Four Candidates Seek Two Cardinal BOE Seats

October 29, 2015

Four individuals are competing for two four-year positions on the Cardinal Schools Board of Education on Nov. 3.

Board member Andy Sefcik has chosen not to run for another term.

The following are responses from incumbents Wendy Anderson and Katie Thomas and new candidate Jason Traggiai. Doug MacClain is also running for the board and this article will be updated when his information is received.

Thomas is a retired school teacher who lives in Middlefield and has been on the school board for four years. she is a Cardinal High School graduate, received her B.S. in education from Bowling Green State University, and has taken graduate classes at Lake Erie College.

Traggiai lives in Parkman Township and is a registered architect employed by the Louis Stokes Cleveland DVA Medical Center. He graduated from Knoch High School, Saxonburg, PA, and earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Kent State University.

Why are you running for Cardinal BOE?

ANDERSON: This will be my third term on the Cardinal Board of Education if I am reelected. I desire to serve the Cardinal community through its education process. I currently serve as the vice president of the board and legislative liaison.  My family has been a part of Cardinal for 24 years. While that may classify me a newcomer to some, I feel I have a lot to add to Cardinal students in preparing them for their future endeavors.

THOMAS: I feel I have been a diligent and effective school board member over the past four years. I attend many events with the student body held during the school day and come to many other school functions. I have sought after facts and additional information before making decisions over matters that affect the education of our students and the continuing effectiveness of Cardinal Local Schools.

TRAGGIAI: I am concerned with the current condition of Cardinal Local Schools. Our state scores, equivalent to the state average, have fallen below most of the adjacent schools. I want to be better informed of our plan to get this turned around. Our kids are the future of this community. They are reflective of us when seeking higher education and as they relocate to other communities.

What experience makes you uniquely qualified to serve on the Cardinal BOE?

ANDERSON: My husband and I have six children, four who have graduated from Cardinal, one from online/home and a current senior at the high school. We have online schooled, home-schooled for 10 years and participated in public school both here and at Chagrin Falls. My  leadership skills have been acquired on the job. I have worked within PTO, music boosters, was on the consolidation PTO team, a den leader, cub master, program and camp director for Geaua County Boy Scouts of America day camp, 4H advisor, Geauga CountyJunior Fair Board poultry coordinator and was most recently elected to Senior Fair Board for the Geauga County agricultural Society. My work experience is in banking, mostly student lending, and then sales with a Fortune 500 company until I was afforded the ability to be a stay at home mom full time. That will always be my greatest gift for sure. Within the school district I have had experience with vocational training at Auburn with two of our children and CCP, formerly PSEO , with 2 more. Our own children’s varying talents and abilities have given me great experience in many realms of education.

THOMAS: I taught middle school physical education in Franklin County for four years before coming back to live in Middlefield. I was a substitute teacher at Cardinal for fourteen years and then a full time teacher for nine years. While my husband taught choral music at Cardinal, I assisted with the show choir and played piano for concerts and musicals. I retired from teaching in June 2011 and was elected to the school board in November. As a life-long educator, I understand the demands of the teaching profession and the importance of quality education for our students.

TRAGGIAI: I have been a registered architect since July 2000 and have worked on school renovations and complicated multi-faceted projects. I understand working with a diverse group of people and within a budget. I believe architects are inherently good problem solvers and believe my professional experience will be a good addition to the current board. I look forward to helping with decisions to maintain facilities and plan upgrades when possible.

Where do you stand on the issue of school district consolidation and why?

