Joan Fish
Age: Not provided
City of residence: Sandpoint
Years of residence in Bonner County: 6+
Marital status/family. Are, or were, you a parent of a child in the school district?
Married. No children in school.
How can the public contact you?
E-mail [email protected]; phone 208-263-9027
Qualifications
Education: BS Degree. Major Elem Ed. And English MBA Degree. PhD Degree (emphasis field, Organizational Development/Management).
Recent or pertinent employment history:
Elementary teacher with lifetime credentials in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Taught, at different times, all elementary grades.
Management Development Consultant to Los Angeles Air Force Base.
Instructor in Org. Development and Behavior Science for Managers. California Lutheran University. Consultant to various Aerospace Organizations in greater Los Angeles Area.
Public offices held:
LPOSD Board since 2002.
Nonprofit and service groups or relevant professional organizations to which you belong:
Serve on Sandpoint Hospice Board of Directors. Teach classes in Grief Acceptance several times a year.
What particular experiences or skills qualify you to serve on the school board?
12 years if elementary school teaching. Involved parent of three children (now adults). President of HS Band Boosters Club. Girl Scout Leader for 6 years. PTA President 3 years.
Candidate Positions
1. Why are you running for trustee? How much time can you devote to board service?
Because I am retired I have time to be involved in school activities as well as time to devote to school board policy and helping to make our schools more of a quality environment for all our children. I am involved in the school board because I feel strongly about education in public schools and want to see our curriculum developed and presented to each and every one of our children.
2. How frequently have you attended school board meetings? Have you been involved in any other school activities or groups?
In the past five years of board service I have missed one meeting. See above for school-related activities. At this point I am involved in Safe and Drug Free Schools and am the representative to the Sandpoint Charter School. As well as being involved in the Levy Committee for Safe Schools.
3. Do you believe the district is doing a good job or poor job in educating students? Why?
We have fantastic educators in this district and they are only superseded by outstanding administrators and our superintendent.
4. Describe the top three to five issues you believe are facing our school district and your position on these issues.
Facilities are in awful condition and need major upgrades.
We need a bond levy to build a new high school/middle school.
Need to find a more effective way to measure progress than “No Child Left Behind.”
We need to maintain the current school board to continue to achieve the progress we have started.
5. What changes, if any, would you seek in the district’s curriculum?
More emphasis on the Fine Arts, i.e., Music, Band, Marching Band, Art. Also more emphasis on the kinds of sports that children bring into adult life. Golf, tennis etc.
6. Do you support or oppose the proposed $14.1 million plant facilities levy?
I support it – strongly!!!
7. What changes, if any, should be made in the district’s budget?
More money would be great. For our teachers and our facilities and support staff. More technology funding.
8. What do you see as the role of technology in education?
Becoming more important every day.
9. What, if anything, should our school district do about teaching values? Should our district teach about family life, sex education, AIDS?
Let’s leave as much of that as possible to parents. School are designed to teach children. Our families and our religions are the appropriate places for this type of education.
I’m uncomfortable with what values you are talking about and whose values they represent. This is pretty difficult material to address in this type of venue.