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Name:
Julie Aitken
What office are you seeking?
Sterling School Board Member
What is your political party?
Candidate did not respond.
What is your current age?
53
Occupation and employer:
National Account Executive for The Mail Group
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
I have been a member of the Sterling School Board since August 2020, and I am currently Treasurer.
City:
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Classics, Denison University, 1993.
Community Involvement:
Volunteer Girls Tennis Coach from 2014 through present.
SHS Boosters from 2021 through present.
PEO, Chapter JL from 2006 through present.
Marital status/Immediate family:
Happily married for 30 years this year! Two daughters, 23 and 17. One graduated from SHS in 2020 and the other is a senior this year.
Questions:
Sterling Public Schools' goals call for improving student proficiency rates across various subjects by 2027. SPS plans to raise the percentage of students scoring proficient or excellent on state English/language arts assessments from 26.3% in 2023 to 45% and on math assessments from 21.2% to 40%. Additionally, it aims to increase the percentage of kindergarten students demonstrating math readiness from 9% to 25%. What do you believe the board’s role is in attaining those goals?
As a board we support Dr. Tad Everett and his team to hire the best possible teachers and staff to motivate our students to achieve higher assessment scores. We also help implement the best curriculum possible for our students to promote their success. By maintaining our strong fiscal resources, we allow the district to retain the best talent and teach as effectively as possible. At the end of the day, we want each of our schools to have the necessary tools to reach the best educational outcomes for our students.
Sterling’s high school and middle school are undergoing major renovations and are developing a plan for future projects. Are there any specific facilities needs that you would like to see addressed as those plans are made?
We are working to make all of our buildings as safe as possible.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
Our District, under the leadership of Dr. Everett, is following all state and federal laws in regard to immigration. I support the leadership and direction provided by Dr. Everett.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
Following our school policy, cell phones can be used before and after school and during lunch. In some classes, they are a useful tool to help look up information, but that should be left to the discretion of the teacher.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
Yes, I do think that cell phone policies should allow for exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes. The exceptions should be defined by building leadership and individual teachers for what is acceptable in their individual classrooms.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
Using cell phones to enhance the educational experience can be advantageous. But parents need to monitor cell phone use and content searches to ensure that students are using their phones in an appropriate manner. It is never acceptable for students to use their cell phones to access inappropriate content or bully other students in or out of school hours.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
All of these documents are published on our District website. The public is always invited to attend our monthly board meetings.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
When it has been appropriate, the District has sent out surveys to parents and community members to get feedback on curriculum or policy changes. Prior to moving forward with a big change, we discuss the topic for several months in advance at our board meetings. The public is always encouraged to attend.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
I do not believe in the banning of books. Books should not be banned in public schools or public libraries. I do believe that content should be age appropriate in an educational environment, and our teachers do a great job in determining what is appropriate for their classrooms.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
In our District, we work very hard to approve funds to maintain the best possible class sizes for all of our students. Our financial health has allowed us to add teachers where and when needed.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
I do believe that we are allocating the proper funds to maintain our teaching excellence throughout the district. Dr. Dail has been instrumental in designing a program that attracts former SPS students to use their teaching degrees to teach within our District and as a result we are hiring the best candidates. We are also promoting growth from within our District by helping interested staff members get their teaching degrees.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
Any constituent is able to contact me at any time by emailing me through my SPS account. All board member emails are listed on our website. I am frequently approached by Sterling residents at SPS school functions or throughout the community.