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Name: Ryan Weckerly
Age: 45
Town: Sycamore
Office sought: Sycamore School Board Member
Occupation: Owner MorningStar Media Group Ltd
Education: BA in Mass Communications
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanweckerlyforSYCschoolboard/
Questions:
• Why are you running for school board?
Sycamore is my home – it is where I grew up, went to school, and where I chose to return after college to start my career, expand MorningStar Media Group, and start my family with my wife, Karen. As a local business owner, I feel strongly that it's my responsibility as a leader to devote my time and resources to making our community a better place for all of our citizens, young and old.
• What can the school board do to reduce the property tax burden on homeowners?
While the totality of property taxes is decided outside of the school board control, it is the School Board's responsibility to comport itself in a fiscally responsible manner, avoid deficits, and put the needs of our students and teachers at the forefront of every fiscal decision.
• At what level should students have electronic devices assigned to them for school use? How much further should the district go in implementing 1:1 technology?
All students should have access to technology. However, I’d encourage a thoughtful and intentional approach to the implementation of a District-wide 1:1 tech program. For student performance to approximate student potential, students need access to a constantly evolving array of technological tools and activities that demand problem solving, decision-making, teamwork, and innovation.
“Screen time” simply has no proven safe level and we must keep our students safe. That being said, we must prepare our students for careers in technology.
This question drives into the question the board recently considered regarding whether to provide Chromebooks for each student grade 9-12. So far that issue has been painted with a broad brush. Many Sycamore students do have exceptional technology provided for them by their parents/guardians; however, those that don’t absolutely need access to current technology to provide an open playing field for all. I believe further District-wide research needs to be done, and more questions asked of the teachers and parents. I would like to see a cost comparison analysis of switching from books to tablets. From a larger District-wide view, I believe we need to enhance information literacy and digital citizenship curriculums at all age levels to ensure our children are best prepared for the technological world. While the Internet is an amazing resource, we need to help teach our students how to decipher fact from opinion, and be aware of and have a specific, actionable plan in place to address Internet/cyberbullying, if this were to result from 1:1 technology.
• As revenue becomes more of a challenge, many districts resort to increasing fees for students. What is an appropriate balance between student fees and district-provided services?
Our school district will continue to find itself facing a state budget that is under fiscal duress. Our School Board will continue to be called upon to strategically and thoughtfully address the chronic shifting of state-appropriated dollars and calling on parents to help bridge the gaps with fees. Overall, the key is for our School Board to ensure that every expenditure continues to deliver an exceptional educational experience for our students in an environment that has multiple demands on limited resources. We need to be lean and frugal with the dollars we are provided, critically question each proposal that comes before the board regarding how it impacts the students, and potentially their families.
• Superintendent Kathy Countryman plans to retire at the end of the 2019-‘20 school year. What qualities will you look for in a new leader, and what is an appropriate length of contract for a superintendent?
Superintendent Countryman benefited from active mentorship for years before becoming the leader of the Sycamore school district. The Superintendent candidate that follows Superintendent Countryman should have a solid foundation and background in public school administration, with a demonstrated pattern of success with a collaborative approach to working with teachers, staff, parents, the School Board, and administrators. It would be my recommendation to initially extend a 3-year contract to a new Superintendent, with a clause to review an extension after 18 months.
• What other challenges do you expect the district to face in the next four years, and how will you help solve them?
I anticipate that Sycamore 427 will see the same challenges as many other districts in the state, the greatest of which being with our people and assets. We’ve been significantly challenged by a state financial crisis, which required that our district work in a deficit that current leadership put in place for good reasons. It’s time that this deficit be addressed, reduced, and eliminated in many of the same ways that we as individuals handle a similar financial situation - through putting the budgeted dollars to the places needed most immediately, and paying down debts.