Today is election day in Southwest Missouri. Area residents at the polls will vote on new city council members and determine whether city and municipal bonds will pass. One of the elections to look out for, however, are the two vacant seats on the Joplin School Board.
There are four candidates campaigning for the two seats.
KRPS's Rachel Schnelle interviewed the four candidates about their reasons for running and goals if elected.
Schnelle started the interview by asking candidate Thomas Ross why he decided to run for school board for the first time.
For clarity, the interview has been modified.
SCHNELLE: Why do you want to run for Joplin School board?
ROSS: I chose to run for Joplin School Board after many people had kept contacting me, asking me to see if I could help to resolve issues within the education system, and I wasn't really too well versed in it at the time. But the more I dug into it, the more I realized something needed to be done. The way things are currently are not functioning best for the children. And their future and their education. And with two children, my own too soon injured. I knew it was of high priority to get things resolved, so I decided to throw my hat in the ring and try to get things fixed.
SCHNELLE: What are your campaign goals?
ROSS: Campaign goals as far as fiscal responsibility transparency, try to get the education system back online in Joplin, kids are not really being fully prepared for the future, and even though they graduate, that's a great thing. I don't believe that many have the educational push to get where they need to go in life
SCHNELLE: You said the education system back online. What did you mean by that?
ROSS: Getting it back to where we are teaching the children, not just trying to get them to pass a test, and many say it as they are teaching children to the test that is standardized testing, and it is kind of been a wishy-washy complicated issue. Back when I was in school nearly 20 years ago, it was a measure of how well the teachers are doing. But it wasn't done every year. It isn't something that was draining the students and having the teachers teach to that test. It was more of just a measure of understanding. Now it's become something that controls the teachers and what they teach and how they teach. It's such a drawn-up issue that many fear not getting all of their students across the finish line with the tests and honestly, no way can we measure every student the same. We're not all cookie cutter kids in the world.
SCHNELLE: If elected, what would be something that you would want to accomplish?
ROSS: I would want to expand the early learning programs for children under the age of kindergarten, so the preschool programs, I think every school should have at least one preschool classroom and many people don't have the availability to get their children learning at such a young age. And it is of high priority to do so because in the first few years of life from the ages of three to five. Children develop their functions of social development and how they learn, and it's of high priority to make sure we get things kick started as fast as possible so that kids can learn better, faster, quicker and interact with society better.
SCHNELLE: What do you want people to know about?
ROSS: I'm a simple person. At the end of the day, I'm a father, a husband. I just really want to do what's best for the community. I'm involved in several nonprofits. I'm a vice president of a local nonprofit here in Joplin. And I just want to make sure that my time is best spent making the future better for everyone.
SCHNELLE: I was wondering if elected to Joplin School Board, how would you address the growing homeless population within the schools
ROSS: That is something that I really have just started to touch on because I didn't realize it was so wide enveloped in the community as far as the schools go, we had Vita Nova, our building, a small transitional housing community so that those who are in the community with children can have a place to stay, a roof over their heads. And get their feet back under them without having the costs without having the headache. You know it's just about making sure that their futures are bright, and their children can get back into schools. I would love to work with Joplin schools if elected. To try to make that easier to work with other local nonprofits to get those children the help they need, the transportation they need and the family and parents, the help they need to make sure that their children have the best future possible.
Today is election day - to find more information about ballots, poll sites and hours - click here.
You can learn more about Ross's campaign on his Facebook page.
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