 Hello and welcome to Channel 17's Town Meeting Television and another in our 2019 candidate forums. I'm Matt Kelly on this show, Candidates Vying for School Board for Burlington Commissioners. We have candidates returning, unopposed to serve the East and Central Districts. Joining me on the podium this evening are Kathy Owell, serving the East District that is wards one and eight, as well as Gene Walts, serving the Central District that is wards two and three. Ladies, welcome to you both. I have to say my mother served on the Burlington School Board in the late 70s under then Superintendent Lansing Reinholds. So it is in that spirit that I welcome you here this evening. Reminder that if you do have questions for our candidates, you are welcome to dial on in at 862-3966. Our format begins with a 60-second candidate opening statement followed by a round robin question and answer. And we'll begin with you. Kathy, your 60-second opening statement, please. I'm running because I'm deeply concerned about the education of the children of this city. I've spent close to 25 years in this city and have worked with youth for 24 of those years. I opened and ran the New North End Youth Center and the Miller Center on Gos Court. I was instrumental in starting the after-school programs in the district. I ran the Hunt Middle School after-school program for Sarah Holbrook Community Center and organized the Burlington-Winooski Summer Middle School Program, which was a five-week program that serves 300 kids during the summer and gives them rich assortment of hands-on programs to choose from in the arts, athletic, and STEM. I have been on the school board for 2.5 years and served in the 90s on the board for three years. I want to see this district write itself after the cuts of the last four years. We have a very generous community that has always supported its schools. If they trust they are being given the information they need to stand behind the board and the administration's decisions. Very good. Thank you, Kathy. Gene Waltz, your opening statement, please. Very much like Kathy, I've been in education for my whole adult life. We met back in the, that was the mid-90s. Yes. But same thing, lots of after-school programs. I went to Burlington College. I did some alternative education. I taught at the Correctional Center. It was mostly through the arts and after I graduated I was in AmeriCorps Vista. I did stuff both at what is now SA or Sustainability Academy and Integrated Arts Academy. It's hard to, I also ran an after-school program at the Riverside Housing. Yeah, there's still some remnants of work from my program there. Those kids are all in their late 20s now. Wowzers. Yeah, but I've been teaching art at Rock Point School for 19 years now and deeply involved with the community of the Old North End. I've been then the Old North End pretty steady. I think there was maybe six months where I moved out of town for a little while. We don't talk about that time. But I also have been involved with the Ramble, which is the celebration of creativity and community of the Old North End. And I've been helping to coordinate that since 2010. And we kind of think of it as an arts festival, is the base of it. And it's kind of melding more into like a cultural festival, which of course is all about, that would be a great way to put it too. So being involved in the community and in education seemed like a very good fit for, like my skills at being a good fit for work on the school board. I'm very curious. I hope I'm going to be helpful. Very good. This evening, Kendra Sowers and Jeff Wick were unavailable for this evening's candidate forum. We hope to have them rescheduled for forum at a future date. We want to then go on to kind of a question and answer opportunity here. And with both of you, it's just an opportunity to be rather a little bit more informal. I want to just kind of ask, how would you rate the relationship right now between the board and the administration? There seems to have been past been maybe some friction. Do you think that that has ironed out a little bit? Or is there still that attention? I can honestly say I don't know enough about the history. And I almost purposefully tried to come onto the board with a very clean slate. My agenda was to not have an agenda. And to really hopefully kind of be a way to take the temperature of the group. I think the board itself has sincerely bonded over the past couple. Since I have been on the board, I have seen people work together in ways that it was kind of weird to hear later that there was conflict. Your thoughts, Kathy? Mine are very much as genes that I think that the board has bonded. I was there under a more frictionous time, but you know, I think those are things of the past and we got to look forward and just make sure we're doing what we can do to make this a good experience. So I should probably tell people that I've been on the board for five months. I replaced Ryan McClaren, who left his seat early. So this is my, I'm running for my first term, my first term, but so I have been on the board for five months. This sort of leads into a bigger question and it has to do with political compromise and in effect political parties. Do you think political parties serve the students the best or do you think the school board being free of political parties and maybe should that extend to city council as well? Or do you see that those are impediments? Was there a time when there were supposed to be like