Im posting the following message on behalf of Kim Shumaker, who is not on Facebook. Please remember to vote on Tuesday. I have been giving a lot of thought to the candidate pool for the School Board election. I have taken the time to read and carefully consider each of their responses as printed in the Oxford Leader, the League of Women Voters Guide, and the Candidate Forum written responses. I have also listened intently as candidates have spoken at either School Board meetings, the Candidate forum or asked questions at the recent community forums. In addition, I have attempted to have conversations with each of them in order to build inclusive relationships with those I may be serving with in the future if I am elected. I have found most of them to be candid and willing to interact. As I am sure you have been able to discern from my comments in my interview with the Oxford Leader, my responses to the League of Women Voters, my responses to the Candidate Forum survey and my responses to questions posed at the Candidate Forum, I have several issues that concern me. I have noticed that most of the candidates share similar concerns. I am impressed that most of the candidates seem willing to interact with one another and that they are comfortable expressing their concerns publically. As I have pondered what sets the candidates apart from one another, I keep coming back to the question: What experience, skill sets, and knowledge does each candidate bring to the board? This can be difficult to answer when you dont have personal experience with each of them. For me, the decision isnt as simple as: Who agrees with me on a given issue? I am looking for a board member who, when presented with a vision, will take time to research information related to that vision, seek out the input of various segments of our staff, express the concerns of the community, and make decisions that have been shown to be in the best interest of students and financially sound. While vision often involves risk, I believe that vision should also be balanced by reality. It is in learning from our past that we can better proceed into the future. So, I am also looking for someone who is willing to try new things but balance that willingness with the ability to harness the excitement in order to move forward in a controlled manner that allows them to look down the path to avoid or at least anticipate and successfully handle potential downfalls. In my life, the best decisions I have been involved in making were not made quickly and did not proceed in their original format. It was after seeking the perspective of others, further examing information, and boldly seeking compromise that the better decision was made. I learned to do these things as a result of making decisions that I later regretted. I have learned to be much more vigilant in implementing these skills with each year I have served on the board. Unfortunately, I have only had the opportunity to observe one candidate as they are presented with decisions, consider the information, and render a vote concerning school related decisions. Therefore, I am only going to share what I have witnessed first hand. When the board vacancy arose in May, I was looking for the same things I have already mentioned. I found Angela Mitchell to be contemplative in her responses, bold in sharing her concerns, and it was obvious that she had researched what board service entailed. Her focus was not on her list of abilities but rather on the school and its students. I was extremely impressed with her and fully supported Angelas appointment to the board. Since Angela Mitchells appointment to fill the board vacancy, I have observed more of the same. She diligently considers information presented to her, researches the facts, asks many important questions, and poses important things for us to consider. She also offers suggestions and is a proponent of making good decisions over quick decisions. I have since learned that these are the very same activities that she is responsible for in her career. She brings a valuable skill set to the board and it is one that is important to retain. Like me, her diligence is not always popular with others but she possesses the self-confidence to do what she believes is right. Many people from various segments of the community have been asking my opinion as to who they should vote for in this election. They have shared several combinations of votes with me and always it seems that they are convinced about at least two candidates. It seems to be the third or fourth choices that they are unsure of. I have come to a decision concerning how I will vote in this election but I am not going to share it on Facebook. Instead, I would ask that everyone take the time to really consider what is important to you. What is it that you want in a board member? What training, skills, and experience do each of us possess that may better enable all of us to serve the students of our district? Which candidates display respect for accountability, demonstrate attention to details, and actively seek community input? It is my opinion that the candidates that possess these qualities will serve us well. There are four seats available and nine candidates. Regardless of how many votes you personally cast, there will be four seats filled. While I see advantages to only casting a certain number of votes, I also think it is important to consider which four candidates will provide a well rounded set of skills and experience between them. Ultimately, who will work well together and how can their individual skill sets, experience, and knowledge compliment one another? I will conclude by saying this: I mean no disrespect to any other candidate by not commenting about them. I just honestly have not had the opportunity to walk through the process of decision making with them. I can honestly say that I believe that most of the candidates are truly concerned for all our students and for the future of Oxford Community Schools. Respectfully, Kim Shumaker
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 16:24:00 +0000
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