This is the fifth 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.
What is the most pressing issue facing your school district today and how as a board member will you address this concern?
Collette Evans, loan originator
The past several years have been challenging for education as we are still feeling the effects of the pandemic through learning loss and teacher shortages. We must renew our efforts to determine learning deficiencies and address them with parental involvement and individualized attention to bridge the gaps. We must adjust any policies or procedures that inhibit innovative solutions and re-emphasize the vital portions of the curricula and implement them with integrity. I wish I had the golden ticket answer on how to address the teacher shortage. I think we first need to learn how to value our educators and staff in addition to offering competitive salaries. I would like to see GPS provide more of the necessary school supplies for teachers and keep district paperwork to a minimum to show teachers we value their time in the classroom. I would also like our district to be more intentional in soliciting positive feedback from parents and students in order to encourage the good things that are happening on our campuses.
Jill Humpherys, incumbent, homemaker
The most pressing issue Gilbert Public Schools faces is retaining and recruiting teachers and other employees. While I have served on the GPS School Board, we have been able to provide competitive pay for employees. We also provide a culture of support and appreciation for employees, and we value their input. Our Governor and legislature must show support for our public schools through both words and actions. I am very active in following legislation, using Request to Speak, and testifying before committees as a private citizen to encourage support of our public schools.
Trina Jonas, small business owner
Like most of the country, the most pressing issue facing our district today is the post-COVID “learning loss” and the mental and emotional health consequences that the past few years have had on our children. Numerous studies show that overall student math and reading scores have had their steepest decline in decades due to the decision to close schools and/or alter learning formats because of COVID. I also know firsthand from volunteering in my own children’s schools that staff have been dealing not just with academic issues, but with behavior issues and lack of communication skills. There is also a dramatic increase in children seeking help from the school mental health counselors. One of the first steps in addressing this crisis is assessment and figuring out which kids need help, then developing strategies for each child to get them back on track. I know the district has been working on this already. The strategies that have been tried over this past year need to be evaluated and additional strategies may need to be employed. We also need updated assessments to see what progress has been made and how much further we have to go. For example, some tools like the online tutoring that the district has rolled out could be a successful strategy to helping a large number of students, but I think there needs to be more education on how to use this tool and parent education and support in implementation.
In terms of the mental health aspect, we need additional help and support from our campus counselors. I would also look for more professional feedback from them as to what specific problems they are seeing and how we can course correct. I also think limiting the use of cell phones during the school day can help support teachers' efforts in teaching the children to communicate face to face again and be more present and interactive during their school day.
I know graduating during the pandemic was very stressful for so many families. I think we need improvement in helping students plan for career and technical training. The district has so many options available, but I don’t think everyone has been able to learn about them or utilize them.
This is a monumental challenge that won’t be fixed overnight. This will require all stakeholders to come together to find and successfully implement a remedy.
Chad Thompson, real estate investment franchise owner
The most pressing issue facing our students today is the shift away from academic achievement. Since the return of full-time, in-person learning, it seems that our schools want to focus on almost anything except education. Programs infused with political and social bias like Social Emotional Learning, Comprehensive Sex Education, and the Whole Child approach to education, has taken a front seat in the classroom. Academic achievement must be the priority in every classroom at every level.
The most pressing issue facing our teachers is the overwhelming amount of unnecessary tracking and reporting of student data. Curricula and programs sold as an aid to teachers are resulting in less and less time during the day to plan lessons and prepare lesson materials. We must unburden our teachers and give them the time they need to be as effective as possible in the classroom.
Tom Blodgett Senior News Editor | Gilbert @sp_blodgett
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).
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