Jody Lee and Todd White are running for Position 5 on the Mercer Island School Board in the Nov. 7 general election.
Lee aims to ensure that each Mercer Island student is offered the best education possible. Possessing a master’s degree in conflict management and cross cultural communication and immense professional experience as a dispute resolution specialist and more, Lee feels she is in a good position to serve the board well.
White feels the Mercer Island School District is perched high on the state list and wants to be part of the solution regarding critical issues like children’s emotional well-being, declining student enrollment and financial sustainability, reads a statement.
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LEE
* Why are you running for Mercer Island School District board director?
I see the possibility of serving on the school board as the capstone to my public service in the Mercer Island schools. I have been a very active volunteer in the schools at every level over the last eight years, doing everything from room parent to school and district level committee roles. In my professional career, I served as head of the conflict resolution program at the U.S. Department of State bringing together stakeholders with divergent priorities to work for the good of the institution. I have the background and abilities to be a constructive board member, and a proven track record of working effectively to better our schools.
* What do you feel are three of the most critical issues within the school district and how do you hope to address them?
Three critical issues in front of the school board right now are a thoughtful approach to planning for the future, student mental health, and protecting our district from the challenges to our curricula and educational materials.
Thoughtful planning for the future includes many important issues such as enrollment, course availability to meet student needs, and support of the arts and other programs. However, the Long-Range Facility Plan is top of mind right now for the community. A big part of my role on the school board would be listening to the community and representing its views on the board. I’m hearing a lot of people concerned about the potential closure of Island Park Elementary. By the end of November, the board will have finished its community outreach process. In December and January, once the new board members have joined, the board should be rolling up its sleeves and tackling the question of which, if any, of the plans it wants to move forward with. I oppose the closing of Island Park. I hope the board will be open to choosing a plan that is different from the four options the LRFP committee came back with. I want to make sure we keep all our possible future needs in mind. If we’ve learned anything during the past three years it’s that demographic projections can be proved wrong by circumstances.
Student mental health took a beating due to Covid isolation. I joined the board of the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Foundation during Covid to support our school counselor program. As we are making our way back to normal, we still have students (especially in the lower grades) who missed the emotional development that comes from interacting with others in person. Many have shortened attention spans due to Zoom school and still feel disconnected from their peers. The theme of this year is “Belonging” and I want to make sure the district has the resources it needs to help every student feel they truly belong.
Many Island families say that they are concerned about the national trend of book banning coming to Mercer Island. I share that concern. Our district has processes in place to select our educational materials. Parents can learn about these processes by speaking with their school’s principal or contacting the district. Of course, some items are not appropriate based on age or developmental stage. But it is important that every student can see themselves and the world around them in a representative selection of books and materials.
As parent representative on the 15-month long Learning Forward committee during the Covid crisis, I got a first-hand look at the nimble approach our teachers and administrators had to take to address this very challenging situation. Now that schooling has gotten back to normal for the most part, we need to ensure that the district has a plan for the future that is more proactive than the reactive stance we took to get us through these unprecedented times. This includes a thoughtful approach to our facilities needs, and making sure that the courses and materials we offer are equipping our students well for the world into which they will graduate. Some of the nimbleness we showed during Covid could be adapted moving forward. I want to make sure we are thinking five and 10 years out, not just working in the present day. Technology, teaching, and pedagogy have all evolved; we should be able to evolve and change as a district as well.
* What’s your life philosophy and how can you apply that to school district matters?
My philosophy is to always assume the best intentions in others. I don’t mean this in a naïve or Panglossian way. I find that starting from this perspective is more useful than assuming ill intent or being defensive, and that it leads to more constructive conversations.
I am leaning into the assumption that we all just want the best for our children, and that our community is truly the best place to begin any discussion or decisions on policy and programming in support of our students and schools.
I am honored to be considered by the voters for this role. Please remember to vote before or on Nov. 7!
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WHITE
* Why are you running for Mercer Island School District board director?
My family and I are blessed, humble and grateful that I am a candidate for Mercer Island School Board Director for three reasons.
