Q&A with Cedar Rapids School Board candidate Stacie Johnson

Stacie Johnson is running for the Cedar Rapids School Board for the District 1 seat. She is not an incumbent. Here are her answers to a survey we sent to all of the candidates.

Occupation and Employer: Sustainability Manager, Goodwill of the Heartland

How and who should determine curriculum?

It's crucial to understand what the Federal and State Departments of Education expect from students. These expectations are outlined in policies, which could be in the form of laws, programs and practices. Once student learning outcome expectations are understood, it is LOCAL school professionals, along with parental input, who determine the best ways to help students learn and meet Federal and State expectations.

From my experience working closely with the CRCSD Science Curriculum Leader for middle schools, I trust the skills of those responsible for implementing the curriculum. However, I also think there's too much oversight from district administration.

Teachers and support staff, have direct connections and established relationships with students. Teachers and support staff understand their student’s strengths and weaknesses best. Currently, our students' proficiency standards hover around 70+%, indicating a need for change.

“Old school” methods used in education are not working. I firmly believe teachers and support staff should have the freedom to bring in fresh, creative ideas without fear of penalties in our current top-down educational system

Why do you want to serve on the school board? What relevant experience do you have?

I am passionate about solving problems, challenging the norm, and advocating for public education, teachers, and support staff. I strongly oppose conformity, or “group think” and believe healthy debates are vital to informed decision-making. I find a lack of open discussion concerning, and feel it hinders the nurturing of respectful and responsible individuals from Pre-K to 12th Grade. I’m in favor of teaching our kids how to stand up for what they believe in and feel the tactics being used by the Vote Yes crowd, the elected board, and district administration staff is an exact opposite of what we are trying to instill in our student. Such as critical thinking skills, standing up for what one believes, in a respectful manner, and the ability to rationally discuss differences, in order to find common ground.

My involvement with CRCSD spans decades, first as a student, then as a parent, and now as a grandparent. I volunteered in classrooms when my children were students and since the 1990s, I have been a known environmental education volunteer, visiting all schools within the district throughout the years. Valuable skills I'll bring as a school board director include data analysis ensure well-informed decisions, a collaborative approach to working with the newly elected board and championing social / emotional learning throughout the district. My word is my bond, I believe communication and inclusivity s vital, and feel the current board's decisions often seem isolated from community input. If you asked those who know me, they’d say I am kind, determined, and curious. I always question why, facts are not to be buried, and I'm dedicated to vulnerable populations who feel their opinions don't matter. As a school board director, I’ll prioritize transparency, honesty, accountability and clarity. I am unique in my thinking, I’ll provide fresh insights to long-standing and, at times, contentious discussions, while fostering a positive learning environment for everyone involved.

How would you describe your attendance at past school board meetings?

I've been trying to keep up with the school board meetings online, attempting to make sense of the meeting minutes and monthly expenses. It's been impossible – a board note-taker told me they only need to include decisions in the minutes, not the context. When I asked how I can understand what's happening, he simply said, "Read the paper." In a district that's requesting $220,000,000 to enhance technology education, they should also focus on using technology better. They need to ensure the voting public is well-informed and make school budget data understandable, especially for those who are not familiar with accounting terms. I encourage everyone to look at one monthly expense sheet – it is in a language only district accounting personnel understand.

My attendance is limited to referring to school board meetings online and attempting to make sense of the meeting minutes and monthly expenses. It has been impossible, to say the least. A note-taker for the board told me, point blank, minutes, by law, only have to reflect decisions. When asked the best way to understand what is happening, when not in attendance he simply said, "Read the paper." In a district that is requesting $220,000,000 to enhance technology in the classroom, they should also focus on using better technology at the board level as well. This will assist the voting public in being well-informed of board decisions when attendance isn't possible.

What are your three top priorities for the school district? What will you do to address them?

Transparency: All discussion & decisions should be made out in the open. No behind closed-door, not by ""talking heads"" for special interests, and above all, discussions and decisions must be easily tracked (have you tried following board decisions, just by reading board agenda and board notes? It is not possible!) The first step I'd do to address board transparency is to record the meeting, and provide that recording in podcast format, where you can fast forward to the discussion you are wanting to hear in short order. I'd keep the video format as well, for those who like to see and hear, board discussion.

