Diane Albert, candidate for 259 school board District 1 in Wichita, KS
Note: Anyone who lives in the Wichita school district can vote in this race.
Name: Diane Albert
Age: 40
Occupation: Home Maker
Previous government service: Currently a Precinct CommitteeWoman
Have you run for office before? (Please list any previous offices sought)
Only for Precinct CommitteeWoman
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it?
The main issue is before the pandemic started, over 60% of our students were testing below grade level. With the COVID slide and the learning loss that has taken place over the last 18 months, the focus needs to be on getting students back on track to meet or exceed grade-level testing.
Teachers working with parents and students are going to be one of the most important solutions for this. Teachers can identify where a student is and where they need to be and create an action plan. Teachers are highly trained professionals and know how to teach, and they should have the flexibility to teach the best way for their students.
There are many interventions and programs that can be implemented to get students caught up to grade level. Progress will not happen overnight, but we need to get pointed in the right direction.
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?
The COVID pandemic has made it much more difficult for parents, students, teachers, and everyone in the community. When the pandemic first started, I understood the abundance of caution. People should be encouraged to be healthy, make intelligent choices, and make the best decisions for their families. We should all go back to the Golden Rule, ‘treat others as you want to be treated.’ Instead of assuming the worst in others, let’s try giving people the benefit of the doubt. Each family has different needs and different health concerns; I believe families should be allowed to make personal health decisions for themselves and their families. I do not think the benefits of the mandates have outweighed the negatives.
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?
There is still an online option and the Legislature only limited the remote option, they did not remove it. Individual exemptions are available for children who are quarantined, sick, or have other circumstances that might need this option. If families need the online options available to them then they should and can be available.
Campaign website:
Facebook page and/or Twitter handle:
https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlbertBOE
This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 4:00 AM.