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Thweatt and Nation in General Election for MSD School Board

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CYD	Thweatt and Nation in General Election for MSD School Board	Lead	[-]
Posts: 850 (08/25/09 09:20:12) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None By KIRK BOXLEITNER Marysville Globe Reporter Aug 20 2009, 3:10 PM · UPDATED MARYSVILLE - In the wake of the Aug. 18 primary elections, Chris Nation and Heather Thweatt will be moving on to the general election for the Marysville School District Board of Directors, while John Koster and Ellen Hiatt Watson will be doing the same for the Snohomish County Council. Marysville As of 4:46 p.m. Aug. 19, Marysville School District Director District 1 candidate Chris Nation received 2,962 votes, for 39.57 percent of the primary vote, while fellow candidate Heather Thweatt got 2,384 votes, for 31.85 percent of the primary vote. Nation and Thweatt were equally complimentary toward their fellow "great candidates," whom they both described as having "the best of intentions." "I look forward to the debates and discussions that we'll be having, which will help each candidate's focus move to the forefront," Nation said. "There are different issues driving each of us, and during the primaries, there were limited opportunities for us to let the public know about these issues, and where we stand on them. Some of us might have more experience than others, in areas such as working with the school district, but in the long run, I think we'd all do a good job." "I've made a lot of new friends, as we've made efforts to get our word out," Thweatt said. "We've had a lot of great support through word of mouth, and I look forward to seeing that continue. I have a lot of respect for my opponents. I like that so many people stepped up for this race, because too often, these positions go unopposed." With budget cuts and resource shortages impacting the district, Thweatt voiced her support for a bond issue. With regard to the possibility of school closures, she deemed them a last resort, "only after we've exhausted all other options." For Nation, one of the biggest issues facing the school district is communication. While he praised district staff, including Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland, and teachers for the "great job" they've done in striving for transparency, he nonetheless acknowledged that "the community still perceives that it's being blindsided on some of these issues. The past few years, we've had tensions and issues, but we need to work together, as a community, to make our schools better. Education is about doing the best you can with what you have. All of the candidates are in it for the kids, or else they wouldn't be running. We just have different theories on how to achieve those goals. It can't all happen tomorrow, but it has to happen within a few years, or else we need to tweak it and fix it." Fellow Marysville School District Director District 1 candidate Mark Hatch garnered 1,991 votes, for 26.60 percent of the primary vote, in the preliminary count. He is unlikely to move on to the general election, and as of press time, he had not responded to requests for an interview with The Marysville Globe.
CYD	Thweatt and Nation in General Election for MSD School Board	#1	[-]
Posts: 851 (09/06/09 13:01:42) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Marysville Tulalip Chamber hosts candidates' forum Sept. 18 By KIRK BOXLEITNER Marysville Globe Reporter Sep 01 2009, 3:54 PM · UPDATED TULALIP - The Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce wants to give local voters a chance to hear from their prospective elected officials, which is why the Chamber is conducting two candidates' forums before the general election, Sept. 18 and Oct. 9. The first candidates' forum will take place during the Chamber's Sept. 19 Business Before Hours event from 7-9 a.m. in the Canoes Cabaret Room of the Tulalip Resort Casino. Attendance is $23 with an RSVP, or $28 at the door for non-registered attendees. Kimberlie Ritchey, director of administration for the Chamber, can be contacted about the event by phone at 360-659-7700 or via e-mail Kimberlie@marysvilletulalipchamber.com. Marysville School District Director District 1 candidates Chris Nation and Heather Thweatt will be participating in the forum, as will Snohomish County Council District 1 incumbent John Koster (prefers Republican Party) and challenger Ellen Hiatt Watson (prefers Democratic Party). "The forum is the same every year," Ritchey said. "The Chamber's Government Affairs Committee will select a set of questions that's reflective of pressing current events. With each question, one candidate will be given time to answer, after which their opponent will be allowed to respond, followed by the first candidate offering a rebuttal to their opponent's remarks. The candidates will not be given the questions ahead of time." Ritchey noted that this year's candidates' forums have been adjusted to accommodate mail-in ballots, since "we want local voters to be educated about their candidates before they vote." Marysville Globe Reporter Kirk Boxleitner can be reached at kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300.
