Norine Spears remembers riding in a car with her mother when she was in elementary school, going door to door collecting money to buy land for a new middle school in her hometown.

“I’ve always been an advocate of education,” she said. “And that just really taught me the value of giving back and being involved in the community.”

Now a married mother of three, Spears said serving on Lawrence’s school board is another way she’d like to give back to the town.

Norine Spears.

After moving away from her native South Dakota, Spears said she and her husband lived in San Diego for a time before settling in Lawrence.

Watching her three children growing up in Lawrence, Spears said she was driven to involve herself in their education.

“I’ve always been active,” she said. “If I see something and I feel I can help, I’ll jump in and do it. I’ve been on PTOs and site councils. I feel like I’m very involved and I definitely have some experience I can use at the district level.”

One thing that’s afforded Spears the flexibility to involve herself in her children’s academic upbringing is her career as a communications consultant for area businesses.

“I was lucky,” she said. “Consulting out of my home allowed me to volunteer in the classrooms, all three of my children’s classrooms, at least once a week.”

Now, with one child attending Johnson County Community College, another at Lawrence High School and her third at Southwest Middle School, Spears said her children keep her grounded and familiar with the wants and needs of the district.

“Having children at all levels gives you a unique perspective,” she said. “It’s something that needs to be represented on the school board.”

Spears said she double majored at South Dakota State University, earning bachelor’s degrees in both communications and political science. Both degrees speak to her strong communication skills, she said.

“I’m a good listener,” she said. “I try to ask good questions and kind of approach things from different viewpoints to see everyone’s views and bring in different experiences before I evaluate or make decisions.”

One of the district’s challenges Spears said she will have to evaluate is the state’s budget cuts. In addressing that issue, she said she’s willing to approach state legislators.

“I think we need to understand it’s not this level, it’s not the school board’s fault, it’s not the district’s fault,” she said. “(The community) needs to understand it’s at the state level and if we can understand that and rally, then maybe we can make a change.”

Another challenge the district faces is the implementation of Common Core standards to Lawrence’s classrooms, Spears said. A big part of that, she said, is educating the public.

“We need to inform the community as to what it is and get feedback on how it’s working,” she said. “The challenge is making sure the community is informed and on board.”

The Common Core standards are academic standards developed by states through a project that was launched by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Kansas State Board of Education adopted them as the official English language arts and math standards for Kansas in October 2010, renaming them the Kansas College and Career Ready standards. Teachers are using them in classrooms in Lawrence and throughout the state.

Spears said she’s up to the challenge and plans to remain grounded

“Meeting the children where they are, that’s the real key,” she said. “Meeting each child in high school and giving them what they need to be successful as they move on.”

“I want to visit every site council,” she said. “I think we need to ensure we are seeing everyone in the whole district. I think that’s very important and that’s a role I want to play.”

More 2015 Lawrence school board primary election coverage

• Candidate profiles and questionnaires