Name: Jeremy Wright

Occupation: Corrections Officer at Stafford Creek Corrections Center

Relevant Experience: No Prior Political Experience

1. What standards would you use to assess whether the Aberdeen School District is succeeding, and by those standards, how is it doing?

Conventional wisdom would tell you that graduation rates and test scores would be the best method of measuring whether a school district is succeeding. The mandate for the district is to prepare our children for success after school. The most recent released statistics will tell you that the Aberdeen School District is graduating students at a rate of close to 80%. However, our math and reading proficiency marks fall short of the state average, so in that regard, we are failing our students, and could absolutely do better.

Another less empirical method to gauge success is to look at the relationship the district has with the staff which it employs and the community which it serves. One complaint I’ve often heard is that staff members do not feel supported by district leadership. Some have shared their perspectives aren’t sought and their ideas aren’t fully valued. An effort needs to be made to improve the relationship between our teachers and administrators. In that same vein, I’ve attended some recent school board meetings which were very emotionally charged. It was very apparent that many parents in our district felt as if their questions and comments were falling on deaf ears. A better job needs to be done in cultivating a positive relationship between the community and the current administration and school board, creating a climate of trust and unified purpose.

2. In terms of priorities, what direction would you as a school board member give to the Superintendent?

I would consider myself a pretty involved parent, with children in all four grade levels (Pre-K, elementary, junior high and high school). Still, I realize there are many, many things I could learn about this school district. We have 10 different schools and a budget of over 40 million dollars. We have over 200 teachers and over 3,500 students. With all the moving parts and the complexities of this district (the largest in the county) I feel it would take some time gaining perspective as a board member before I could answer this question with certainty.

That being said, I can definitely say that our district can and should do a better job at communicating with the voting public. A lack of complete transparency has led to a climate of distrust. I would also encourage the Superintendent to make a point of establishing ties and partnerships. Several people have expressed they view the Superintendent as a figurehead, not a member of our community.

3. Collectively, the Legislature takes the position that its new funding methods satisfy a state Supreme Court order to adequately fund basic education. How do you see it?

While the state has made some gains in funding education in Washington state, it is obvious they have not adequately addressed the funding inequalities which exist. In some cases, it appears that the funding model has made some worse off, particularly those in low-income areas. The state needs to take a look at ways to distribute those education dollars in a more equitable fashion.

This is a complicated issue which is difficult to navigate. The overall dollars from the state seem to be less of an issue than how those dollars get to the individual districts. By limiting how schools can generate funds at the local level, with levy caps and less help to districts with low property values, more challenges have been created in many areas. The state needs to look at this and revise the formula which determines education funding.