Richardson running to be involved parent
Tom Richardson
by Charlie Comfort
OSKALOOSA, IOWA- Tom Richardson has served on the School Board since 2011, including two years as Vice President and two years as President of the board. In 2011 and 2013, Richardson ran unopposed. In this year’s election, he is being challenged by parent Lynette Stream. Richardson said that he has three main reasons for running for another term on the board.
“My first reason in 2011 was to be a more involved dad with my kid’s education. That reason quickly expanded to my second reason which is the desire to give back to the community. I am involved with a number of volunteer opportunities in Oskaloosa that benefit our young people,” Richardson said.
He added that he has involved in “at least 25 classrooms”, with some of those being repeat visits. Richardson said that his third reason for wanting to run for another term on the board is to be able to empower Oskaloosa students to become critical thinkers.
“With an ever changing need to prepare students for a globally competitive career we need to have board members who are open minded and willing to listen to new ideas and review the results of trial runs to determine if these new ideas can benefit our students,” Richardson said.
Richardson said that he is a quality candidate for the school board because he is an independent voice. He attacked his opponent on this issue, saying she is not an independent voice.
“I have no ties to any large employers in Oskaloosa or any parent groups who have a personal agenda on one item. This is something my opponent and one other school candidate cannot say,” Richardson said.
He added that he believes his decisions are made in the best interests of all students, making him a quality candidate for the board.
“Regardless of any of those items listed we must give all our efforts to the education of those kids and that will always be my first priority as a board member. In return I expect nothing for myself or my family and offer no special favors to anyone,” Richardson said.
Richardson said that as a young parent, if he was moving into the Oskaloosa School District and knows what he knows about the district, he would still send his children to Oskaloosa schools.
“I would live in the same town as where my kids go to school. I want my kids to be in the same town as where their friends live,” Richardson said.
He added that he believes the Oskaloosa School District offers a variety of programs, including fine arts and robotics that other area districts, smaller or larger, are unable to offer to the extent the district does. Richardson also attacked fellow board member Carl Drost, who is running for re-election to a different seat on the board, for suggesting when he was board president that he would not send his children to the Oskaloosa School District if he were a young parent.
“In 2013 my predecessor as School Board President started off his first meeting by announcing that if he had young children he would not enroll them in the Oskaloosa School District. I completely disagree with making a statement like that as it only causes division in the community and hurts the morale of teachers and students. I am very proud that my children attend the Oskaloosa School District,” Richardson said.
Richardson said that he agrees with the actions the board has taken since he became board president to address the issue of student discipline.
“Student behaviors at both our elementary school and middle school have made significant improvements over the past year. This was a large item of concern in the 2015-16 school year and after hearing these concerns changes were made by adding a Behavior Disorder classroom for those students needing more 1 on 1 instruction, a Life Skills Room for those needing 1 on 1 instruction for part of the school day and another room for in-school suspensions so they don’t fall behind in their school work,” he said.
He added that the school district is in full compliance with all state and federal laws relating to individuals with disabilities. He also contended that other candidates are not being truthful on this issue.
“Regardless of what other candidates may say the student behavior metrics at our Elementary School are far better than what the A.E.A. goals are for southeast Iowa schools. This is a fact,” Richardson said.
He also addressed another issue, that of student achievement. The issue of whether or not student achievement can be judged on the results of standardized tests has dogged the board since 2013. Richardson said that there are ways other than standardized tests to judge student achievement.
“Students sitting down for 45 minutes once per year to take a fill in the blank, multiple choice test on math, reading, science and social studies is not at all an accurate representation of student achievement,” Richardson said. “The Iowa Assessments are NOT in line with the Iowa Core so that test is not even questioning students on what the state of Iowa requires schools to teach in classrooms,” he added.
Richardson said that other tests the school administers should be considered when looking at overall achievement of students. He added, however, that is not pleased with the test scores of the district on standardized tests.
“The School District must always be striving to improve so to better serve the families of Oskaloosa. The Iowa Assessments from 2016-17 did identify some classes that scored exceptionally high or low on these tests and the administration and teachers can use this to prepare for how to work with those students when they enter the next grade in school the following year,” Richardson said.
The public image of the board has been questioned by many in the community over the past year. Richardson argues that the board has not taken any black eyes. He said that three issues that could be perceived as black eyes are the open meetings law, chapter 20 collective bargaining negotiations, and student behavior. Richardson blames “one board member” for bringing down the board’s public image.
“Many items that could fall under the ‘black eye’ category were promoted numerous times by one board member in an attempt to discredit the administration and the school board for personal reasons. There is also a group of parents that formed a ‘secret’ Facebook page to criticize the school district, administration and the school board for the benefit of themselves,” Richardson said.
He added that he has tried to reach out to those who may not agree with his views but has been unable to set up a meeting to discuss those issues with them.
In regards to open enrollment, Richardson said that the issue facing the Oskaloosa is a common issue in other districts. He said that a survey done of parents who open enroll their parents out of the district found that parents choose to open enroll because of issues such as school athletic opportunities, to travel time for parents to work, or even an out of district day care provider.
“I challenge my opponent to list any plan of action that could change the minds of those parents listed in reasons,” Richardson said.
He also said that even if those students stayed in the district, any money lost to neighboring schools on them would have to be spent on those students in they were in the district still.
“The school district should not be a “bank” holding on to excessive amounts of tax payer money. Also it would be a challenge to find room for a large amount of students in our current buildings as they are often near capacity,” Richardson said.
Incumbent Tom Richardson is being challenged by Lynette Stream for the Director District 5 seat on the School Board. All votes in the district can vote for the Director District 5 seat regardless of if they live in Director District 5. School Board Elections will be held on September 12. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots can be cast until 5 p.m. on September 11 in the Mahaska County Auditor’s Office. On election day, voters can vote at one of two vote centers, whichever is most convenient. Voter centers will be located at the ISU Extension Office on North I Street or at the Assembly of God Church on Highway 23 South.