CYD	Thweatt and Nation in General Election for MSD School Board	#2	[-]
Posts: 854 (09/21/09 16:50:27) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Marysville Tulalip Chamber hosts Marysville School Board, Snohomish County Council candidates forums By KIRK BOXLEITNER Marysville Globe Reporter Today, 4:37 PM TULALIP - A spirited exchange between the Snohomish County Council candidates, on issues including land use and relative experience levels, followed the less contentious talking points of the Marysville School District Director candidates, at the forums conducted during the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce's Sept. 18 Business Before Hours. Marysville School District Board of Directors Marysville School District Director District 1 candidates Chris Nation and Heather Thweatt took part in the opening forum, moderated by David Toyer. Nation and Thweatt cited their roles as active Marysville School District parents, with more than a few extracurricular activities each. Nation has two sons in the district, and worked on the bond and levy 14 years ago. He's since worked on the Citizens Planning Committee, among other committees. He expressed the hope that he can help give students the resources and assets that they need, a matter on which he's "passionate." Like Nation, Thweatt moved to the Marysville area because she saw it as a good home for her family. Her 11-year-old son is currently enrolled in Totem Middle School, and she's been active on the councils of her son's schools for a number of years, which she believes has taught her how to "agree to disagree respectfully." After volunteering with the district and regularly attending school board meetings, she described herself as "thrilled at the opportunity to serve more," and hopes to "set our kids up for success." When Toyer asked what led the candidates to run for the school board, and what experience they have working with the schools, Thweatt cited her own work with the CPC and recalled that her thinking about recent and upcoming budget cuts had caused her to become "passionate" as well. When Don Hatch Jr. announced he was stepping down from the school board, she considered whether she could commit the time required to step into his role. Nation explained that, as a result of serving on so many committees, he was frequently asked by other parents when he might run for the school board. He admitted that he doesn't look forward to giving up his participation in those committees if he's elected, and acknowledged that it can be "a thankless job," but he emphasized the urgency of promoting the district's needs on the local, state and federal levels, an area in which he said that "the leadership's not there" in the existing school board membership. When Toyer asked the candidates what leadership skills they could bring to the school board, as well as how they would balance their individual goals with the group's broader goals, Nation cited his upcoming presidency of the local Rotary, his willingness to listen and a "focus on necessity." He pledged to ask questions and make decisions after informing himself, and "not just off the top of my head." He also promised that his priorities would reflect "not just personal interest," but the needs of broader numbers of people. Thweatt pointed again to her experience with school councils, as well as to suggestions she'd made to the principal of Totem Middle School that were successfully implemented. She had applied for the 10th Street School and was worried about Totem, but expressed pride in Totem's increased PTSA participation during her time as one of the school's parents. When Toyer asked each candidate to name their top three priorities, Thweatt listed closing the achievement gap for Native American, special education and English Language Learner students, working with the Marysville and Tulalip communities to come up with plans for improving the district's schools, and funding technology and foreign language education to afford students greater chances for success "in a global economy." Nation asserted that funding for schools "must be addressed now, before it becomes a disaster." To that end, he spoke out against unfunded legislative mandates. He defended the continued existence of Small Learning Communities, but acknowledged the need to "tweak" them, by paying attention which aspects work and which ones need to be fixed. If elected, he also promised to make himself visible and accessible to the public, as well as to visit the district's schools to observe their needs and resources firsthand. For their final question, Nation and Thweatt were asked what role the economy would play in their decisions regarding future bonds and levies. Both candidates asserted that investing in the schools represents an investment in the community itself. Nation identified good schools as a reason why people move to towns like Marysville, calling them "the backbone of society," since he sees them leading to more businesses and a stronger economy. Thweatt sympathized with struggling families who might feel overly taxed by supporting a bond and levy, but she presented those investments as means of improving not only their children's future, but also their own. Snohomish County Council Snohomish County Council District 1 incumbent John Koster (prefers Republican Party) and challenger Ellen Hiatt Watson (prefers Democratic Party) participated in the second candidates forum, also moderated by Toyer. In response to Toyer's opening question, both candidates declared their support for a four-year university in Snohomish County. Hiatt Watson deemed it "an opportunity to bring economic development to the community." Koster noted that "I still have the relationships" to work toward that goal. When Toyer asked the candidates about their positions on expanded commercial service at Paine Field, Koster pointed out that he was the only member of the current County Council who voted in favor of it. He cast the absence of commercial air service at Paine Field as a hindrance to bringing new businesses to the area, by explaining how it takes less time to drive to Spokane than to drive from Snohomish County to Sea-Tac Airport and fly from there to Spokane. Hiatt Watson expressed sympathy for the neighborhoods surrounding Paine Field, but stated that those areas never should been zoned for residential development in the first place. She