While 850CapitalTea does hold our own bias we feel it would be a disservice to our audience to not allow all candidates an opportunity to answer the same questions and have the attention of our viewers. It takes courage to run in an election and it takes greater courage to answer tough questions posed by the community.
Our Procedure
We surveyed our audience regarding what they wanted to know about our local candidates. After going through all the questions we complied the ones that were most frequently asked by our audience. First, we sent an initial email to all the candidates asking them if they would like to participate in the Community Questions.
Once they confirmed that they would like to participate, we responded with ten questions curated for the seat they are running for.
Due to one candidate’s response going to our “junk” folder we extended the deadline for all candidates to participate to ensure they all had a fair opportunity to answer with a reasonable amount of time. The order in which they appear in each section was decided by when the questions were returned to us.
Question One: What is a topic or issue that you feel the community should know more about?
Question Two: What is something you feel the current school board is doing well?
Question Three: 850CapitalTea believes we are better together. How do you plan to move forward in collaborating with the Union (LCTA) and other unions under the LCS board?
Question Four: We saw an attempt with the last teacher contract to address compression, however there is still a problem with this. What is your plan to address compression between new and veteran teachers and what steps will you take to recruit and retain teachers?
Question Five: Many parents feel there needs to be more resources for our critical needs populations (different abilities and title one). What is your plan to address these populations and their needs?
Question Six: What are you most excited to address within Leon County Schools if elected/reelected?
Question Seven: Our School Board frequently votes on agenda items regarding funding and grants. This means that our school board members must be a good steward of our finances. What does financial stewardship mean to you and what will you do to achieve good financial stewardship?
Question Eight: In Oklahoma, Nex Benedict was a High School student who recently was physically assaulted by peers at their school and died because of their injuries. This was a direct result of them being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. What do you plan to do to ensure the safety of our children in minority populations here in Leon County Schools?
Question Nine: In our Country there are various beliefs surrounding our children and how they are taught in school. How do you plan to balance the differing views while maintaining the integrity of our public education system, teachers, students, and parents?
Question Ten: Is there any information about yourself that you would like the community to know that they may not be able to find online?
