Columbia Board of Education candidates discuss teacher retention, charter schools during forum
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Erica Dickson, Ken Rice and current Columbia Board of Education President Suzette Waters responded to questions on Tuesday at a candidate forum hosted by the Boone County Unit of the Missouri Retired Teachers and School Personnel.
"Our organization has done this for several years and we have a tradition to do this because as retired teachers, we want to stay informed," Former group president and Columbia Public Schools teacher Calene Cooper said.
The three candidates are running for two open spots on the Board of Education in the April 8 election.
Candidates were asked about teacher retention, budget plans, alternative methods of instruction days and charter schools.
"I think the stakes are always high because we want to know what those people, what their commitment is to our community and to our public schools," Cooper said.
Following the long answer questions was a "lightning round" with additional "yes-or-no" questions on the possible introduction of charter schools in Boone County and candidates' opinions on current school policies. Candidates were prompted to give a thumbs up or thumbs down based on their answer
A major talking point during the meeting was on teacher retention. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education found during the 2023-24 school year, teacher retention was around 83.4% across the state, down from 86.7% in 2018-2019.
Waters said that she was excited about working with Jeff Klein -- the district's new superintendent -- she hopes to engage with teachers and staff on what changes could be made.
"We are doing (a) workplace conditions survey now that will hopefully inform us about what teachers want to tell us they need instead of us guessing, 'What do you need?' We're asking them and we're letting them tell us, 'what do you need to be able to stay here?' Because we do want to keep our teachers,'" Waters said.
Dickson also feels positive about Klein and wants to help support an environment where staff can come to him with concerns.
"Doing a listening tour to what their needs are, what their expectations are of him as a leader, and hopefully he really applies those things and implements them with intention on a continuous basis," Dickson said. "I think the board can hold as him being our sole employee, hold him accountable to doing that."
Rice hopes for his advisory group -- which is made up of more than a dozen current and former teachers -- will help continue advising him, if he is elected. He is similarly in support Klein and also praised Waters on the school board's current workplace conditions survey, adding that he frequently used employee surveys when he managed restaurants.
"He wants to listen first and then he'll tell you what his thoughts are, I think that's a very healthy way of going into things so I'm very I'm very hopeful for Dr. Klein," Rice said.
The three candidates will be meeting again Tuesday at the Daniel Boone Regional Library for another election forum along with candidates for Columbia mayor and Wards 3 and 4 candidates at 6 p.m. The forum will run to 8 p.m. and is open to the public in person and on Zoom.
