Tony Ghazel Responds to Orcas Issues Questions for School District Director Position #2

Tony Ghazel

Orcas Issues asked candidates for elective races to respond to questions. Bob  Connell’s and Tony Ghazel’s answers are featured today.

Candidates for the School Board Director Position #1, Jim Sullivan and Chris Sutton, responded to the same questions on  Oct. 1, 2009.

Candidates for the Park and Recreation District Position #1 (Marian O’Brien and Vicki Vandermay) will respond to questions tomorrow.

For further information on each candidate, contained in the Official Voters Guide, go to the official San Juan County website:

https://wei.secstate.wa.gov/sanjuan/Pages/OnlineVotersGuide_20091103.aspx

Readers will be able to refer back to the candidates’ answers on previous days by typing their name in the “Search” window at the top of the website.

1)      What in your experience and vision brings you to put yourself forth as a candidate for the five-member Orcas Island School District board?

My vision for our school and students is to create an innovative and challenging learning environment with high expectations for student learning and the commitment to creating conditions for student and staff success throughout the district.  Being an active member of the Orcas community as a school board member, school volunteer, serving in the community as a Lion and active in Orcas Community church life, helping the school as past treasurer of the Orcas Island Education Foundation and many other involvements, has enabled me to connect with all segments of the Orcas community where I have and I am able to advocate for our schools.  In addition, I have been involved at the legislative level, collaborating with other boards in lobbying the legislators for full funding and other legislative issues that concern our district.

2)      What do you consider the most important responsibilities of the School Board? Please state your unique abilities to fulfill those responsibilities, including the number of hours you envision working as a School Board director, both in and outside of public meetings.

The most important responsibility of a school board is to be a responsible school district leader, committed to high expectations for student learning, creating conditions for student and staff success throughout the district and engaging the community in education.  I take these responsibilities seriously and have committed many hours a week fulfilling these responsibilities.  I have many years experience in business and community leadership, I have advocated for the district’s plight and success at local organizations meetings, made time to communicate with school board colleagues throughout the state to leverage our position with the legislators and most importantly I love our students and staff and I have a track record of successes dealing with school district issues.

3)      The School District will be proposing a construction bond in an election in February 2010, estimated to be around $25,000,000. If you are elected to the School Board, what points will you include in advising voters to approve the bond?

I have coined the phrase Orcas Island Education and Activities Center to reflect what I see to be the end result of a proposed bond election.  I will be communicating the benefits of a campus that will enhance the lives of the citizens of our communities by being the center of education for our K-12 and beyond students, providing career and life-long-learning skills for students of all ages, classes could include: computer technology, culinary arts, wood shop skills, auto shop and more.  The stakeholders have been involved in the discussion from day one, their proposed improvements and replacements of buildings will adhere to LEED building standards and sustainability, the involvement of local contractors and other professionals will be my priority as well as getting the best value for our construction dollar. Finally, I want to be a careful steward of the taxpayers’ generosity by making sure that the cost will be kept to the minimum.

4)      The School District has had three superintendents in the past three years. Please comment on the relationship between the District Superintendent and the Board and how you think the board can best work with the Superintendent.

As a board we have only one employee and that is the superintendent. I believe that the current superintendent, Barbara Kline, a longtime member of the Orcas Island School District family, had been the MS/HS Principal and an advocate of her school and now has taken on the responsibilities of superintendent with gusto and enthusiasm.  The relationship between the board and superintendent is quite healthy.  I think that the governing board should allow the superintendent to perform the job that she is tasked with, be available for support, exchange of ideas and absolutely not meddle or micromanage.  If there are corrections to be made they should come from the whole governing board as directives.

5)      The Orcas School District has grappled with under-funding from the state for basic education, and has called upon the support of community organizations to assist it in maintaining programs and staff. What are your ideas for addressing the chronic budget shortfall and how would you go about their implementation?

I am convinced that our plight is at the source, the state, and the deficient levels of funding. As the Legislative Representative, I have collaborated with other board members in the state to strengthen our position when advocating for full funding, these are a few of issues that we are trying to improve upon:

1. Full funding of basic education
2. Allow us more local control of our vision for our schools
3. Redefine our district as remote and necessary
4. Improve teachers and staff salary funding to reflect reality
5. Fully fund mandates
6. 100% funding for Special Education in our district
7. 100% funding for our administrators at the current salary levels
8. Improve the state’s allocation for non-employee related costs

When these issues are resolved, then there will be adequate funding to provide the necessary and advanced programming for our students so that they can compete in today’s global marketplace.

6)      If you were to communicate one message to the voting public regarding your service as an Orcas Island School District Director, what would that be?

I am respectfully asking for your vote in hopes of continuing to make a positive difference in the lives of our students and that I will not rest until the legislator fully funds education.

To that end I am honored to serve the students, and staff; I try to serve honestly, openly and with dedication to making the Orcas and Waldron schools the best that they can be.  Education is the heart and soul of any community and I want us to be the best educational community in the state and perhaps the nation.

Thank  you for your support.