representatives from political parties on the board? Oh, there was. Many years ago. I think it was in the 90s sometime that they stopped it. And I when I was on in the 90s, it was right after they made that decision not to have parties involved in school board. And I'm very happy that that happened because I don't think, I mean, there can be enough strife just in feelings about education, let alone putting political stuff in there on top of even though certainly we all have our political opinions and they come out in but it's not that but I I don't think they should be in. Just reminder, if you have a question for either of our candidates, our phone number is 862-3966, whether it be about the fiscal budget that has been proposed and the increase, the funding, the statewide funding formula, things like that. We're open to hear your comments. And so Jean will go right to you. You know, five months, it's not a long time on the board. What are your initial thoughts as to what are you seeing as the challenges ahead for the students primarily and the teachers? What are they having to face? Well, I actually think teachers are, I was really happy to hear that the negotiations with the BEA went very well. So that felt like a very positive move in the right direction. I know the past couple years have been really hard on the teachers. So hopefully we're mending that relationship. And you know, when you have happy teachers, you're going to have happy kids. So I mean, that's a super simplistic way to put it but it's definitely a place to start. And you see that as maybe one of the primary things that you see facing the school district. I don't have a primary. There's not a primary thing. There's so many different moving parts. And I just want to say I feel like they're all important. And I do want to see more of a way for everything to be taken care of without there being this, you know, somebody gets shoved in the corner because something else is, you know, the pot is boiling over. And I know my approach to how I'm hoping things are going to move forward on the board is having more of a tiered sort of plan with how we go about programming and funding programming or just having, you know, because like education is all about building on skills. So consistency. But those are relative terms for very lofty things. Kathy, you've been on for a number of years, lots of things. Let me just say this isn't the school district of my mother. From the late 70s. So it's a lot of different challenges today for teachers and administrators. What do you see as the biggest challenge that the district faces, whether it be, you know, the teachers themselves, the administration, is it cost containment? What do you say? I mean, certainly costs are always the biggest challenge to any school district anywhere in this country. And yes, we I don't know that it's so much containment as where are we getting the funds to educate our children? And I think one of the big problems is that that there are social problems in this district and all over this country due to poverty, due to, you know, social emotional problems, we in this country don't support the social services that would support our populace. And it's constantly being loaded onto the schools. And so it's not that I don't think we should do this. I do. But I think that we need to get the support in order to do that. And a big problem I think in this state is that the formula that funds education has is not correct in that years ago, when it was put together, they realize that those very needy districts were going to get a lot more money than not so needy districts. And they happen to be in the wrong geographic area for everyone to support them. And it goes back to feeling that Chittenden County is wealthy. And yes, it is. I admit that it is wealthy. But we also have some of the large needs of the state because of the population of Chittenden County and many of the social services. So that opens the door right to the fiscal year 20 school budget that has been proposed. It's an increase. And I'm wondering if you can kind of speak to that specifically because there are a lot of additions for full-time exempt teachers or age or whatnot that are there to solve some of the issues that you specifically said that aren't being addressed by any other agency either from the state or from the city. There's definitely an emphasis on social emotional needs being met and also early learning for sure. Restorative practices. The board unanimous hands down. Everybody was in favor of making sure restorative practices was furthered. Can you for a moment explain to the audience and share with the audience what you hope the results of this increase in funding for those specific services will promote within our community? And how does the community eventually benefit from this? I think in the well I think in the end it's going to be about relationship building and empathy and having a deeper connection with your teacher, your neighbor, having more ways to communicate with everybody. It just seems like it's supposed to the ripple effect could be that these kids you know after being a part of restorative practices could go out into our community or other communities and have this effective way of communicating and have a better understanding of how other people live, feel, whatever it is whether it be culturally or economically just have a better understanding. It feels like it is about respect and self-respect too. Is it also in a way to try to