GPS board candidates talk about communicating with public

By Tom Blodgett
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Twitter: @sp_blodgett

This is the seventh in a series of questions asked of Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board candidates. Voters will decide among these four candidates for the two open four-year seats on the board.  

The past several years school boards across the state have received a great amount of attention and criticism. What will you do to improve communication between the school board and members of the public? 

Collette Evans, loan originator 

In addition to being readily accessible to the public, I think it is critical that we solicit feedback as often and as appropriately as possible. It’s easy to live in an “echo chamber” where we only hear voices similar to our own. We need to specifically and intentionally reach out and listen to those whose views differ from our own to enlarge our perspective. 

Jill Humpherys, incumbent, homemaker 

To better help parents and the community understand district public education, this year I have written a monthly column called "Public Education Works!" and published it on my Facebook page www.Facebook.com/JillHumpherysforGilbertSchoolBoard/. I have addressed topics where some constituents may need more information. Titles include: Your Vote Counts, How What is Taught in the Classroom Decided Upon, Why Your District School is a Cornerstone of Democracy, and What is Public Comment and How to Use It.  

During the pandemic, GPS Superintendent Dr. Shane McCord and principals stepped up communication with weekly newsletters emailed to parents. Our work now is to provide enough communication with parents without overwhelming them. While we have made great strides in communication, we are always working to do better. 

Trina Jonas, small business owner 

I think much of the criticism surrounding school boards is due to lack of transparency, communication, and in some cases, a lack of empathy (particularly when board members do not have kids in school or the district and don’t feel the challenges and/or pain of a particular policy or decision). As a school board member, I would constantly seek feedback from all stakeholders so that I can better represent them. As a parent of three Gilbert Public School students who are very involved, I have constant feedback and communication from families, students and teachers, and it happens naturally. Through my volunteer efforts over the past nine years here in Gilbert, I have developed relationships with parent leaders at campuses across the district, as well as served on many committees with teachers and administrators that I call friends. I would definitely continue to seek feedback from across the district on an ongoing basis. I understand that parents and staff are very busy and sometimes it’s very hard to follow along or attend the board meetings. To address this, I will also be sending out a monthly newsletter summarizing the board's activities/actions. People can reply directly to the newsletter with feedback as well so there can be two-way communication. I will focus on effectively communicating so that there’s a greater understanding of what’s going on so that we can all work together to make our district the best it can possibly be. 

Chad Thompson, real estate investment franchise owner 

Transparency is critical in establishing trust between the board and the public. This sacred trust has been fractured in recent years by actions taken by the school board that are in direct opposition to public demands and sentiment. My role as a board member is to listen to parents and create policies that reflect what parents want in regard to the education of their children. 

Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert
@sp_blodgett

tblodgett@iniusa.org

Meet Tom
Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.

Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.

Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism. 

Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.  

Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).