First, our school district is one of the best in the state and I desire to be a part of the team that ensures we continue to deliver the highest quality education to our current and future students.
Our family moved to the island in 2015 when our children were 2 years old and 6 months old. Like many Mercer Island families, we moved here in part due to the reputation of the school district and the opportunity to raise our children within a unique and wonderful community. Our children currently attend West Mercer Elementary School. I myself am a grateful recipient of a public school education and both of my parents are retired school teachers. My wife and I understand firsthand both the wonderful attributes of our district as well as the challenges and opportunities which exist within the school system.
Second, I feel a strong sense of duty to serve the community that has blessed our family in many ways. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have traveled to most continents in my profession as an experimental test pilot and experienced executive for one of the largest aerospace companies in the world. I’ve lived outside the U.S. for weeks and months at a time deeply immersed in a variety of diverse cultures and systems of government. I’ve seen firsthand the best of humanity and I’ve seen things that would break your heart. These experiences have shaped my perspective, priorities and vision for a district that is blessed by a diverse community. My wife Hyo-Yang is a South Korean immigrant who obtained a PhD in chemistry from the University of Central Florida — an excellent example of the opportunities which exist within our educational system. I have a graduate degree in aeronautical engineering.
Our community prioritizes student social emotional health, academic rigor and graduating young adults equipped to succeed in a challenging world where our children embrace resilience, grace, mindfulness, openness, and gratitude. These traits embody the character of our school district and the fabric of our community.
Third, our district is at a critical juncture facing significant financial challenges, downgraded bond (credit) rating, rapidly depleted reserve funds and declining student enrollment. These critically important issues are compounded with upcoming significantly impactful community decisions related to proposed school closures and school building renovation plans.
School renovation and new construction proposals being considered range from $100 million to $400 million dollar plans to include possibly closing Island Park Elementary as part of a school building renovation and/or demolishment and rebuilding plan. I have attended and/or viewed the videos of all of the planning committee meetings and have carefully studied these proposals being considered. I have spoken at length with former and current school board members as well as city council leaders regarding the proposals.
I have decades of experience as an executive in the private sector managing and leading projects of this scale and do not believe these plans should move forward at this time.
While I complement the teams and community members who have participated in this process, I firmly believe that now is not the time to move forward with these proposals which include possibly closing Island Park Elementary school. More work is needed to assess what is required to maintain our district school building infrastructure and to gather more input from the community. A decision of this magnitude should be made by the school board in 2024.
* What do you feel are three of the most critical issues within the school district and how do you hope to address them?
In my view, the most important critical issues within the school district are students social emotional well-being, declining student enrollment and financial sustainability.
First, we need to fully fund our school counselors and support teams. Both of my parents are retired school teachers from Columbus, Ohio. My mother earned a PhD in psychology and was an elementary school psychologist. My father was an elementary school math teacher. The programs which support our students social and emotional well being must be a top priority.
Second, we are experiencing significant declining student enrollment. Since 2109, the district has lost more than 1,000 students. The effects of declining enrollment are significant and lasting. In my opinion, each school board meeting should open with a report articulating the district’s performance to plan focused on a robust program to attract and retain students and families to stay within the district. Why so many families left the district must be fully understood and addressed as a top priority.
Third, our district finances are strained. Our bond credit rating has been lowered reflecting declining confidence from the financial markets of our ability to serve current and future debt obligations related to school district projects.
* What’s your life philosophy and how can you apply that to school district matters?
My life philosophy has been shaped by three important elements.
First, my parents are both retired school teachers from Columbus, Ohio. where I was born and raised. My parents grew up in abject poverty in rural West Virginia without public water and electricity and made their way to Columbus, Ohio, where they achieved graduate degrees and served their communities in public education.
Second, I served our country for 32 years as a US Navy test pilot and leader, retiring in 2018 with the rank of captain — equivalent to a colonel in the Air Force or Army. I proudly served our country and greatly looked forward, if I’m so honored, to serve our district as a school board director.
Third, I have decades of executive leadership experience in the private sector managing budgets and teams on a scale similar to the district. I am endorsed by our Mayor Salim Nice and many current and former city leaders.
Thank you.