identify one's inherent bias as a way to try to identify that so through a sensitivity? Yeah exactly I think. Is that because I mean I'm trying to understand what these programs actually are you're on the school board you've approved them can you Kathy now tell me what you think the benefit to the community of these programs will be in this expense? Of restorative practices? Or all these things that are addressing the social issues that you had intimated are not being served through the community at large? Well our children can't learn unless they're healthy both in mind and body and I think many of these programs are there in order to help them give them the supports they need to be able to learn and a child who comes in who's homeless who's not sure that it next evening where they're going to live or where their next meal is coming from cannot concentrate when he's sitting in a classroom. Child with emotional problems has a really hard time usually concentrating and being able to sit still and I'm you know we could go on you know we're not the effects of things like parental addiction or parental incarceration. Kids come to school these days many of them and I'm not talking that all kids are like this but but you have kids coming with really deep problems and they're not getting the the the supports they need to to health least be in class. Okay so again you know I was kind of looking more for like can you go through the budget and specifically identify where some of these there's going to be guidance counselors. Okay okay and this actually brings it back to another question about guidance counselor Misha's so I would be interested to hear you continue to talk about that. You want me to talk about Mario Misha's just there's no way I'm gonna go there well I publicly I mean I just feel really uncomfortable because I wasn't a part of right right but I mean it certainly occurred while you're on the school board the last five months the education board has deemed him to be unfit I believe in is now in the process of revoking his certification there's certainly concern okay there's certainly concern out in the community was he always unfit or did this just occur and if he was always unfit why was he hired in the first did you get to read the the information I'll ask this of Kathy and and I think that any personnel matters we are not and this is a personnel matter that still is before us it is not finished so yeah we really aren't allowed to talk about that I appreciate that it's certainly a concern for the community but back to your point that this budget actually includes guidance counselors can you speak to that and the importance of that and those are the people that are connected to services the most are available to meet one-on-one I mean it's part social work it's part preparation for the world it's having a school I mean I don't think my teachers I went to Burlington high school I was the student council president class speaker graduation so I don't necessarily think my teachers prepared me for the world outside of the classroom budgeting etc etc the guidance counselor was certainly much more instrumental in that and identifying potential avenues for me to pursue whether it be higher education a trade or or whatnot yeah they also kind of act as a there's also social work yeah well is it there I certainly you know yeah or an advocate for the kid so yeah you know I mean there's a lot going on yeah people need somebody to go to so looking ahead here what is the forecast for the student population in terms of attendance are you seeing increased student populations decreased population in the three five ten year projections and how in a sense is that affecting your ability to budget and provide what we're seeing here is the necessary services again that are being I mean we've really only lost a very minute population over over the last five years I think it's 20 students we're down we're one but we're not down like the rest of the state right Burlington is one of the only I think growing stay cities or towns that has pretty much stayed the same wow and you know I guess with all the building going on in this city you'd hope that they're going to be a lot of families moving in that will then you know have kids going to the schools so it's very hard to figure that out before those houses and apartments are built and people have moved in to know exactly how many children we're going to have so as some populations decrease the fact that we're actually building in this city for the first time you know in years means that we probably will have more families in schools I want to just touch based then on the renovation of the school the voters passed the bond watching y'all on the school budget presentation he had great things to say about it that progress is already underway lots of meetings are transpiring can you give us some updates on that as well as and from your own vantage point as to how things may be progressing and and your own excitement for the projects as well I'm very excited I mean we have needed a new high school for many years so it is wonderful and I thank everyone out there for for supporting the bond because it is needed our kids need a new high school I like the design of it because it will not have to be everything won't have to be torn down and they will build around some of the structure that's in place it's seen that we're supposed to start in 2020 spring of 2020 so you know I don't think it can come too soon I'm excited about