Then finally, as an advocate - making

sure that all voices involved in an issue are heard, speaking up when they are

not, and finding solutions to make sure they are.

5. TEA and District Administration have committed to a collaborative

relationship. Explain what support you can bring to this relationship moving

forward with District leadership?

I view TEA and District Administration as a team with a common goal - to provide

our children with the best education possible given the constraints we have as a

district. I have been in the teacher role. As a member of the board I will gain

insights into the financial and personnel resources we have as a district, and plan

to work closely with District Administration to understand their role. I believe my

team mentality and insights into what everyone is trying to accomplish will

strengthen the relationship between TEA and District Administration.

6. If you are elected to the Tooele County School District Board of Education,

what are your top 3 priorities?

1. Teacher retention and hiring. - Teachers are the backbone of the entire

educational system. They are in a position to make the most impact on

students day in and day out. There are many programs and curricula that

would be wonderful to have our students participate in, but without

teachers, none of them will work. Our district has made great gains in

increasing teacher pay these last few years, and this should continue to be

in the forefront of our minds. However, we also need to look into working

conditions for teachers. What will make them want to come teach with us,

and what will make them want to stay? We can look at policy at a district

level as well as work with our friends in the legislature to make

improvements.

2. Managing and planning for growth. - Tooele County is growing at a rapid

rate, as it has been for several years. We want to learn from our successes

and mistakes, as well as look to other districts to see the best ways to

provide a quality education for all students while welcoming in a large

volume of new ones.

3. Personally understanding district finances - I want to thoroughly

understand district finances so that I will be making informed decisions. I

have had the opportunity to talk in depth with Lark Reynolds regarding the

school bond issue, and asked him many questions at that point. It was very

enlightening to see some of the constraints we are working with. I may

have ideas about priorities, writing for grants, etc, but I won’t know what is

possible until I see what is in place and what has been tried.

7. How will you keep communication open with your constituents, employees,

and TEA?

I plan to keep my Facebook page updated regarding my general activities and

major issues being considered. I also plan to be responsive to emails by setting

aside specific times each day to review and respond. I plan to attend community

council for each school at least once per year (there are 12 schools in my

district). I am open to ideas from all parties regarding what they would like to see

and what has been successful in the past.