Michael Noftle believes board members should be connected

My name is Michael Noftle, and I am seeking my second term as a Board of Directors member of the Royal School District. I have been asked to discuss the state of the Royal School District and why I am seeking reelection.

The bottom line is that I am excited about the direction of the district and the future that we are collectively creating for our students and community. Our students are determined and our teachers and principals are committed to ensuring that they reach their potential.

Famed American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once declared that the true test of communities is not their size, or wealth, or the quality of crops that they produce, but the kind of man that they turn out. Our school system clearly has a significant impact on the kind of people our community “turns out” and our “true test” is to work together to ensure that we continue to make the most of that opportunity.

District staff and the community expect and deserve board members who are connected with what is going on inside the walls of our schools. Before I was elected to the School Board, we only had one board member with current students in the district.

Having children in most of the buildings has afforded me that connection. I attend events such as open houses, science fairs, and parent/teacher conferences.

In order to help us further understand how our schools function and how we can positively impact student learning, the school board recently implemented monthly school visits. Each month the board will visit a different building and meet with administrators, teachers, and student representatives to facilitate two-way communication on important issues.

The Board was able to make such a visit to Red Rock Elementary before the end of the school year to test the plan before full implementation this coming year. I personally got a lot out of it and also heard positive feedback from those who participated. I look forward to visiting the other buildings this fall.

We will be implementing a new math curriculum at Red Rock Elementary this year, partly because we need a curriculum that aligns with the recently adopted Common Core standards. While I have serious concerns over the federal government dictating local education standards, we have been looking to adopt a new math curriculum since before the implementation of Common Core.

Elementary Math Coach David Skeen, who played a critical role in the new curriculum adoption, told me that the new math program is a solid improvement that balances fundamentals with connecting concepts for greater student success.

At the state level there is ongoing debate on how schools should be funded. Currently, whatever funding the state fails to provide for the proper operation of our schools comes from our local levies.

Local levies are funded by taxes paid by our community. So essentially, whatever the State doesn’t fund comes out of our own pockets.

According to the Washington State Constitution, “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children.” Other states have educational provisions, but no other state makes education its “paramount duty.” Recent court rulings require the State to fully fund education, resulting in less reliance on the local taxpayers.

Currently, the State funds only 70 percent of the overall cost and expects local taxes to pay for a portion of teacher salaries. This requires the Royal Education Association, which is the local union representation of our teachers, to negotiate directly with the district for the locally funded portion of their salaries.

This creates a completely unnecessary friction and distraction from student learning. I firmly believe that the State should fully fund education, including teacher salaries.

The Royal School District is full of excellent teachers and I appreciate their dedicated effort to educate my children and yours. Our role as school board members and administrators is to properly allocate necessary resources, provide opportunities for professional development, and ensure a positive learning and working environment to allow them to function as the professionals that they are.

Clearly, the biggest decision that we will make this year is choosing a new superintendent for the 2016-2017 school year. Mrs. Search has served our district for the past nine years and will be leaving us when her contract expires at the end of this school year. Our district has made great strides under her tenure, and she will leave us in a better financial position than she found us.

We will begin the superintendent search early in the school year to make sure that we have the time needed to find the best candidates. An early start will allow us to solicit feedback from the community and staff to have a clear understanding of our needs and expectations for the position.

We hope to choose a new superintendent shortly after the first of the year. I am seeking reelection so that I can represent you and our children in making that choice, which will be crucial in moving our district forward.

If reelected, I will continue to seek your input and sufficiently explore the issues so that together we can help our children reach their full potential.

If you would like to contact me personally to discuss how we can best achieve success in the Royal School District, please feel free to do so. I can be contacted by phone at (509) 989-5955 or email at mnoftle@royal.wednet.edu.