Princeton Elementary School Board candidates field questions from prospective voters

With the April 4 consolidated election right around the corner, residents gathered Wednesday night to meet and question perspective candidates for the Princeton Elementary School Board.

Candidates Staci Amy, Michael Freeman and Sue Garvin participated in the second of three Midwest Partners’ meet the candidate events at the Princeton Public Library.

The three participants, along with Incumbent Peter Reviglio; who was not in attendance, are running for one of the three open positions on the Princeton Elementary School Board.

Amy, Freeman and Garvin answered questions from Moderator Rick Brooks and members of the audience on special education, bullying problems, facing a teacher shortage, possible building consolidation and more.

Garvin, who has served on the school board for the past two years, said during her opening speech that she is a retired elementary school teacher who served over 35 years in education.

“I’m interested in the schools,” Garvin said. “I’ve always been interested in schools and education is a part of what I believe in and what I like to do. There are some things that the school district has done that are really good and some things that I think can always be improved.”

Garvin added that some of her focusses as a school board member includes keeping the district’s buildings open and up to date, space for individual assistance to students and making sure students are continuing to get caught up on their education when it is needed.

Amy, who is seeking her first term as a Princeton Elementary School Board member, said during her opening she is the mother of two students in Princeton and she works closely with schools and kids in the area through her profession with DCFS.

“My job and my passion is for kids,” Amy said. “The overall safety of children, their wellbeing and every else that encompasses what a child should and should not have to go through, that is what I care about.”

Amy added that she wants to bring a sense of positivity and community involvement into the school district. She stated that she wants to be a voice for the kids in the district and listen to not only what they need, but also what they want to see as well.

Freeman, who is also seeking his first term on the Princeton Elementary School Board, said that he has been a pastor for 15 years and holds a doctorate in children’s ministry.

“I have a heart for children and I really want to seek the welfare of city,” Freeman said. “I want to see our high schools and elementary schools do wonderful. I think they are doing good now. I went to a board meeting and I met a lot of people that cared.”

Freeman added that he has been encouraged to participate in the school board after seeing how much people in the community care about the well-being and success of the kids and students in Princeton.

As questions were opened up to those in attendance, a participant asked the candidates their take on bullying in the Princeton Elementary School District and their approach to limiting its effect on students.

“Bullying is not just a Princeton thing, that’s a nationwide thing,” Amy said. “The solution has to start at home. I don’t think the school should be solely responsible for. It has to start at home as well. That’s where the school and the parents need to come together, but there also needs to be better communication.”

“We know it goes on, it’s there but we need to address it as it happens,” Garvin said. “We can involve parents if we need to and find out what’s going on a home. Maybe we need to pair up students with each other that don’t get along or see how we can make kids get along with each other.”

“If I were to ask the room how many were personally affected by bullying, many of us have,” Freeman said. “I think we need to create a safe environment so a child can go and say ‘This is happening, the red flag is there’ so we can address it right at the beginning.”

The candidates answered questions about the district’s current need for teachers and what can be done in the future to help recruit educators to come and teach in Princeton.

Garvin stated that at this time all positions are filled, but things can always change quickly from educators finding new positions, to moving away from the area or retirement. Amy added that she would like to see some incentive to attempt to bring former Princeton students interested in teaching back to teach in their hometown district. Freeman said that recruiting teachers is an age-old problem and that in some individual cases, the district may be able to incentivize educators from retiring to help fill gaps.

When questioned on if teachers should be allowed to have the freedom to teacher how they see fit, within the curriculum set by the state, to their classrooms; the candidates all gave similar responses.

“Not every student learns the same way,” Amy said. “Not every student learns by let’s read a book and now we are going to take a test. The summative and formative stuff that Logan has going on, I hate it. I don’t understand it.”

Amy added that she is in favor of teachers having the freedom to adjust how they are teaching in order to best fit the learning of their students.

“You have to teach what the state requires and do certain things but if it’s not working then you have to bring something else in so that it works and gets it across to the kids,” Garvin said. “Like (Amy) said, all kids do not learn the same, they don’t grasp things the same. I would agree with that.”

Freeman said that while there is the required curriculum, he believes the teachers need to be allowed the liberty to adjust.

“The main thing is that the children are learning in the process,” Freeman said. “If they are not and you have to change. If I was teaching over the years then I would change as well.”

The event wrapped up after about an hour of questioning as the participants were given the opportunity to meet with voters and give their opinions on the important topics of the Princeton Elementary School Board.

The final Midwest Partners meet the candidate event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 23 at the Princeton Public Library. The speaker is scheduled to be Mayoral Candidate Ray Mabry.