Hazel Stabler, candidate for 259 school board District 6 in Wichita, KS
Note: Anyone who lives in the Wichita school district can vote in this race.
Name: Hazel Stabler
Age: 64
Occupation: Clothing Designer/retired small business owner
Previous government service: none
Have you run for office before? (Please list any previous offices sought)
no
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it?
I would like to find innovative ways to improve student performance. I would like to see spending focus on the classroom, and provide teachers with resources and improved training that will ensure success in their classroom. Long term goals and ambitious standards should be encouraged. We must invest in students and teachers and a provide a solid plan to accommodate their needs for success.
The board’s actions have been dominated this past year and a half by the response to the COVID-19 issue and the policies surrounding it. Please outline what you feel needs to be done to protect our children at this point, and specifically address whether you think a mask mandate for staff and/or students is necessary now. Why or why not?
Suspension of face-to-face instruction has restricted the progress of students, and stymied the teacher/student communication and interaction. It has showed us how important it is for students to be in classroom, building relationships and receiving hands on teaching. There is a definite need for interpersonal communications among students, their peers, and their teachers.
Data shows that our students were already performing below grade level before the Pandemic. I would also encourage the elimination of social promotion. We need to listen to teachers and the issues that concern them, and be proactive in providing resources that will assure classroom success.
I believe masking is a personal choice, a parental decision on what is right for their own children.
The district has invested millions of dollars during the pandemic to create the capability of equipping students for remote learning. Now, the state Legislature has prohibited school districts from offering that option to parents on an ongoing basis. Do you agree or disagree with that decision by the Legislature? Why or why not and what, if anything, do you intend to do about it?
Actually the law dictates that school districts cannot offer remote learning to students for over 40 hours in a year, if more time is needed the school must submit a waiver for approval.
Remote learning has not been effective for every student and for some has created mental health issues. This has also been a hardship on teachers to balance their classroom and remote learning. Again, it is imperative we listen to teachers and the issues that concern them as they have firsthand knowledge of the pros and cons of remote learning. I cannot say what I intend to do until I have a full understanding of how and why this law was passed.
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