went on to express the opinion that the Arlington Municipal Airport is underutilized, and even suggested the formation of a county port district. Koster followed by voicing his desire to see greater economic diversity in the area. When Toyer asked the candidates to identify the "guiding principles" by which they would evaluate land use agreements and code amendments, Hiatt Watson pointed to the attempted development of the Seven Lakes area as an attempt to violate county planning laws, codes and equity, and took pride in spearheading an effort to push back against such development. She called for "the rules to be clear," to ensure that smaller builders and property owners maintain as many rights as larger ones, and spoke out against the process being affected by the money of special interests. Koster cited his own efforts since 2001 to streamline the permitting process, identifying the "deny and delay" approach to permitting eight years ago as one reason why developers were choosing not to do business in Snohomish County back then. He admitted that the process is still "convoluted," but he asserted that significant progress has been made in clarifying it since he first took office. Hiatt Watson followed by expressing concern that it still "takes citizens showing up at meeting after meeting" to watchdog the process. Koster laughed in response to Toyer's question about how the candidates would address the "perception or reality of dysfunctional communication" between the branches of county government, since he sees the dysfunction as occurring not as a result of the branches themselves, but because of mandates by Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. He deemed such restrictions on direct communication unproductive, especially as the task of budget-planning approaches. "I have a better relationship with the county executive than anyone else on the council, and I'm a Republican!" Koster laughed. "It's imperative that we talk. Out citizens expect better." Hiatt Watson agreed that the problem does not lie in the departments themselves, To counter Koster's assertions about his working relationship with Reardon, she held up her endorsement by Reardon, as well as by Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick and all the members of the Snohomish County Council, aside from Koster himself. When Hiatt Watson went on to mention a voicemail message from Koster to Reardon's office, which Reardon had released to support his assertion that Koster had asked Reardon to veto mini-cities, contrary to Koster's claims otherwise, Koster denounced "partisan personal attacks." When Hiatt Watson was given time to ask Koster a question, she condemned his record of accomplishment, particularly on issues such as the Growth Management Act, and asked him to defend it. Koster acknowledged that the current code "needs tweaking," but cited the years of work that he's put into it thus far. He also proudly held up the fact that the general fund portion of Snohomish County's property tax has not been raised in eight years, and characterized the current County Council as "voting 90 percent unanimously on the issues." When Koster was given time to ask Hiatt Watson a question, he cited the estimated increase of 350,000 residents that's expected in Snohomish County by 2025, and challenged her position on land use, asking if she would advocate "five-acre developments all over the county." Hiatt Watson asserted that she is not "anti-growth," but that she instead believes that Fully Contained Communities are a "bad tool." She expressed her support for Transfer of Development Rights, and asked the county to "look at what growth we want, to protect our environment and quality of life." Marysville Globe Reporter Kirk Boxleitner can be reached at kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300.
CYD	Thweatt and Nation in General Election for MSD School Board	#3	[-]
Posts: 856 (10/07/09 22:09:52) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Marysville School District Director candidates answer questions from The Marysville Globe By KIRK BOXLEITNER Marysville Globe Reporter Today, 1:29 PM · UPDATED The Marysville Globe sent five questions to each of the candidates running for the Marysville School District Board of Directors. Director District 1 Heather Thweatt and Chris Nation are both first-time candidates running against each other for District 1. 1. Which career fields of the future do schools most need to prepare students for, and how? Thweatt: I believe we need to prepare students for careers in the sciences and technology. Those are two areas where there will be long term needs. We need to really look at whether we are offering students courses that will make them more competitive not only for college applications, but for jobs in the global market. We need to be sure we are offering enough math and science and not only equipping our classrooms with the latest technology, but making sure we have teachers who are on the leading edge and are able to instruct our students in that technology. Nation: The most important education that any student can receive is one that will benefit and inspire them for the future. The District must focus on providing every student with the basic instructional requirements that will enable them to continue on to higher education or enter the workforce without having to take remedial instruction courses. By offering Small Learning Communities, students are exposed to various career paths while giving the District the ability to change and modify the curriculum within each SLC at a faster pace, if and when technology and the career fields change. 2. Which board practices or policies of the past do you most support and intend to continue, and why? Thweatt: I support the current goals, vision and mission. I feel that progress has been made in some areas such as closing the achievement gap for our Native American and low income students, and the work needs to continue in those areas and in closing the achievement gap for our Special Education students. I believe there has been a lot of progress in making the school learning environment more conducive to focusing on learning at the middle school level, and would like to see that work continue also. I could go on and on about the good work being done. Nation: One of the most controversial decisions that was made recently by the Board of Directors was the decision to change the high schools to Small Learning Communities. I believe that the District is moving in the right direction by making smaller learning environments for the students and staff. This will help to improve students' educational scores and will provide the staff with the ability to assist students that are having instructional and attendance problems. We must continue to monitor, survey, evaluate and change the SLCs to improve the programs and meet the needs of our students. 