Where I Stand.

I have been asked by several people why I am running for the school board and what my platform is.  So I thought that I would use this form to put out a little information about me and my stance.

First off I am running because I feel that there needs to be more direct parent involvement. We need common sense solutions to the problems facing our district. For too long there has been a dividing wall between all of the parties involved in serving and educating our children. The battles and the turf wars of the past need to stop and the needs of our children placed as the highest priority.

Recently during an interview I was asked by a reporter what I thought of the split in the Jordan School District. My answer was simple.  We can not dwell on the past. What has been done is done.  Now we need to move on work with what we have to make sure that our children have what they need to succeed.

I believe that in order to do this correctly we must set priorities. The first and foremost is that we must always put the needs and safety of our children ahead of all else.  This fundamental principle should be our first concern with all issues.  Secondly we need to protect our teachers.  While serving in the PTSA the last few years I have had the chance to talk with many teachers and they are concerned that with the split they will get short changed and lose some of their benefits.  I feel it is vital that we do all we can to keep their benefits the same if not better.  I know this is not an easy task but next to our children our teachers are very important and they need to know that we believe that.

All issues that the board must look at should be compared to the the same two questions. The first is " How does this affect our children?" If this question yields a positive response then we must ask, "How does this affect our teachers?" If the answer to this question is still positive we then ask about its affect on the district as a whole. We can take the gathered information and make sensible decisions. 

Communication is another area that I believe is vital.  As a school board we are your representatives and we need to be available to those we serve.  We need to be in regular contact with the parents, the local city officials, the county officials, area businesses and the students we serve. Working closely with all these groups will have a positive affect on the service provided to our children.

I hope this helps and answers your questions.  I would love to visit with all of those in my district and answer any questions you may have.

I hope you will consider me the right choice as your representative on the school board.

Vote Ken Duckworth for Jordan School Board Dist. 6