ANDERSON: Consolidation has certainly been a complicated hot topic, if you will. When it was initially discussed, all four boards were going to come around a table and discuss educational opportunities for our students housed under one roof. What would that look like? What were we going to offer them that they currently could not get where they were? And ultimately what would be the cost to the taxpayer? I do not think that ever happened. It immediately went to a legislator, bills were formed, new ideas erupted every time the paper went to print. There was no consistency in the plan. I saw a big expensive building with very little thought to what the students inside would be doing. We at Cardinal already offer in-house college credits, CCP with KSU, one on one iPads for our high school students, virtual learning opportunities with OSU, and so much more. What would the programming look like for ALL our students from our special ed to our gifted, K-12? I was told with consolidation, so many students from 7-12 could now graduate with an associates degree along with their high school diploma for free. Our students already have this opportunity but still must meet entrance requirements to the university, as they would have to, if we consolidated. As a parent I would begin to question the rigor of the college that can allow so many students to finish high school and two years of college at the same time. A few are able but that is not the norm, nor should it be. I also did not want a vote to go out that was an aggregate vote so that if the other communities wanted to go forward, we would be forced to whether Cardinal voted that way or not. And since our taxes were expected to go up significantly, including a 1% income tax, new to Cardinal, a bond issue included in that to build the new facility, I did not feel it currently in our best interest to continue these particular talks. You want to talk education of kids first, and I am all in!

THOMAS: While I was intrigued by this consolidation proposal and the potential benefits for our Cardinal students, there were many questions and concerns. In order to fund the new consolidation, we found out in July that the added costs to our residents would include a 1% income tax and increases in current voted millage (property tax). Without action by our board, Cardinal would continue through the process set up by the state government and could be absorbed into the consolidation. A future vote of approval for the consolidation would put all three districts into one pool of voters. If the majority vote in favor of the consolidation, with Cardinal, Berkshire and Newbury votes combined, then Cardinal would be in the consolidation, even if our community voted against it. A year after that vote, then the funding issue would have to pass for construction to begin. As a board member, I am concerned about putting our parents, students, community and tax payers in a situation over which they have very little control. Following a recommendation made by Dr. Tudor at our school board meeting on Sept. 9, the board made a motion to opt out of the consolidation process and the motion passed. Dr. Tudor has subsequently stated that Cardinal can come back in later if they wish.

The Cardinal district, under new leadership, is making progress by expanding educational offerings and promoting positive change in our district. Parents have told me that they live here because they want their children to attend a small school and not a big one. Who knows what the future may hold. I just don’t believe this is the right time for Cardinal to consolidate.

TRAGGIAI: To date I have not heard a sound plan from anyone of how a consolidation might work and how it might affect our district, the taxpayer, it’s employees, and most importantly the students. I would support listening to the option and seeing if the pros outweigh the cons. Right now there are too many unanswered variables to really pick a side. I want to have a strong school system with kids that are performing at their highest level possible.

What do you see as the most critical issues affecting Cardinal LSD residents, and what is your position on those issues? How would you address those issues?

ANDERSON: Education is ever evolving. New Ohio learning standards are in place , PARCC testing was in and now is out and being replaced with AIR testing. Parents are confused by what the difference between standards and what curriculum is being used to attain those standards and so on. Common Core has taken a bad rap because of the testing and some of the curriculum choices states and districts have elected to use. I would love to teach parents and students the difference between the two and remind them how blessed we are in this state to have local control. We at the school board level control the curriculum that is taught to attain the state standards. We have choices and I encourage all parents to stay on top of what their children’s curriculum is and what they are being taught.

Testing is another issue. Some testing is necessary but it does not tell us everything we need to know about a student. I look at it  like an employer looks at an annual evaluation. We all get them and they are beneficial to all involved, whether the employee, employer or the company. Teaching to a test is not really all that bad if you look at it differently. We all really do that don’t we? If you are going to test on the civil war, are you going to teach WWI exclusively and if you do, how can you expect your students to do well on a civil war test? Much more to say on that subject, talk to me sometime!

State funding of public education is a mess and has been for years. We do the best we can with what we are given but the rest must come from property taxes unfortunately. Trying to budget out five years is very difficult but I give credit to both Dr Hunt and Merry Lou Knuckles for their frugal spending and keeping us in the black! Their changing the way we budget has helped tremendously! Ultimately we need changes from Columbus!

