Where are the other videos from the other candiates? Did they not want to do one? I believe its only fair to them to either post them or make a note on here that they did not want to make one.

I will also agree with him. Communication does have to be better, however Dave did not really mention how he was planning on fixing this issue. That would be nice to know also.

The opportunity that the candidates are provided is to record a thirty-second video clip responding to the following question: How would you rate the district's communication with the public?

I chose to answer the question and make sure that voters know I would rate communication as an area needing to be focused on and improved. I also agree that it is important to know the ideas a candidate has for addressing the area. I will list some of the ideas that I believe would help improve communication.

First of all, the school board and the superintendent must make it a priority to establish a positive culture that values communication. This is one of the most important areas for any school board to address because it sets the tone for how everything is done and how everything is perceived. I would propose that the first step toward accomplishing this is to make sure that any potential superintendent candidate or board chair candidate demonstrates leadership in the area of community relations. This is equally important as their leadership skills in other areas, including curriculum and budget.

Secondly, the best way to improve communication is to get the people together you need to communicate with and listen. I think this area is important enough to justify having a task force. The task force would be charged with evaluating the district’s current communication efforts and then developing a communication plan to recommend to the school board. A plan is necessary because even though the school board has public relations as a goal in their strategic plan, there are no plans for action. The only way to improve communication, as a whole, is to have a plan that spells out what is going to be done, who is going to do it, and when it is to be done.

Thirdly, I would like to explore the site council concept for the district. This is not meant as a way to give parents decision-making authority in the schools, but it would be a great way to involve more parents in building-specific discussions in an advisory role and get accurate information out about happenings in the building. It is also a means to get more parents connected with the schools.

Fourth, I would like the school board to consider these possibilities. 1) Include a public recognition piece on their agendas as appropriate to recognize accomplishments of students and staff in the school district. It would be a great way to highlight for the community the great things happening. 2) Schedule board listening hours periodically so that individuals can come and talk with school board members about their ideas, concerns, and questions in an environment that might be less threatening than an official board meeting. 3) Move to two meetings per month and/or a board workshop format like many other districts so that there can be thorough dialog about issues. 4) Provide more back-up material related to specific agenda items so that those who would like more information have it available. This could be as simple as a packet of information available at the board meeting and on the website.

Lastly, I would like to keep the improvements that have been made going. These include the district calendar and the changes to The Journalist and the district website.

I am sure there are other ideas as well and I would want to look to others for ways to do better in this area as well.

Dave Helke
Candidate for Jordan School Board
www.helkeforschoolboard.com