ANDERSON, Ind. —
The three finalists for the Anderson Community School Corp. board are all products of Anderson Community Schools, and all have had family or children in the district.
Each spoke of what he or she had to offer during a special school board meeting Monday night in Anderson High School’s auditorium, where each finalist was individually interviewed by current board members. About two dozen people, including teachers and students, observed the public proceedings.
The board will vote on the new member at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the high school auditorium.
Virginia Chapman, professor of speech at Anderson University, said she understands education and called herself a good critical thinker.
She said she’d be about serving the students and education.
“I truly believe in the school system ...” she said. “We’ve hit some bumps, but we have some good teachers in this system, and some good kids.”
She said it’s important to have an open mind when listening to others, but added it’s also important to not take everything at face value. She said it’s good to do some research and ask questions.
Chapman said she was prepared to come in and learn quickly, and stated discipline was a concern for her.
“Teachers have to have authority in the classroom,” she said.
She said some of the students she knows who are studying to become teachers have seen some lack of support from the administration to the classroom.
Students need to feel secure, she said.
Amber (Smitherman) Dietz, a controller at Hallmark Homes Inc. who has been involved with parent committees, said she wants to see more students come back and more stay in the school district.
She said the community is not as supportive as it used to be after all the school closings, but that she’d like to help rebuild that support.
“I talk to a lot of teachers, a lot of parents and a lot of students,” she said. “I get a lot of input.”
She said she wants to help the public understand what is going on with the school system, and to continue to see board members go into the schools to see what’s going on firsthand.
Dietz also said she could bring an accounting background into the mix that could possibly help with money issues.
“I would hope to be helpful in that aspect,” she said.
Danny McGhee, a quality engineering specialist for Indiana Automotive Fashioners Inc. who has done some tutoring, said he believes in ACS and believes he can help turn it around.
“I’m willing to take a stance and fight for what I believe in, what the parents believe in, what the students believe in,” he said.
Kids come first, he said.
“No. 1: how can we increase our graduation rate?” he asked. “Not just say it but be realistic about it.”
He said it’s important to have reachable goals.
He also said that parent accountability is important and talked about getting parents more involved to be successful and getting the community to buy back into the system.
“It takes all entities to bring our school back to what it was, what it once was,” he said.
McGhee said he could bring in a good sense of communication, not only amongst the board but amongst parents.
He said he doesn’t believe a job can get done without good communication and problem solving. Some have “lost faith in the school system,” but McGhee said ACS does provide some things others don’t.
He also mentioned that many graduates do go on to be successful professionally.
Contact Dani Palmer: 640-4847, dani.palmer@heraldbulletin.com