THOMAS: Education is changing dramatically in the way students are accessing information and teachers are engaging students in learning. This is a challenge for both students and teachers. The new mandate from the state is for students to be college and career ready when they graduate. Our community is blessed with many businesses and industries. I would like to see our schools partner with local employers who can share what skills they are looking for in their employees and what career opportunities are available at their businesses. I have read that many people are not being hired in local industry because they don’t have what it takes to hold a job. Students need to learn the skills necessary to be successful in life.

Parents, more than ever, are facing the challenge of increasing costs of college tuition. The accumulation of student debt in our college population is frightening. College Credit Plus, available to Cardinal students, is certainly a big help. Internships and partnerships with area businesses and industries can inspire our students toward a career. Employers may even find it valuable to invest in a young person’s training to secure a good future employee. Auburn Career Center is offering many opportunities to train young people with the skills needed to secure a good job after their high school graduation. Not every student needs to go to college to acquire the skills to get a good paying job.

The challenge for every school district is to provide the best education possible for our students at a reasonable cost to the community. The administration and school board understand the needs of our residents and continues to carefully balance our income and expenses. The future of every school in Ohio, both large and small, is in jeopardy largely due to the failure of our state legislators and governor to fund public schools constitutionally. The cost to educate students continues to go up and unfunded mandates from the state add additional expenses.

Reducing the amount of state funding for Ohio’s public schools leaves schools districts with little choice but to go to their voters when a deficit is looming. When school tax issues are voted down and cuts are made, a quality education no longer exists. We have seen the demise of Ledgemont Local Schools. They were suffocating in the debt they owed to the state and even though they did pass some levies, the additional tax money went to pay pack their debt. They weren’t able to bring back class offerings, teachers and staff that had been cut.

TRAGGIAI: Student performance, parent involvement, communication, and lastly, support from residents that don’t have children in the school system.

Student performance must be improved. I look forward to help with that if elected. Performance levels go up if the atmosphere is conducive to learning. That includes the building you are in but most importantly the people providing that education. I hope to work with the board to improve what is already a positive attitude about the school.

It seems that every organization gets 80 percent of the effort from 20 percent of the people. We need to improve parent involvement by reaching out and asking before that 20 percent is burned out. Many times people are willing to help but think that they are not needed. We need to be better about welcoming new people and build up others to create a stronger support system. Communication is key. Parents should know what is being taught in the schools and not find out through word of mouth or from their kids when they get home. We should know prior to so that we can opt out or voice concern before.

Planned Parenthood should not be allowed to secretly meet with my children if I determine that not to be appropriate for my child. A child should also not be threatened with detention because an emergency medical form was either lost or not turned in on time. A phone call to the parent would get it addressed with better tact.

All of us need to do a better job of convincing the community that our school benefits them even if they don’t have children in our schools. Community involvement, better schools means higher value to homes in the district, pride of self and school reflects on the community. Without the school businesses suffer at the register because we don’t get outsiders coming to sports events, concerts, and etc. Without that business stores close and business goes to our neighboring communities. When business leaves jobs are lost and people move, property value drops and you are left with empty homes, businesses, and schools. A strong school can be a great asset to a community.

What else, if anything, do you want voters to know about you?

ANDERSON: I am all about local control. These are our kids and the further up the chain that makes the decisions, the less we can choose what we want for them. Parents should be the ultimate authority over their children, not the government. Stay involved, and help where you can. We appreciate all your support for the district! What’s inside? HUSKIE PRIDE!

THOMAS: Public schools have been the backbone of education in this country, offering to educate all children, not just the rich and privileged. I believe that noble purpose is in jeopardy. The truth is, your zip code affects the quality of education in your local school. I believe all children should be offered a high quality education no matter where they live. I believe that’s what public education should be about. I just wish our politicians in Columbus would believe that as well.

TRAGGIAI: I have two girls in our school system and I’m dedicated to ensuring all of our children achieve the best possible education from Cardinal. If children are learning, professionals will be teaching, taxpayers will be content, and together we will build a better community.