The Anchorage Daily News asked candidates for the April 2 election to the Anchorage School Board to answer a series of questions on issues facing those bodies. We’re publishing select responses daily. The answers were fact-checked when facts were cited and edited for spelling, grammar and writing style. To see all the responses, click here. For Assembly candidate surveys, click here.
Q: What are your ideas for ensuring students and staff feel safe in Anchorage schools?
SEAT A
Margo Bellamy
Ensuring that staff and students are trained in emergency protocols, behavioral expectations and procedures. Ensuring that the school’s climate is welcoming supportive and value the contributions of all.
Kai Binkley Sims
As a parent with three kids in different schools in our district, school safety is my highest priority. I support the school bond that will provide facility work to schools in need of security upgrades. In one of my children’s schools they have a video intercom system that allows the front office to control access to the school. This system seems to work well, and should be required to be USED in schools. I support increasing the number of cameras at schools, and linking that network to APD.
SEAT B
Starr Marsett
We need to be more proactive in identifying students in crisis and providing the help they need. We also need to complete the modifications to our elementary schools to allow doors to be locked at all times.
David Nees
Nearly all of the current surveys show staff and students feel safe. Feeling safe is not as important as being safe. The survey does not address how the lack of discipline is affecting morale and creating unsafe classrooms. At a recent School Board meeting a parent addressed the loss of education time due to classroom outbursts by a disabled child. I know of staff who have been hurt by this bad policy of mainstreaming ED [emotionally disturbed] children.
Ronald Stafford did not respond to the survey.