New candidates

[lena]

I think it's great that we have some qualified candidates running for the school board this year! I'm wondering, though...is there a fourth person running to fill the remaining term of Dan Batcher?

[kidscount]

wow!

just read the bios on the new candidates. if i were able to run, i would be very intimidated by their qualifications!

i would have been just as excited if they were just breathing and understood that cedar falls kids MUST come first. i do hope their positions reflect that fact.

the residents of cedar falls must get behind these new candidates.

i know i will be writing a check today to help defray the costs of cedar falls kids first work on this issue!

[my kids]

Well I must say I am happy to see some fresh qualified blood in for the running for school board. It is time for a changing of the guard. Some of these people have been on the board for 10 plus yrs. We need to look to the furture growth of CF and make some hard but practical choices for the schools!!!!!!

[forthekids]

10 years? Some of the current board members have been on for more than 20! I am anxious to hear more from the new candidates at the meet and greet on Sunday. Yes, they have the analytical backgrounds to make sound decisions and they have children in school--important. The current board has just lost touch with reality, and we have a superintendent and elem. ed director that are transplants to the area and just don't have an interest in or grasp of our long-term needs.

We need new board members that can get some open and honest discussion going when big decisions need to be made. We need board members who will listen and be proactive in meeting the needs of this district. Yes, a contribution to CF Kids First and then votes for change!

[kidscount]

in a posting from the iowa assoc. of school board's website, which quotes board member senchina exclusively, it talks about how important longevity is for it's members.

"WHILE SOMEONE NEW TO THE SCHOOL BOARD CAN CERTAINLY LEARN HOW SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED, HOW THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS IMPACTS LOCAL SCHOOLS, THE MANY ROLES SCHOOLS TAKE ON, AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOARD MEMBERS, IT TAKES SEVERAL TERMS TO TRULY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE INTER-RELATIONSHIPS THESE TOPICS HAVE."

several terms? i understand there is a learning curve when thrust into any new situations, but several terms? the president of the united states is only allowed two terms to serve in total.

are they saying via this article that serving on the school board in cedar falls, iowa is more complicated and harder than being president of the united states??? or are the current members just slow....learners?

being on the school board is not like serving on the supreme court. it is not a life time position, until death do us part. that is why there are terms and elections every four years.

if new members are never elected when are new members going to learn how it is run? that is why the terms are staggered. to allow some continuity, while bringing in new members.

when there was a vacancy on this board, giving them an opportunity to bring in some new blood, perhaps even someone who had been coming to the board meetings and showing an interest in how things are done, did they? NO! they brought in another old crony that had already served on the board previously for 20 years!!!

this is a case of cronyism at it's worst!

why is this board so protective of it's position?? what is really going on behind closed doors?? what are they afraid of, by bringing in new members???

[v8cmt4k]

Wow where does a person start, the president, did you just compare this position to the Commander and Chief. If you are so interested now, why have these current members been running un-oppossed so many times. Now that some hard decisions had to be made and they weren't made to your satisfaction you get involved. The Cedar Falls Parents First website and its CRONY's are questioning everything now and moving there children to different schools and making some snap decisions, is this what we want in a board member, I think not.

[CF Mon]

I did some research....none of the challengers are CFKF directors / spokespersons/ founders/ etc.

IF they have garnished the support of any organization does not mean they belong to that organization...maybe that is something you do not understand about "polictics"

Why don't you ask the current board which neighborhood is the next to move..Royal oak....Ridges..Boaver Hills...because someone is getting moved....one of the incumbants has said so publicly!

[cf schools]

To v8cmt4k...I don't understand your post at all.

Did you actually read the post above yours before you refered to it?

Did you maybe misunderstand it? I don't think it was comparing the presidency to the school board. At least I didn't get that at all.

[kidscount]

the question has come up as to why the sudden interest and involvement with the school board when they have run unchallenged and been re-elected so many times.

i can only speak for myself.

if you don't eat meat, you most likely don't know the price of a pound of hamburger. unless something involves you directly, more often than not, you do not pay attention.

since up until last year i did not have students in school, i really didn't pay attention. i am not using that as an excuse, just stating facts. i should have been, obviously.

now i am paying attention and asking questions. i would think the present board would want some relief from the heavy burden they have so valiantly carried all these many many years.

even a loaf of bread, with preservatives added, goes stale after so long.

