Nevada school board candidate shares views

Nine candidates have filed for election to the Nevada R-5 school board, vying for three open seats up for election on April 5. Identical questionaires to each of the candidates. Answers from other candidates were published in the March 29-31 editions of the Nevada Daily Mail. Answers provided the ninth candidate appear below.

Adam Dean

Adam Dean is the director of academic computing for Cottey College. He is also a husband, father, son and neighbor, which he believes requires just as much of his time as his job at Cottey.

Do you have any children in the Nevada R-5 School District and if so, how many?

My wife Elise and I will have our oldest child Avery starting kindergarten this August.

Why do you want to be on the school board?

With my children getting ready to enter into the R-5 school system, I am very adamant about the parent as the authority for the child. I believe the school system is there to provide our youth with a quality education; and once they step beyond that realm, they are overstepping their authority and expertise. I feel the school board needs to reevaluate its extensive policies, rules, and regulations to determine if those in place are a benefit or a hindrance to the education process of the R-5 school district. I understand that one of the greatest challenges facing not only R-5, but most school boards, in the next several years will be budget shortages. Losing funds generated at the state and federal levels, along with the rising cost of tangible and intangible resources, creates a difficult situation. Maintaining the level of service for the students, faculty and staff is important. The school board needs members making sure the district is focusing on education first, and in the most fiscally responsible means available.

If you could wave a magic wand and change any one thing about the Nevada School District, what would you change and why?

Doing away with budget shortages would be nice, however we know that is not a reality. We've all learned to tighten our belts on spending over the last several years, and the school system is no exception. I think if anything, it would be to have our students graduate as critical thinkers and problem solvers, knowing they have the skills to succeed in whatever they endeavor and helping them to become contributors to society.

What do you think is the best thing about the Nevada school district?

The R-5 district is the perfect size for a school system in my opinion. We are large enough to attract and retain quality teachers, yet small enough to maintain a class size that can foster learning. We have a variety of extracurricular activities that if a student is willing to participate in, can participate. If the school system was smaller, those activities might not be available. On the other hand, if we were larger, students might be left out from participating due to the number applying. I think we are fortunate we are in a district that can offer these advantages to our students and still have room for growth.

The worst?

I don't know if I would call anything the worst. If something was bad enough to be classified as worst, it should have already been eliminated. I do believe that some changes need to be made. For years I have listened to co-workers, colleagues, and friends discuss a variety of issues. Eventually the school system is brought up regarding something. Very rarely are they ever upset about teachers or the quality of teaching being provided. Most often their concern is some rule or policy that is being inflicted on the students. I often wonder while listening to these discussions, why the parent in the situation is not addressing that issue directly with the school administration and board. To me, it seems the school system's authority is extending itself into other areas besides just education. Is that wasting resources that could be best directed toward educating our students? I think so. I believe the school board needs to dedicate its' time to maintaining a fiscally responsible district that encourages the educational process and offers the best education the district can provide.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Having worked in higher education for several years, I believe has given me a unique understanding into the educational process, not only on the administrative level, but also into the teaching process. I see firsthand every year that an average high school education can hinder a student's progress in continuing his/her education. I feel that we owe it to our youth to provide the best education available. I believe that if we focus our resources on the education of our youth and stay within that realm, we can succeed.