I am running for a seat on the Hickman Mills School Board in Kansas City, MO. This is a school board faced with several challenges, the first of which is regaining the status of an accredited school in the state of Missouri. The school board would need to focus its business and assistance toward that top priority. Secondly, the school board must secure higher teacher salaries to keep the best teachers and attract the best teachers. Funding for this goal could come from several sources, the most likely being bond issues thus avoiding tax increases. Student achievement, as measured by standardized testing, must be a high priority. The whole reason for having public schools is to be sure that all young people have access to a quality education that would enable them to have more control over their futures. There are several other issues. It is important that the school board foster administrative continuity. The constant changing of leadership in the school district has contributed to the inability of the district to maintain continuity of any initiative originating in the administrative side of school governance. Another issue has been the contentiousness of the school board as evidenced by more than several 4 to 3 votes which are occurring as blocks. School board initiatives will be much more widely accepted and supported if there is more consensus in the voting. Finally, our single middle school is overcrowded. Provision needs to be made quickly for the establishment of a second middle school that should be equal in terms of educational opportunity as reflected in facilities and materials. Another option might be a sixth-grade center.

I was a highly successful music educator for 44 years. Teaching instrumental music, when done properly, is like teaching any other academic subject except that you would also need to teach physical skills. My understanding of the classroom will enable me to maintain focus on the needs of the students. They must always come first. Many voters might like to have someone with bookkeeping skills in a school board seat. While I admit that it might be a good thing, but given a choice, I would always choose an educator over a financially skilled worker every time. The educator is going to keep the student’s educational welfare as the top-priority concern. By doing so, spending issues will become more discernable and in better perspective. In other words, meeting student educational needs will steer the budget boat.

I have a bio posted on this website. Just in case you do not wish to search that out, here are some particulars. I am 69 years old and have been married for 48 years. My wife, Alisa, and I have two offspring: Matthew, 39, and Jessica, 37. Matthew is currently a musician in Pershing’s Own Army Band in Washington, DC, a position he has held for 15 years. Jessica came to Kansas City in 2006 to pursue a master’s degree in Flute Performance. She met her future husband while working at the Grand Street Cafe. They married and produced three kids, affectionately known as Grandchildren. That is why we moved to Kansas City in 2018, after my retirement from the University of South Florida. Since coming to Kansas City, I have become involved with several local nonprofits: the Hickman Mills Educational Foundation for which I am the secretary; the Community Assistance Council for which I am President; the South Kansas City Alliance for which I am treasurer; and St. Peter and All-Saints Episcopal Church for which I am the choir director. Because that was not enough involvement, I founded the Royal Oaks Neighborhood Association for which I am President and a professional concert band known as Pinnacle Winds. I am the conductor of that group.

If elected to the Hickman Mills School Board, I will faithfully discharge my duties to the school district, and most importantly, to its students and teachers. The educational welfare of the student must come first. That will give focus to every other issue, including assistance from outside sources to be sure that every student is well nourished, has a safe home environment, and has access to every tool needed to ensure the best learning. I know that is a bit of a dream, thinking that all of the demographic problems can be solved, but it is important that the school board engage with those charitable organizations that are able to provide such assistance. That, in reality, is an augmentation of the total school district budget.