BTW, it is CEDAR FALLS "KIDS" FIRST

[NC mom]

I attended the last school board debate 9-4. I was very glad to hear them all speak. I must say, I think it is totally true that to be a qualified, respectable board member, these new candidates should have been pursuing this by being involved with board meetings throughout the past years. You can't just jump in on something like this and expect people to be comfortable with you taking over such a large responsibility. I believe all of the candidates can easily work together to gradually blend new with the old over time. I am very disappointed in how schools prioritize subjects however. Kids are losing their individuality as art, PE, music, etc are all being pushed aside for math, science, foreign languages, etc. I strongly disagree when the new candidates continuously stressed "Great, not just good" when is enough enough? What happened to simplicity, and being happy with what we have. Not "more is better". What is that teaching kids? Doesn't the greed in this world need to stop? We need to stop it with these next generations. They need to be taught that ALL jobs are important. Not just being an engineer, CEO, doctor, etc. Maybe not all kids want to be engineers or whatever other big wig positions are out there. There is no FUN!!!! no CAREFREE SPIRIT!!! anymore. It is always push, push, push to be the best. I despise the phrase "you can always do better". That is so untrue. What about "be happy with what you have". I also want to clear up that all the parents I am in contact with feel NC is a wonderful school and has not been neglected over the years. We don't want new development to come out here. That is why we live here, for the peace and quiet and simplicity. We live simple content lives here and deserve to keep our neighborhood school. Our kids will adjust however to whatever happens because we will make ALL of their experiences positive. If kids can't deal with change, how will they survive in the future.

[CF Dad]

I attended the debate and here is what I walked away with.

"Good to Great" is setting the expectation high. Children can and will achieve to that level you expect of them. They have the ability, it can be a matter of what goals we help them achieve. Ask any great coach, average players can and will do great things. Average students can and will achieve great success, no matter what career path they pursue. If they want to be a mechanic, let's teach them at a young age to strive to be the "Best Mechanic" they are capable of being, good is fine, great will take them to the next level. Let's not dumb down our children, let's help them reach their full potential.

The Three challengers most certainly articulated that they never have been and are not "single issue candidates", a concept Joyce Coil refuses to accept though herself admits is why she first got involved in the school board process, in webster dictionary this is defined as a hyporcite

I was spell bounded how proud Dr. Kenyon, Coil and Hamilton were with the 70k investment in new lights and tiles for NC. Never once did they commit to future "specific" investment into NC. NC was/ is suppose to get a new front entrance/ addition, as discussed several years ago. Why the delay? With 23 plus million, why have they not committed any to NC.

Kenyon states all our building are equal in parity and technology offerings. Why than are they so afraid to adopt a policy that increases NC enrollment numbers by directing open enrolled students to NC? Sounds like double talk to many.

No matter what you thought of the debate, all but Joyce Coil came across as professional and respectful, Coil at times was very mean spirited and arrogant, as if the challengers have to answer to her and meet her requirements for being elegible to run for school board. She was also wrong about the class sizes for K-3 requirement as correctly stated by Mr. Cornish, guess she has not checked with the state on that issue.

She also got a lot of her numbers wrong, but that may be been nerves.

Tuesday should be interesting, no matter what the results, the three challengers displayed great leadership and professionalism and have gotten many younger parents involved in their school districts, they are great Americans

[linnea]

CF Dad writes: Why than are they so afraid to adopt a policy that increases NC enrollment numbers by directing open enrolled students to NC?

The board's policy *did* direct more OE students to North Cedar this year than in previous years. They chose not to move OE kids when there is in fact room for them at the school they now attend.

[Parent in CF]

I was not able to attend last Thursday's candidate forum, however I did watch on CFU channel 15. Most of the candidates, incumbents and those running, were very professional and informed. I felt the 3 challengers did a tremendous job of addressing the assumption that they were single-issue candidates. I think they would all be great additions to the board of education - new ideas and viewpoints are a good thing - challenge the status quo!

I was put off by Coil's remarks and her demeanor. She seemed to be very vindictive and angry towards the 3 new candidates. It is understandable that resentment may still exist, but to display it at the forum was unacceptable. Is that the kind of leadership that will best serve the children of Cedar Falls? Anger and vindictiveness? I, for one, do not think so - watching the forum solidified my vote on the 9th! Yes to new, no to "old".

[cfproud]

Joyce Coil did a tremendous job at the forum. She is not afraid to confront the tough issues and she does it in way that is respectful and thought out. She was very prepared for the forum as she is for every board meeting. Joyce was involved as a parent volunteer and then a committee volunteer and attended many board meetings before she became a member. She did not try to start at the top without any experience. She is very caring and responsible and is not afraid to ask hard questions to difficult situations. She is a very effective board member!!!

[Election Results]

Another day in Cedar Falls - more of the same for the school district? I hope the board truly will listen to a few new ideas from the public, not only listen but seriously weigh the pros and cons of everything they act upon - regardless if it is a new idea or one that the district has implemented for years, and regardless of where the idea originates.

The board's first mission needs to work on "mending the fences" in the community - the election results show how great the divide actually is - there are a lot of CF residents not happy about the direction the district is going.

To the three that challenged the incumbents, congratulations on a job well done - you may not have won the election, but you all opened eyes in the community. 2009 will be another year that change is needed, hold on to your hopes and dreams for the future of the Cedar Falls School District.

I, sadly, will be moving my family out of Cedar Falls to a district with a concrete plan for the immediate and distant future, a solid vision of what the future holds. Given the election results, Cedar Falls appears to be in a mode of shifting things around until something comes up that might work for a while, and then shifting some more without a true goal in mind. Every school district has trials and tribulations, the real test is to see how the powers-that-be handle those issues and use what has been learned to better the district for the children and the children's children. What is Cedar Falls' plan?