JEFFERSON CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION: Erika Leonard

Erika Leonard is a registered lobbyist and a mother of two Jefferson City School District students.

Even though her job involves politics, Leonard says she wants to get the politics out of local education and focus instead on helping students succeed. She boasts a long record of involvement with education-related organizations.

Should JC Schools bring back masks if we get hit with another coronavirus case surge?

I was impressed with the conversations the district had with local and state health officials. It was clear everyone was trying to gather information and navigate this new occurrence. I do believe masks should be a personal choice for each individual and their families or guardians to make on their own terms. Collectively, JC Schools has done a remarkable job keeping students in-seat to continue learning throughout the epidemic. And you know, I honestly think they should be applauded for their hard work to keep students safe across all 18 buildings.

How do you think the JC Board of Education handled navigating the previous pandemic surges?

The pandemic provided an immense account of uncertainty. Amidst the fluid time, the board did a great job creating new guidelines and rules to keep students and staff safe and healthy. They also actively engaged in new information as it unfolded and adjusted to reflect what our students and staff needed. I believe they handled the pandemic very well by keeping students and teachers at the forefront of every single decision they were making.

Is teaching about history, race and LGBTQ issues being done appropriately in JC Schools classrooms?

Trusting teachers to teach in their classrooms is important. Following the curriculum established by the state of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is also important. Allowing our teachers to be culturally relative to the subject being taught based on the curriculum set is necessary to help students learn. Instructional coaches are present in each school. They can assist teachers to navigate any portion of the curriculum, when and if they needed help, which is a resource ... that is an asset to our district. You know, I believe in our teachers, and I think that their dedication to sharing appropriate information with their students is unmatched.

How accessible do you think the school board is to the public?

The school board is accessible to the public. I think people forget that current elected board members and hopefully, if I'm elected onto the JC Schools Board of Education, every one of us is provided an email for open engagement with the community that is accessible at all times. The public can ask for the board to consider topics and or weigh recommendations for interested parties. However, parents and guardians also need to remember that it's important for them to engage with their students' teachers during scheduled planning times, via email, or the app a teacher may be using to provide an additional resource for communication. When another form of communication is needed in each building ... it can go up the funnel to the principal or the counselor can also be an additional point of contact. If those lines of communication do not aid a parent's or guardian's situation, the district office and board should most definitely be the next appropriate line of communication. I think it's vital for our families to feel heard. I feel like the district has great opportunities for families to communicate at the teacher, building and district level and we should maintain those at all times.

Are there any other issues you see as important to JC Schools?

It is vital the district remains laser-focused on improving learning performance in math, reading and writing. I believe our new superintendent is going to do great things at keeping that laser focus on improvements in performance. And you know, we know that we're near the state's average but can always improve. We owe it to our community, our students, our families to continue developing stronger performance outcomes. Making JC Schools the preferred district is the goal that we need to stick to. And I think that the JC Schools board can be another resource in making sure that we are always headed in the right direction to achieve that goal.