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‘Meet the Candidates’: Shelia Kistler for LCSD1 Board of Trustees

Shelia Kistler

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — In this edition of “Meet the Candidates,” Shelia Kistler shares with Cap City News how she envisions serving Laramie County parents and guardians if elected as an LCSD1 board trustee. Kistler is one of seven people running for the board. Three seats are open.

The following are responses that Kistler shared with Cap City News. To view Q&As of other candidates in the general election, click here.


How do you plan to address transparency and community involvement in major decisions, such as budget allocations or curriculum changes?

Transparency is a necessary component in creating a trusting foundation of any organization. Coupled with that is the genuine involvement of all stakeholders. Currently our district does a great job in making public 45-day reviews on policy changes and the purchasing of new programs. The problem lies with the lack of community involvement. So, the question is why. Could it be the way these opportunities are advertised? Could it be the lack of empathy shown to those who speak before the board during public comment? Could it be the overwhelming day-to-day activities in people’s lives that make it too exhausting to add one more thing to their plate? Or maybe it is combination of all these things. One thing is clear though, we as a district and community need to find ways to build a partnership that involves all stakeholders. For example, we could start by taking one of the monthly board meetings and turning it into a townhall meeting. This would provide an opportunity for two-way communication between the school board and all stakeholders. Another example is for school board members to make themselves visible in the schools and approachable to all staff members. These are just two examples; I am sure there are many other options to consider. It is my belief that when an organization is based on positive mutual respect and transparency great outcomes are inevitable.

How would you ensure that LCSD1’s policies promote a safe and inclusive environment for all students?

Once again, Laramie County School District#1 has set high expectations for all staff, students, and stakeholders. This is evident when reading the district and each school’s handbook. These expectations require that all stakeholders maintain a safe, respectful, and bully-free environment. In order to ensure that everyone is held to this high standard it is necessary these expectations are reviewed throughout the school year and that the consequences for breaching these expectations are clear and administered immediately. Being proactive rather than reactive is vital to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment.

What is your position on future building renovations and new construction, and how would you balance that with other financial needs like teacher salaries or student programs?

According to the Wyoming Supreme Court, the responsibility for school construction has shifted from local school districts to the state. Therefore, the School Facilities Division (SFE), is in charge of “assisting school districts in assessing, planning, financing construction and maintenance of educational facilities.” Hence, it is the oversight agency (School Facilities Department) who is in charge of “ensuring adequate and equitable K-12 educational facilities.” It would behoove us as a district to cooperate and provide SFE with the necessary data needed for them to perform their job.

As for balancing financial needs such as teacher salaries and/or student programs, it is important to take a serious look at the longevity data in both these areas. Having recently retired from the school district after 32-plus years, it saddens me to say it has been over 19 years since teachers have received a raise across the board. The only way their salary has been able to increase aside from a step in service is to go back to college to gain more college credit hours. Without raises teachers are forced to incur more college debt in order to move on the salary scale. Even then, you top off after a certain number of hours. Hence, we now have a teacher, and support staff shortage (Salary is only part of the shortage problem). Therefore, salaries for all school-level employees needs to be addressed. We need to find areas we can cut back in without compromising the integrity of educating our students.

As for school programs, we need to get away from changing our programs every seven years just because that is the norm. This not only incurs the cost of new programs, but also the cost of training school staff to teach those programs. We need to get back to focusing on State Standards and Benchmarks rather than programs. An educator’s job is to ensure their students are able to successfully perform the skills in their grade level and not the mastery of a program. It is important to keep in mind that there is no one program that will address the required State Standards and Benchmarks.

With that said, there are many other facets of our spending that can be looked at in more depth. Cutbacks are not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, cutbacks cause us to be more fiscally responsible.

How would you approach the ongoing debates about library content and the types of books available to students?

First and foremost, the current decision by the school board to provide various options for parents to decide what materials their child may check out at the library was an important step in putting power back into the hands of parents. These various options provide an opportunity for all parents to be heard and respected. It also provides another pathway for a partnership with school staff. In addition, it protects school staff from being liable from inappropriate material being placed in the hands of students. That is what I call a win-win situation.

Second, the board’s library procurement policy is another step in the right direction. This again provides another safety net for school staff in that it would help to prevent the school budget from purchasing sexually explicit material. Material of which is prohibited by district policy. Having been and currently am on the District Book Review Committee, it is in my professional opinion that the books that have been flagged sexually explicit are of no educational value within the framework of our district standards and benchmarks. According to district policy, books housed in the school library should support the current skills being taught in the classroom. They are to enhance and extend the learning that is already taking place.

Given the recent concerns about bullying and related tragedies in districts like Natrona County, what specific steps would you take to create a safer, more supportive environment in LCSD1 schools and prevent similar incidents?

School safety is vitally important to me as it is with the entire community. Having been an adjunct professor at the college level for the Homeland Security Department teaching school safety I know this to be in the forefront of everyone’s mind. Safety covers a vast range of areas, from students’ physical safety walking to and from school to a school intruder. It also encompasses physical altercations amongst students, and physical attacks by students towards school staff. At no point in time should anyone fear for their physical and/or mental safety at school. These types of incidents are on the rise and need to be addressed. I personally have had to step in between students who are physically fighting to deescalate the situation. I have had to intervene when a student was attacking a staff member. It may surprise the community to know that there is no recourse for a staff member being attacked. They must pay out of pocket for any medical injuries. I was once told and I quote, “It is not about the safety of the teacher;” “You basically have to be on your death bed for the district to do anything about it,” end quote. Hence a dislocated shoulder, punched in the back, pushed to the ground, or a clawed bleeding face is not considered a serious enough attack on a staff member. This type of behavior must be addressed, and we must implement policies that put a stop to them. Simple fixes such as traffic lights, crosswalks, and crossing guards, to more comprehensive implementations of employing SROs in every school and/or highly trained and armed school staff members. It is also vital that parents/guardians play an active role in maintaining their child’s behavior. This requires teaming with school staff to implement necessary consequences for both positive and negative behaviors. A school culture that demands mutual respect and personal safety creates a culture that will flourish.

Is there anything else you’d like voters to know about you?

If elected, voters can expect a strong knowledgeable advocate for all students whether they be college bound or not, for all parents and/or guardians, and for all school staff. They can expect an advocate for policies that maintain high expectations while being focused on age-appropriate academic standards and benchmarks. One who will promote an environment of active listeners which will encompass respectful relationship building amongst all stakeholders. One who will play an active role in ensuring that the district budget is being put to good uses. This means purchasing quality educational materials that will help guide and support instruction. Materials that will aid in the efficient operation of the day-to-day functions of all buildings. They can expect a trustee that will be open-minded, who weighs all sides and will ultimately vote in the direction that supports the needs of all students, staff, parents, and community members. One who will maintain integrity and transparency throughout the four-year term. Most importantly voters can expect a strong advocate for instilling a passion for learning in a safe and respectful school environment.


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