Honesty: Honesty is telling the truth, pure and simple. For the records Half-Truths are not the TRUTH. Propaganda is not the TRUTH. Our students, and us in the community, have a right to hold all administrators, (employed, elected, contracted, outside facilitators, and appointed volunteers) should be held to a higher standard. Lying and skirting the truth is not a value I condoned and frankly, my respect which is given, until proven otherwise, is lost when I know and have proof someone is lying. I'd work with the newly elected board to ensure this is a value and an expectation the school district administrators, as well as board members adhere to and respect. (Ie, the district is correct when saying we have no General Obligation Bond debt, but in reality, the district is carrying approximately $131,000,000 in ""long-term"" liabilities.

Equitable Education: We have many students, who are failing or close to failing, and we are focused on turf football fields and a new school outside of the boundaries of Cedar Rapids? The district talks a lot about those who fail basic proficiencies, and we reward those who are proficient. In my research, writing a United Way grant for the Boys & Girls Club, I was shocked to learn about those ""in the middle,"" on the edge of failing. Personally, I would rather live in a district where, we can say with confidence, 90 percent of our 3rd graders read at or above grade level; 90 percent of our 6th graders are proficient in science and math, and 95ish percent of our 12th graders are resilient, responsible, resourceful, and respectable grown-ups. prepared for their life journey ahead of them.

Will you support the proposed Nov. 7 Cedar Rapids school bond referendum? Why or why not?

I'm casting a ""no"" vote for now. When what is now called Public Measure “F” has a detailed budget and proposed site location has been announced, I’d be open to reconsider my no vote.

Without this information though, this decision feels rushed and hasty. The lack of clarity raises too many unanswered questions brought forth by the public. For instance, concerns about increasing debt. In addition to debt, worry about student safety, and unaddressed infrastructure needs. There are those curious as to who will be responsible for development costs like roads leading to the new school building, electricity, gas, water, and increased transportation costs for our district. Heck, we do not have enough bus drivers now, how hard will it be to retain the increased number of bus drivers needed to transport 1,200 to school and back home?

Additionally, and this is a concern of mine - is there a clear plan for managing stormwater runoff? My vote is to address increased runoff to avoid possible localized flooding, which could further burden this yet to be named community, leading to higher property taxes for their local taxpayers when covering the costs to fix aging infrastructure. These are a few uncertainties making it impossible for me to support Public Measure F, at this time.

Do you support the district's facility master plan? Why or why not?

The real question for me is: Can the district's facilities master plan be trusted? I challenge anyone to find the actual plan to review, beyond the “News Flash Update” and a ½ hour You Tube video presentation. I know, with certainty, the board ignored the suggestions from the Facilities Master Plan Task Force. The recent most recent update states “renovating Harrison Elementary or building a new school at Madison Elementary's property without demolishing any existing buildings.” However, the decision to demolish Harrison has been made, and the plan needs to be updated to reflect this reality. This discrepancy alone raises serious concerns about the transparency and accuracy of the district's planning process and facilities master plan.

It's not that I do not support the district's facility master plan (FMP), I do not trust it, as currently written. The only thing I can locate referencing the FMP is a “News Flash Update” and a half-hour YouTube video presenting the updated plan.

The elected board ignoring the suggestions from the Facilities Master Plan Task Force is an issue of trust. As well as the most recent district facilities master plan states “CRCSD is considering two options: Renovate the existing Harrison Elementary School structure or build a new building on the property of Madison Elementary School. None of the existing four buildings noted here will be demolished.”

However, demolition of Harrison is a final decision of the district, and the facilities master plan needs updating again to reflect this reality. This discrepancy alone raises serious concerns about the transparency accuracy and trust of the district's planning process and facilities master plan.

What do you see as strengths and weaknesses of the school district?

Strengths: Our students are eager to learn, teachers are passionate about their profession, support staff genuinely care for and assist our students, and we have staunch support from Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) taxpayers and eligible voters who believe in public education.

Weaknesses: The district's tagline promises ""Every Learner, Future Ready"" but this tagline does not align with reality. The current District Administration and elected board of directors (minus Dexter Merschbrock) lack transparency, healthy “give and take” discussions and the clarity needed for the public to make informed decisions. There is a lot of talk about social emotional learning and support, which is good. The goals and specific actions supporting SEL are missing from the district's website. It would be preferable to report how the incorporates this holistic approach into daily learning.

