Where do your candidates
stand on the issues?

Adam Sorg, school board candidate

Q: This year, the Columbia Public School District did not operate the salary schedule, which pays teachers in accordance with their years in the district and their education. Do you consider operating the salary schedule a top priority?
A: "This year, due to a lack of long-term planning and leadership, we are experiencing a budget deficit. We must find a way and make it a priority to operate the salary schedule. We must offer a competitive salary to our teachers and make every effort to recruit and retain the very best educators. Either losing quality teachers to other districts or failing to recruit the best and the brightest will cost much more in the long term."

Q: The district has a $3.2 million deficit. How would you address the budget challenges?
A: "Right now, we are dealing with a $1.2 million crisis. Jobs will be cut, and people and educators that were running short or without are now going to face even more pressure. This situation in many communities might lead to despair. Our community can face this crisis with hopeful determination and a willingness to offer service. This is a chance to look beyond politics and finger-pointing and come together to face the issues of this time. We in Columbia are blessed with gifted and talented citizens. We have strong community organizations that can be called upon. We must open dialogue to new voices, and, through our determination and diversity, we will emerge a stronger community."

Q: A plan to ask voters for two more $60 million bond issues to fund the new high school and other facilities appears to be defunct. The current board has been asked to consider putting a single $120 million bond issue before voters in 2010. Do you favor this?
A: "First, we need to right the ship. We need to have long-term planning and oversight. In order to do this, we will have to have open lines of communication with our media and our community. That means accepting criticism as well as praise. We can rebuild the community's trust by partnering with them in setting goals and selecting strategies. We can also open ourselves to dialogue with critics to avoid possible calamities in the future. In following through with these strategies, we will be on much firmer ground in asking for our public’s trust in seeking a revenue increase."

Q: How would you improve communication with the board?
A: “We need to break down barriers. We need to break down formalities, and we’re going to have to be willing to explore new partnerships. I want to go out and talk to people. I’m not afraid to ask questions. I’m interested in asking questions and not always getting the responses I would expect. People are going to have to feel that they can offer opinions and ideas. We need to fundamentally change the way in which we interact with the community. We need to work with the media in order to utilize their knowledge base and reach out to the community. We need a more active board in the community that builds awareness and opportunity for involvement. We all have a stake in our children's education, and because of that, we must all be willing to offer service. That will involve the ultimate sacrifice, which is time.”

 

"No one in the community individually has all the answers."

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