Northwest R-1 School Board Candidates: Second of Three Parts

Editor's note: A questionnaire was sent to each of the six candidates for the Northwest R-1  School District Board of Education. Here are the responses from Ron Deichmann and Sherri K. Talbott.

Candidates are running for three open spots on the school board. Terms last three years. The election is April 5.

RON DEICHMANN

Age: 53         

Address: 9071 Hwy NN, Cedar Hill

Occupation: Owner of specialized manufacturing and engineering company producing display water fountains for amusement parks and municipalities.

Education: High School

Family: Married to Gail. Daughter Stacy and son, Andy, both attended Northwest schools. Also a daughter-in-law, Lauren, and grandson, Jack.

Years lived in the Northwest R-1 School District: 21

Background/Experience:

• 2000-present - Jefferson County Economic Development board of directors.
• 2010-present - Jefferson County Park Board Foundation.
• 2005-present - Farmers and Merchants Bank advisory board.
• 2009-present - High Ridge Rotary.

Reasons for running:

“As a board member I would like the board to be more responsible to our job of protecting all the students, promoting a better place to learn and grow and showing the taxpayers they can be proud of their investment. A team approach that utilizes our teachers and parent’s education and knowledge when the school board or administration make their decisions.”

What do you see as the biggest issue facing the Northwest R-1 School District?

“The biggest problems facing our district are cuts in state and federal money. The current administration stretches the money fairly well, but our cost per student is as high as any district in the area and yet we have low student test scores and too high of a dropout rate.”

How would you address the continuing uncertainty over state funding for schools?

“Long term try to get more funds from the state and/or the feds, short term the district needs plans in place to respond to changes in funding. Possibly bring more contract services back in house. (Bus service)”

In what areas does the Northwest R-1 School District need to improve? Are you satisfied with the way the district has been operating?

“A lot of people look at the district as second class, it is a perception we all need to work to change. We live in a great area, with great people and great schools.”

Assume you win the election. What single thing do you want to accomplish during your three years on the board?

“As an individual I would try to reunite the board, we need to put a much more positive face on the board and the meetings and try to take some of the public relations matters from the administration.”

SHERRI K. TALBOTT

Age: 60

Address: 6113 Queens Ct., House Springs

Occupation: I am currently employed by Sunnyhill, Inc. as lead teacher in a day program for developmentally challenged adults.

Education: I hold a Master of Arts in Education degree from Maryville University.

Family: I am single, with no children.

Years lived in the Northwest District: 35

Background/Experience: I was a middle school and junior high art teacher in the Northwest District for 29 years, serving on many district committees and rarely missing a school board meeting. In 1986, I was the recipient of a district “Apple Award” for outstanding teaching.  In 1990, I received the Jefferson County NEA Teacher of the Year award and was the 2000 recipient of the Missouri NEA – Horace Mann Teacher of the Year award. I retired from public school teaching in 2001.

In 2003 I was a member of the steering committee for the school district’s Proposition Lions and Proposition Kids successful bond issue and tax levy campaigns. I have served on the board of directors for Young Voices Northwest children’s choir and on the board of the South County Fine Arts Council. I am an active member of New Hope United Methodist Church in Arnold. 

Currently I am serving my 6th year on the Northwest School Board, having been secretary of the board for two years and currently serving my second year as president of the board.

Reasons for running:

"I ran, and a running again because I believe my classroom background gives me a perspective and level of experience that most school board members don’t have. Often, I believe I can ask questions that allows other members to understand that decisions the school board make have a direct impact upon what happens in our kids’ classrooms. I believe this district is immensely better today than it was 10 years ago, better than it was five years ago and I believe I can help to continue to move forward, even through the tough economic times we are experiencing right now."

What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the Northwest R-1 School District?

"I believe our biggest issue, like every other district I know, is the decreasing amount of revenue we have to deal with. In the past couple of years the district has lost millions of dollars in state aid as the state has underfunded several important areas, like transportation, early childhood education and lowered the amount we receive through the state’s foundation formula. At the same time the revised formula is being phased in, the district is experiencing declining enrollment, which further cuts down on the amount of state revenue the district is receiving."

How would you address the continuing uncertainty over state funding for schools?

"I believe that the most immediate action we must take is to carefully examine every program, every position and every expenditure we make and determine if we are getting “the bang for the buck” we need to accomplish the one goal that public education has been established for - providing a strong academic education for all of our children. While all of these programs and positions might be nice, they may have to be eliminated or put on hold, in order to live within our means. I believe that everyone involved in the schools must continue to be diligent in saving money where they can.  I also believe that we have to be creative in finding ways to save money or use the money we have to get optimum results. Since personnel costs account for about 70 percent of our expenditures, we have had  to “make ends meet” by shrinking the size of our staff at all levels through attrition.  However, we are running pretty “lean and mean” right now. Further cuts in staff will certainly impact class size and available programs. I believe we must also keep in contact with state legislators and urge them to visit the district, to come into our schools and become engaged in our district so that they can understand the impact that many pending bills would have and to keep K-12 education as an important priority when they are making decisions in Jefferson City."

In what areas does the Northwest R-1 School District need to improve?  Are you satisfied with the way the district has been operating? 

"I believe our students are getting a better education in this district right now than they ever have before.  The district has received seven consecutive Distinction in Performance awards from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We have two nationally acclaimed elementary schools and one of our elementary principals was named one of the five best elementary principals in the nation. We have award-winning, acclaimed teachers.

"However, we have two schools that have been designated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act as being schools that “need improvement” because of test scores.  After about seven years of drastic improvement in test scores, our improvement rate is slowing down … while the federal government’s expectations are soaring.  Certainly I, and a very, very quickly growing number of people throughout the nation, believe that there are some glaring false premises that this federal act is based upon and some serious flaws in the law, such as determining how good a school is based upon only one test.  However, I believe the district must continue to seek new ways to reach those students who continue to struggle academically. I think we have made great headway, but we have to keep focused on that one task. The mantra for this district is still “All Children Will Learn …Whatever it takes … No excuses.”

Assume you win the election.  What single thing do you want to accomplish during your three years on the board? 

"I want to see that our students are getting a rigorous academic education, which includes even more subject areas and skills than are measured by the MAP Test (which is only mathematics and language arts). I want course work and teachers that develop creativity and problem solving skills in all of our children  and lessons and programs that create good citizens and great problem solvers."