Jefferson City School Board of Education candidates discuss multiple topics including teacher compensation and critical race theory

Watch the forum replay in the player above.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ.)

The four Jefferson City School Board of Education candidates shared their thoughts and discussed multiple topics during a candidate forum by the News Tribune.

The forum featured Adam Gresham, Marc Ellinger, Anne Bloemke- Warren and Erika Leonard.

The four candidates are seeking the two open positions on the Jefferson City Board of Education.

Some of the topics the candidates discussed were critical race theory in the school district and teacher compensation.

ABC 17 found that teacher compensation was something candidates shared similar views on.

Teacher Compensation:

Erika Leonard

"We need to do better in continuing to pay teachers that have been invested in this district, that are showing good performance, and starting teacher pay to attract quality educators".

Marc Ellinger

"I firmly believe we need to increase pay for great teachers and I think we should look at incentives, I think we should look at ways to find savings in the administration".

Anne Bloemke-Warren

"If we don't invest in our teachers there is no one coming up behind them that can perform the service that they perform every day". 

Adam Gresham

"We need to reward teachers and pay teachers for doing that. Excellent teachers should absolutely be paid more but part of their compensation package that we're talking about in a way to keep and retain teachers is to hire good ones and to trust them".

The candidates also talked about their views on critical race theory at the school district.

Critical Race Theory:

Erika Leonard:

"CRT is not being taught here, its a non-issue, it's not something that we're doing".

Marc Ellinger:

"We should teach that I think that's really good. We should not teach anyone that because of your skin color you're a better person or a worse person"

Anne Bloemke-Warren

"Yes, we should teach an accurate history, I think including perspectives more than the one perspective we've been teaching".  

Adam Gresham:

"I do not believe that anyone is coherently oppressive or inherently oppressive, and teachers should not be teaching that in a classroom".

The election will be held on April 5.

To learn more about the topics each candidate discusses in the forum, you can click the live stream link above.