I.C. board must address classroom safety

Greetings. My name is David Noerper and I am a candidate for a seat on the Iowa City Community School District Board. I am running for school board to help synthesize and endorse policies to improve areas where our district is currently struggling. As the parent of two ICCSD students, I appreciate all that our district has to offer. I am greatly appreciative to the teachers and support staff who work underpaid jobs to help our children grow and create their identities on a daily bases … thank you. But there are issues we need to address.

Through conversations with teachers, support staff, parents, and children, I have learned of concerns about safety in our classrooms and schools. I have witnessed a child push teachers and observed children fighting. As a parent, my primary concern is safety. While our district is making attempts to address these issues and we have amazing staff, like Brad Kelly, who are working tirelessly to assist our children with interventions, we must do more. Our Board must become more active and work with teachers, parents, staff, administration, mental health professionals, special education specialist, and community advocates to create new policies to address these issues in a more productive and comprehensive manner.

These new policies must go hand in hand with better communication and trust between teachers, staff, and administration. Our teachers and staff need to be able to make honest statements and provide constructive criticism that is embraced as a means to moving forward in a better direction. Our teachers and staff must be heard and seen.

There was a recent news story about a beloved first grade teacher who gave 29 years of service to our district, only to resign because she had faced repeated physical violence at the hands of a child who our district did not know how to assist. She did not want to resign, and after listening to her family make statements at a recent school board meeting, I believe she still has a lot to offer students. We must rally behind this teacher, and others whose stories we have not heard, and ensure their safety and the safety of our children, while providing meaningful assistance to children with extreme behavior issues.

Over the past 45 years I have worked with many children who have faced trauma and abuse or were born with medical conditions that affect their behavior. We must create a safe place for these children and not suspend them or banish them to their homes. We must continue to build trusting supportive relationships and provide services to support their needs. We must have a school board that not only priorities these interventions, but gets the job done. The time to provide assistance is now, when they are young and under the guidance of our District. Thank you for participating in this process and please vote.

David Noerper is a candidate for the Iowa City school board.