Q&A with Cedar Rapids School Board candidate Dexter Merschbrock

Dexter Merschbrock is running for the Cedar Rapids School Board for the District 4 seat. He is an incumbent. Here are his answers to a survey we sent to all of the candidates.

Occupation and Employer: Letter Carrier, United States Postal Service

How and who should determine curriculum?

The typical process has worked well. Professionals propose and develop curriculum based on the best available information and the community approves it through the democratic processes put in place through the board of directors. Community involvement is necessary but should defer to professionals in most cases. The loudest voices and campaigns to exclude people and subjects from schools altogether should be addressed head on and rejected.

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

Serving the past four years during the Covid pandemic has made clear the essential role that schools play in our community. They are the foundation that makes a thriving economy possible. That foundation is nothing without people working in the schools - teachers, paraeducators, counselors, custodians, cafeteria workers and more. I want to help make a system that values those people and the working class community that depends on a strong school system. I am a union worker myself and have seen the challenges of the modern day first hand.

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

Before joining the board I spoke up about the plan to close neighborhood schools. Serving the last four years I have been in regular attendance and have tried to improve the level of discussion at the board table.

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

Safety and inclusion for all: this means we have to prioritize the need for safety first, including more investment in building staff at all levels to build relationships with students. This will help create an environment where every student is ready to get along and ready to learn to the best of their abilities.

Higher wages for essential workers: we have to study every cost at a district level to see if it is both necessary and effective. Out of state consultants and new programs should not be funded over paying a living wage to staff that works directly with students.

Greater transparency and involvement with the community: the school board needs to either be directly involved in communicating and making clear the day to day workings of the school district or the board must empower the superintendent to take a much more active role in communicating openly with the public. We need to restore trust in the system as a whole.

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

I will not support the referendum for two reasons: First, the bond funds a plan to close neighborhood schools. I committed to voting for keeping schools open when I ran four years ago, and nothing has convinced me the community feels any different today about opposing school closings. Second, the infrastructure spending in the bond could address many more concerns and be a true rethinking of public schools for the 21st century. Instead the plan leaves out too much, focusing instead on new buildings in the suburbs. This is business as usual and doesn't address the challenges the school system - and the families the schools serve - face today.

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

I support a plan that makes investments in our neighborhoods and neighborhood schools. The current plan is a school closing plan first, so I cannot support it.

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

The district has a resilient community behind it, and the people I meet each day are passionate and kind. The main weakness is a lack of willingness to change by political leadership, and to recognize the needs of the whole community over the narrow scope of "economic development" which too often means the development of business interests over the needs of the average person.

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

No.

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

Out-of-state consultants and online curriculum vendors are two areas where administrative costs can add up fast. Testing and test prep that goes beyond that required by state law is another area to look at spending through the lens of what serves the real needs of our student population.

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

School boards are the formal legal authority in the district but should rightly delegate normal day-to-day control to the superintendent and staff. The board should exercise its authority when it comes to interpreting and implementing new state laws, so as to make sure the unintended consequences of misguided policy won't detract from student experience, or worse do outright harm.

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

Higher pay and more staff for essential school building roles. The people who work directly with kids make the most difference.

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

I will make my positions known in board meetings and through wider communication whenever possible. I will try to address concerns from parents, staff, and students to the best of my ability and will search within the system for an answer when more information is needed.