Laclede County R-1 School District School Board Candidates

Below are the current CANDIDATES running for the Laclede County R-1 School Board.

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Laclede County R-1 School Board Candidate: Kathleen Atkinson-Williams       

Present Occupation: Sr. Engagement Manager, Aetna Insurance. 

Family: 2 boys 8 and 14

Previous Elected positions: Incumbent school board member

Education: Masters Degree in Business Administration

Top 3 issues facing the District-

The one issue facing the school district at this time is our advanced curriculum.  This is an item that has been on our radar for several months and we are now making strides to improve the curriculum in the school district.  Another issue that we are facing is the rapidly increasing costs to operate the school district, i.e rising costs of fuel and commodities.  Funding is an issue for all schools and is one of the biggest issues facing all school districts. The funding is generated by sales, income and property taxes from state and local government.  Lastly, the district needs to be brought up to code in regards to technology.  Providing adequate technology to the children and staff members will aid in the advancement of our children before entering into an advanced educational degrees.    

District's strengths/weaknesses:

 One strength is our addition of Dr Boyer to our school as superintendent. He is making advancements for the improvement of the school with his finance background and has made great progress since his hire last year.  Another strength is a cohesive school board that is willing to hear all issues and make informative decisions based on the best interest of the children, teachers and staff.  One weakness is the teacher shortage that is affecting not only our district but districts state and nation wide. School districts including Conway are having a hard time attracting and keeping good teachers within the district. 

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Laclede County R-1 School Board Candidate: Reba Green

Present Occupation: Owner of Reba's Family Care LLC, In home care company for the Elderly and disabled 

Family: Husband David, Son Buster Daughter Cloie

Previous Elected positions : none

Education: Graduated from Lebanon High School 2006

Top 3 issues facing the District: 

From different conversations I have had with parents, school faculty, school staff,and community members I would say first issue isnt a new one but very important and that is retention and new growth of staff and teachers.  Second should or shouldn't Conway go to 4 days a week. Third as the school transitions from being closed the last few years to safely going back to normal in the school year 2022 to 2023 we will need to start building on the relationship between community volunteers,parent volunteers, and the school community again. 

District's strengths/weaknesses:

Our school has a strong community support system, administration,and staff that work hard to improve our school. I don't even like to answer the question, our schools weaknesses. I feel we don't have any major weaknesses as a school, we just have some things or areas that we could be better and as a community we want better for our kids. Conway is a wonderful school. I am so proud to be the Mom of a Conway Bear, but I think we can all agree when it comes to our kids there is always room for improvements.   

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Laclede County R-1 School Board Candidate: Robbie Letterman

Intro-I’m Robbie Letterman. I am running for a seat on the Laclede County R-1 School District school board. I graduated from Conway High in 2005. I have lived in and around Conway my entire life. My wife and I are continuing the family farm and operating our 2 local businesses. I have 3 children Adalee, Brinlee and Carter who also attends Conway schools. I’m so thankful my kids get to grow up in the same school I did. 

Top 3 issues facing the District-

◦ Pay for the faculty-better pay could equal more long term employment and can compete with similar size districts 

◦ Growth in student numbers- growth would help more funding. 

◦ Maintenance of the property inside/out    ex. Parking lot 

District's strengths/weaknesses -

◦ Strength Has great faculty and leaders 

◦ Weakness is funding for growth, maintenance and faculty. 

◦ Strength- we have a very good variety of extra curricular activities for the students to participate in. Including the new AG building and all the opportunities that can be associated with that. 

◦ Weakness is class sizes and space. 

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Laclede County R-1 School Board Candidate: Adam Don Barker

Present Occupation: Warehouse Manager

Family: Sonya Barker (wife), Zamora & Kenna Barker (children)

Previous Elected positions : None

Education: Graduated from Conway High School,  Some College (no degree yet)

Top 3 issues facing the District-

• Student Engagement – Returning to normalcy after the pandemic has been a struggle for all of our community, including our students.  Student involvement and engagement are critical, not only for the student’s education, but also their mental wellbeing and the feeling of belonging.  The more Teachers and administration can form the bond and bring students into the fold, the more likely they will succeed in School and in Life.  It is important that we ensure students are offered more than a “computer based” curriculum for teaching as well.  When students sit in front of a computer to learn a foreign language or take a class, the student is missing out on the true student experience.  These forms education are good in moderation, but should never take the place of actual time in the classroom.
• Teacher Retention / Morale – Managing a warehouse, I understand the importance of keeping morale high for the employees.  Teachers often take a back seat to students and the school itself, but I feel they are the backbone.  Without a focus on the teacher there will be a decline in student’s tests scores, student attendance, and overall morale.  Administration and the school board have a responsibility to ensure Employees and Teachers within the school are supported and their needs prioritized.
• Communication – Communication is the key to any successful operation.  Within the school, parents should have access to a clear avenue on how to communicate with the Teachers and/or Administration.  There also needs to be a clear channel of communication between Teacher and Administration.  If there is not clear communication, it can lead to frustration and the feeling of lack of respect to the Parent, Teacher, and Administrator.  There should also equally be a clearly documented set of expectations for Teachers and Administration which should be reviewed often. 

 District's strengths/weaknesses-

Laclede County R-1 Schools (Conway) is a great school and has long been the heart of Conway.  I have a major connection to the school.  Three generations of Barkers have gone to Conway, not to mention my Granddad teaching at the one room schoolhouse down ZZ highway.  This school has been an important part of my life and has helped develop who I am today.  Teachers like Billy Coyle and Susan Bailey not only taught you, but also taught you how to learn.  There was a consistent sense of caring and belonging knowing the school and Teachers were rooting and driving for you to succeed.  Even though it has been 23 years since I was a student in the high school, I believe that same level of caring and belonging is still very alive within the walls now.  With a stronger focus on building up teachers and promoting a positive educational environment, I think it will continue to grow and be meaningful for generations to come. 

As a community, we should keep looking for ways to improve ourselves.  Conway’s slogan this year is “Be Better,” and I believe, as a community, we can set an example.  We should always strive to look ahead and try to make decisions which may provide future benefits to the community and its students.   We should look into improvements, such as 4-day school weeks, better education materials for teachers and students to bolster learning, possible block scheduling to keep students in the classroom for longer periods to increase the types of learning teachers can provide, and decreased travel time between classes.  These improvements allow the district to be competitive and provide cost saving measures, and can be an avenue of discussion to other improvements as well.