Are there any curriculum concerns you have with the district? Why? How should the school board address these issues?

No, I do not have any concerns about the district's curriculum. They follow the requirements set forth by the Federal and State Departments of Education. If there were specific concerns, how the school board addresses them would depend on the nature of the concern. If you can provide me with specific issues, I would be happy to discuss how I would, as a school board director, address curriculum concerns.

If you were required to cut the district's budget, what areas would you look to for savings and why?

1) Live within our financial means – debt, like a household, should not go over a certain percentage of revenue, and the district is up to their eyeballs in debt. It is a half-truth when telling the district’s taxpayers, they have not any bond debt, they do have debt in the form of SAVE fund supported bonds, as well as special limited revenue bonds. This debt is costing the district an average of 4% or so in interest, along with issuance costs. Technically, we do not have a General Obligation Bond, which has not gone up for public vote for 20 years. Currently the district carries $130,000,000 in bond debt. This debt is diverting between $11,000,000 to $12,000,000 dollars of school revenue to paying principal and interest until 2027. The principal and interest raise significantly to $43,986,982 a year between 2028 and 2032. These figures do not account for another $30,000,000 dollars in special limited revenue bonds. When the board releases the 2023 audited financial statements in December 2023, you will see this new debt reflected at that time.

2) We need to know more about the $7,000,000 that is allocated to the Grant Wood Area Education Agency, which is a sizable chunk of change. Being an “outie” when it comes to education’s “in-crowd” I would like to see the value or payback we receive for this significant investment.

3) It is time the taxpayers re-examine school administration fringe benefits, which go above and beyond teachers and support staff fringe benefits. Everyone serves a role in the district's success, there should be no special treatment for district administration. In that same vein, I would request a summary of outstanding contracts, such as legal, public relations, and engineering / architectural design firms. In doing so, we can be assured there is justification for outside contractors and ensure their hourly rates are in-line with the market rates. This is the first step I’d take in ensuring our tax dollars are being spent in an efficient, cost-conscious manner.

What level of control do you think school boards should have?

As the Iowa Department of Education sets forth, school boards:

• Follow State Rules: They make sure the district follows the rules set by the Iowa Department of Education.

• Teacher Training: They create standards and methods for teacher training and approve these programs.

• Listen to Concerns: If parents or guardians are unhappy with decisions made by local schools, the board listens AND acts on their concerns.

• Plann for the Future: They decide what the district aims to achieve and set goals.

• Make Policies: They create rules that help the district prioritize and achieve its goals.

• Choose the Leader: They hire and assess the superintendent, who is like the CEO of the school district.

• Manage Money: They approve and keep an eye on the yearly budget, making sure the funds are used wisely.

If the school district had additional funds available, what should they be allocated to? Why?

1. Teachers and Support Staff: Fund better pay and focus on increased job security, while ensuring our teachers and support staff feel safe at work. As teacher and support staff needs are prioritized, the districts attract and retains the best teachers and support staff while delivering the best education for CRCSD students.

2. Improving Learning: Student resources should not come out of an educator's pocket - the resources teachers and support staff need should be provided by the district. I also believe in allocating more funds towards ore hands-on activities, field trips, real-life experiences, and smart technology are all imperative to a student's learning experience. In the end, the resources needed to prepare students for the real world.

What will you do to be responsive to parents, teachers and district staff? What types of communication should the public expect from you?

I'm always open and available to talk. I'll be transparent about the decisions I make, sharing not just the results but also the information I used to make those decisions. I'll keep you updated through personal conversations, social media, and the VoteInTheKnow.Info website. Plus, if elected, plan to host regular coffee shop sessions, where you can give your feedback directly. I believe in clear, open and honest communication and am looking forward to the positive changes about to take place due to healthy discussion between parents, eligible voters, and others governmental organizations outside. Everyone deserves their voice to be heard.

If you are ready to share your concerns and observations, I'm ready to take notes, listen and approach the same with the newly elected board of directors. All decisions will be made public, including the information and resources used in making and supporting informed decisions. My plan to keep Cedar Rapids parents and taxpayers in the "education loop" through personal conversations, social media, and the VoteInTheKnow.Info website. I also plan on hosting a Saturday coffee shop session, in order to provide a casual setting to receiving feedback from those I serve.