it and yeah Jean your thoughts on it I know again it came I actually worked at Burlington High School in 87 88 and it there are things that are still the same there so I'm not gonna not gonna get on Martha Stewart there's room for improvement great looking at the ahead at the capital needs are they where you want to be are we funded where we need to be do you see any future capital needs that are on the horizon that you know haven't sort of been addressed a ticking time bomb as at work not taking I mean I feel like they're being addressed it's just there's I mean there's projects that are being kind of hanging in the balance but if I feel like the facilities and infrastructure what is the name of their committee infrastructure and facilities committee or they're working with Marty they've got a timeline they seem like they're organized you know I mean that's part of that's part of the board it's you know we're not supposed to be experts on everything or have our fingers in every and I mean it's actually kind of a good thing you know concentrate on what you're good at but and and trust the work that the other board members are doing in the committee okay I guess this is an opportunity to to speak about some other questions here and one of the questions here is about racial bias unconscious racial bias that seems to be in the news a lot lately how do you think the school is addressing this both you know directly in the school through teachers and through guidance counselors through sensitivity awareness etc etc and and then culturally through the board and the administration and the district as a whole can you speak to that first I think restorative practices is a big part of that but I have not witnessed it firsthand you know I get updates and reports I'm I did join the diversity equity and inclusion committee meeting a committee and essentially they're really looking to collect data do you feel first finding out the idea of what data is actually going to be effective in collecting most seems like it's been a long time coming to kind of suss that out do you feel that that is actually present in the high school unconscious racial bias I think everybody is biased I mean Burlington well Vermont in general I don't know just there's been a lot of news about how maybe we're not as forward-thinking as we think we are and I I don't think it's horrible to admit that I think it's productive but I think it's really hard for people to be vulnerable especially when it comes to race and you know it's but culturally I do feel like we're growing as a community and we have been I think about how things were 20 years ago 30 years ago very different when you were in high school very different so Kathy your thoughts on unconscious racial bias do you think the district is doing enough to to promote awareness I do know that yes I do I think there is unconscious bias both in and outside the school in this community and really in our nation in general and I I do I think that we have been working on it I know that in the past when when I was working in after school we did they did trainings with us on unconscious bias and and I know that we did them with teachers so it was with the whole staff and and we as a board have done those trainings so I know that the trainings are going on you know it's always that question how much training right and is it enough and you know there's there's money in the budget this year for that as well as supporting the the um I always say justice circles but that's wrong restorative restorative justice um the the district leaders were also at that training that the board did and it sounds like it's more than one training it's a once again a tiered sort of process building on skills yeah well candidates I want to thank you for your time this evening we are at the end of our debate here it's an opportunity for you to just give some final comments on your candidacy and the school board race and your service to the city in general and Kathy we'll begin with you I know um well I you know I've been on for two and a half years I would ask the people of my two wards to give me another two years to serve you and I am very much enjoy I guess you could say it's hard work but but I have enjoyed it and I want to keep working to see this district move ahead so very good Jean your final thoughts exactly the same it is this is a very engaging process it is never boring it feels very important I very much want to be a part part of this important work um and it does feel like over time we are sincerely going to make a positive change here so it feels inspiring to me to be a part of this group and I hope that um yeah I I'm not a quitter either so if I'm elected again which I'm pretty much I'm a shoe in right because nobody's running against me I don't know but yeah I'm excited to be a part of it very good ladies thank you so much again for your service to our city and your commitment to our youth it's inspiring to be on the stage with you both it's very difficult to give countless hours of unpaid service to the city but the ladies before you are doing just that they ask that you go to the polls on march fifth and cast your ballot and a reminder that you can cast an early ballot as early voting has already begun just contact your local town clerk and request your ballot today and join us for a complete election night results beginning at 7 p.m right here on channel 17 and for all of us at town meeting television I'm Matt Kelly thank you and good night