Welcome to our online chat with school board candidate Michael Pomes.

The chat took place on Friday, March 28, at 1:30 PM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Moderator: Welcome, everybody, to today’s chat with school board candidate Michael Pomes.

Moderator: Mr. Pomes is running a bit late, but we should get started shortly.

Moderator: All right, let’s get started.

Michael Pomes: My apologies for being late. I found out that one of my hummers at the National Guard Armory blew a radiator hose. It’s better to find out about something like than now than later tonight when the rest of my Section is going to Fort Riley for Drill.

John: Hello, Michael, and thanks for this opportunity.

What are your thoughts on future growth south of the Wakarusa, and how will this impact plans to remodel South Junior High?

Is there any merit to the idea that we should be thinking about building a new junior high further south? If so, why should we invest so much money into rebuilding South?

Michael Pomes: I have heard about studies suggesting that future growth may occur to the south of the Wakarusa to the extent that the City may need to build another sewerage treatment plant to allow for that growth. As for rebuilding South Junior Highschool in its current location, I think we should. Building on an existing site will keep costs low. The District will not have to spend money on land acquisition costs for a junior high. Also when I consider distances that potential students to travel, I think those distances would be comparable to those of current students coming from the Prairie Park neighborhood to attend South.

Concerned mom: I’ve read statements from you which indicate that you believe a solution to low enrollment at city center schools would be to bus west-side kids to the schools east of Iowa. Yet, aren’t the west-side kids JUST as entitled to go to a neighborhood school as kids on the east side?

Michael Pomes: I honestly believe that all students should have the choice to attend their neighborhood schools regardless if their families live east or west of Iowa. Bussing could be an option if enough parents of students choose to voluntarily transfer to schools east of Iowa.

Greg: Do you think it will be difficult, if elected, to stay on top of your duties as a commissioner, since you will be dividing your time between Lawrence and Topeka?

Michael Pomes: I’m not saying it will be easy since I do work in Topeka. The reality is that many residents of Lawrence work outside of Lawrence and do whatever it takes to participate in school activities, whether it be attending PTO meetings or seeing their children participate in school events. If I am elected to the School Board, I’m up to the challenge of staying on top of my duties.

Deborah: Hello, Michael.

So many of us are grateful that you decided to run for the school board. Once we move beyond this bond issue, what do you see as the “big goals” for this board to focus on?

Michael Pomes: Perhaps the biggest goal that the School Board needs to focus on after the election is accountability. Specifically, the Board and the district need to spend funds for stated purposes and not divert funds meant for salaries and maintenance into capital outlay projects. When a smaller bond to address the rebuilding of South Junior High, renovating Lawrence Highschool, and the elimination of portable classrooms all across the district, is proposed, the Board and the District need to make sure that the money is spent as designated. Diverting money away from teachers’ salaries and facilities maintenance hurts us all because the District cannot recruit and retain teachers and our students, staff, and teachers will start to work in unsafe facilities.

Jeremy: In your plan, you call for principals and assistant principals to be forced to teach. Now, understanding how much responsibility they have already, how can you justify mandating them to teach? On top of daily duties, solving problems, and fulfilling the job requirements of their present position, which I understand by speaking to their staff they have a hard time of doing – you’re going to throw, grading papers, tests, dealing with students on an hourly basis on top of them. How on earth can you justify this way to save money, and provide more teachers? This doesn’t seem logical at all. Please elaborate.

Michael Pomes: Some clarification is needed. Assistant principals could be asked teach two classes a day and full principals could be asked to teach one class a day. The cost savings would result from not having to hire additional teachers to teach such classes. I think two positive outcomes could result from this: (1) the distance between teachers and principals would be diminished because all have to deal with grading papers and students on an hourly basis (it could improve morale!), and (2) it may be good for principals and assistant principals to work with a broader cross section of students each day rather than just reacting to problems day in and day out.

Centennial Parent: Hello, Michael.

Many of us in neighborhood associations would like to see a closer working relationship between the school board and the Lawrence/Douglas County Planning Commission, as well as the city commission.

Would you support appointing an at-large community representative of the school board on the planning commission? Why, or why not?

Michael Pomes: I would support appointing an at-large community representative of the school board to the Lawrence/Douglas County Planning Commission and to the City Commission. I’d even like to see those representatives have voting rights, as well. The School Board, Douglas County, and the City of Lawrence all need to work together if we all value our Schools. The School Board does not exist in a vacuum, what is good for our students will be good for Lawrence and Douglas County, as well.

Peggy: Studies concerning the advantages of small schools consider a small school one with 350 or fewer students. Local teachers and principals of one section schools have pointed out numerous problems with one-section schools. Given these facts, what information to you have which would indicate educational advantages at one-section schools?

Michael Pomes: One educational advantage to a one-section school is that it’s not easy to get lost. Teachers and staff can spot problems more easily and react to them. Early reaction and positive intervention is critical for at risk students. Perhaps the biggest problem with one section schools comes from the uneven distribution of students in different grade levels. The numbers in one grade may justify the need for two sections, whereas the numbers in another grade do not. I think the District needs to get away from the two section model and needs to devise a way to become more flexible.

Keith: What is your view on the role of schools in our community? How do you think that the district, state and feds have done in repositioning our educational system to meet the demands of the twenty-first century? Do you think there are new demands?

Michael Pomes: The most important role for schools in our community is to prepare students to be successful in an increasingly complex world. The District, State, and Feds have realized that reading, math, and science are critical to the success of students in the twenty-first century. Accordingly, the State and Feds have stressed assessment examinations to make sure that students are showing improvements in reading, math, and science. Unfortunately, this drive to test and assess has created great demands, and we are training our students to be test takers rather than educating them for life.

Moderator: We’ll take one last question.

Jeremy: I think a very valuable point has been brought up – the administrational relationship between the teachers and principals. In an ideal world, as well as an ideal school, there would be no gap between those relationally speaking. In my opinion, you can’t throw that on principals additional responsibilities just because you think it will possibly improve morale. This leads to my follow-up question: should this plan move forward, how do you differentiate between who teaches what? I mean, if all else fails, I guess under this plan you could always throw them in teaching a PE class, right? Response?

Michael Pomes: I’m under the impression that principals used to be teachers, and the classes they would teach would be classes they have taught in the past. However, don’t underestimate the importance of teaching PE. The Center for Disease Control has issued warnings that as a nation we are becoming too inactive and too fat. PE teachers are on the front lines in this battle against obesity. Encouraging students to lead more active lifestyles is a good thing. With more physical activity they won’t be bedeviled with heart disease, high blood pressure, and other negative consequences of being overweight.

Moderator: That’s all for today’s chat with school board candidate Michael Pomes. Thanks to everybody for joining us.