3. Which board practices or policies of the past do you differ with and have an interest in possibly changing, and why? Thweatt: I would like to see more cohesiveness of the board. Sometimes compromise does reflect what is best for the community and I believe board members need to keep that in mind when deliberating tough issues. I would like to see all sides of an issue investigated before a decision is made and to see the filter of "what is best for each student" applied to each decision. I really feel that when that filter is applied, it keeps discussions in perspective. Nation: I believe that the Board has a responsibility to students, parents and staff of the District. They should become strong positive advocates for education locally, statewide and nationally. As a member of the Board, I will assist my fellow Board members in positively promoting the Marysville School District. I will become an advocate locally and in Olympia to pressure our legislators to provide the District with the funds required for basic education. I also plan to propose one evening a month for the Board to hold a public forum that will allow concerned individuals the opportunity to speak directly to the Board. 4. What should be the primary budgetary priorities of the school district during an economic downturn, and how might those change in an economic recovery? Thweatt: The primary priority and responsibility is to fund the core academics (math, science, language arts and social studies). Class sizes that are conducive to student achievement should be a very high priority. Without a strong foundation in elementary and middle school, a student is less likely to do well in high school and beyond. If we build a solid foundation we will likely see the rewards of that in high school, and need fewer special resources and realize higher on-time graduation rates. Foreign language and the arts are valuable also and we should protect them and expand when possible. Nation: The District must remember that the basic education requirements for every student is always priority one. We must continue to provide our students with educational abilities and vocational skills in order to become successful assets to our community. When the District has succeeded on achieving the first priority than we can expand the educational curriculum to add additional courses that will enhance the learning environment. As a Board Member I will review and evaluate all budget adjustments to determine if the recommendation is warranted or if there is a possible alternative that is better. 5. How can the school district and the surrounding community partner up best to serve the interests of the children? Thweatt: We should pursue additional partnerships with community businesses for student internships for valuable hands-on training to enhance classroom learning. We should embrace current partnerships and programs, such as with Tulalip Tribes and MCEP. We need to engage families to partner with schools for student success. When students know that adults in their lives are united and see a priority placed on their education by all, they thrive. A student's parent or guardian should take an interest in what their student is doing in school, know what the expectations of the teachers are and be proactive, not reactive, regarding their students' education. Nation: With the federal and state governments unable to meet their financial obligations to fund education, the District must continue to provide each child with a valuable and meaningful education. The District must work with the citizens of Marysville and Tulalip to pressure the legislators to take a stand and start fully funding education. If we work together as a group, we will get their attention and progress will be made. The District must continue to survey the business environment to understand what educational requirements are needed for our children to become successful employees of the future. Director District 4 Michael Kundu is the incumbent who's running unopposed for District 4. 1. Which career fields of the future do schools most need to prepare students for, and how? Kundu: The fields labelled as the "STEM" fields - science, technology, engineering and mathematics - are crucial for the future. Technology and science will help address many of the world's emerging problems, and the best way to effectively teach these fields is with increased hands-on experiments and applied work in the classroom, and with real-time internships and field partnerships with business and industry. Another less discussed area that really needs to be supported in schools are the intellectual development courses, advanced social studies and critical thinking. Our society is in a state in which cultural advancement and global altruistic progress is being impeded by regressive conservative viewpoints which stand in the way of de-escalating world conflicts, improving the lives of economically depressed populations and ensuring a sustainable future for all people. In general, the more educated a society becomes, the more progressive they tend to be, politically, intellectually and morally. These are crucial considerations that academic leaders need to consider. We should not simply "prepare" our students to be competent workers. We should grow them to think forward and value the path of improving the world for all generations to come. 2. Which board practices or policies of the past do you most support and intend to continue, and why? Kundu: Focussing resources and expenditures in the classroom, updating and improving curriculum, providing professional development for staff and reducing administrative budgets and unnecessary expenditures. In some ways, our focus has shifted from the students and the classroom, and we need to re-prioritize to make sure that the underlying objective of providing the highest-quality "public education" is never forgotten. 3. Which board practices or policies of the past do you differ with and have an interest in possibly changing, and why? Kundu: I am not in favor of reducing academic expectations, lowering the bar, or reducing graduation requirements. In fact, I feel that we should increase academic expectations and the grades/course weight that students need to graduate. I see a trend among my fellow board members to make things "easier" for students in order to increase graduation rates or reduce drop-out levels. I completely disagree with this premise because it is more detrimental in the long run, particularly for those grads that wish to continue their academic paths to become competitive in higher education, or to compete for better jobs. 4. What should be the primary budgetary priorities of the school district during an economic downturn, and how might those change in an economic recovery? Kundu: The highest priority should be the funding of core academic programs (math, science, language arts) and an equal focus on liberal development programs (fine arts, music). Budgetary priorities should be focussed directly for those key development programs. Secondary spending on administration should always be a lesser priority than front-line classroom expenditures. 5. How can the school district and the surrounding community partner up best to serve the interests of the children? Kundu: Candidly, the greatest challenge we face is that not all parents are adequately focused on strongly supporting their students' education. Parents need to value education as an investment in the future - both the family's future and society's future. This means taking a very real, involved interest in their kids' studies, educating themselves to have cerebral discussions at home each night on the topics their kids are learning about, and putting academic achievement ahead of sports, entertainment or other diversions. This is a paradigm shift that would bring the rigor of education back to historic levels, where it should be. If we could get that message into the minds of all parents, then ALL of our students' grades would certainly improve. Marysville Globe Reporter Kirk Boxleitner can be reached at kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300.
CYD	Thweatt and Nation in General Election for MSD School Board	#4	[-]
Posts: 857 (10/13/09 19:42:51) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Longtime volunteers vie for Marysville School Board seat By Eric Stevick Herald Writer MARYSVILLE - Two parents with children enrolled in Marysville schools and long track records as volunteers are squaring off for a spot on the Marysville School Board. Chris Nation and Heather Thweatt are on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot. The winner will replace Don Hatch as a director representing Tulalip. Nation, a business owner, received 40 percent of the votes in the primary; Thweatt, a paralegal, garnered 31.6 percent. Nation has spent 12 years on school committees. He has led efforts to try to pass school bonds and is chairman of the 2006 bond oversight committee, which tracks progress on voter-approved construction projects. He's also an executive officer for the Citizens for Marysville Schools bond campaign and a member of the district's General Advisory Council that helps the district's vocational programs. Thweatt spent four years on the Marysville Cooperative Education Program council and volunteered in her son's classroom. She now volunteers at his middle school and is on the district's Citizens Planning Committee with Nation. Thweatt, pronounced "tweet," said she grew interested in running after attending school board meetings and realizing she could offer another perspective. "I'm pretty opinionated," she said. "I said, 'OK, it's time to put your money where your mouth is.' " Nation said his years on district committees make the school board a natural step. The candidates said they understand the logic behind school board discussions that could drastically change start times at schools, but both have reservations. The board is considering two options for when Marysville Getchell High School opens next year. One is a more traditional morning start time: 7:10 a.m. at Marysville Getchell and 7:35 a.m. at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. The other proposal includes a 9:25 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. school day at Marysville Getchell, and a 9:50 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. day at Marysville-Pilchuck. The change would allow high school students to get more sleep, which could help them academically. "I wish there were some more options the transportation department could bring back to us," Thweatt said. "Maybe we take all three levels (elementary, middle and high school) and we shift starting times about 35 to 45 minutes," Nation said. Both candidates favor a bond proposal that the school board will consider placing on the Feb. 9 ballot. Among other things, the proposal of roughly $80 million would include replacing Cascade Elementary, Liberty Elementary and Marysville Middle schools. Engineering reports make a strong case for the need, Thweatt said. Taxpayers could save money in the long run because of a favorable bid market and the low materials costs, Nation said. Like other parents, Thweatt said she had reservations about sending her son to middle school. Those fears disappeared when she visited the campus and spoke with members of the faculty. That experience, she said, provided an important lesson she wants to bring to the board. The district needs to do more to reassure parents and promote the strengths of the schools, which could bolster enrollment, she said. Nation said he, too, wants to make the district more responsive to the community. He said he supports the district's decision to create smaller schools within its large high schools, but wishes they had been phased in more slowly to build community acceptance. He advocates an additional night once a month when parents, staff and students could bring their questions and concerns to the school board. Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com. Who's running Chris Nation Age: 43 Occupation: Marysville Printing owner Heather Thweatt Age: 38 Occupation: Paralegal with Luvera Law Firm in Seattle and Mount Vernon

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