Dan Fouser
What would be your top priorities if you were elected?
My top priority would be to be an active member of the Board of Education. I will study situations that arise and help in making prudent decisions to remedy the issue. The first priority is the fiscal responsibility of the school to the tax paying community. Some efforts have been made to resolve the issue by curtailing some of the expenditures. The second priority is the ‘Open Enrollment’ policy. This ‘doors open’ policy should have been prudently entered. If it is to continue, each year the policy should be evaluated for cost effective budgeting.
I also believe Board of Education members should have interest in the school activities. The students’ involvement in clubs, organizations, and athletics are important. The schools should foster ‘well rounded’ students.
After teaching in the public school system for over 30 years, I have seen a lot of changes in education. I will be an active part in any changes in the Coventry Schools. Let us all go forward from today to better horizons of the future. We all are learning every day whether as students or adults. Let us all make the Coventry Local Schools a place the ‘kids’ want to attend and graduate.
Why should you be elected to this position?
I believe I can bring a career of experiences to the Coventry Board of Education. I care about students and their futures. My neighbors here in Coventry have heard about my background in education and have asked me if I would ‘run’ for the Board of Education. Since living here for the past 20 years, I feel that it is time for me to ‘give back’ to my community. I have taught in the public school classroom for 34 years. I have ‘team’ taught various levels of science classes. I have taught accelerated science classes. I also have taught inclusive classes for students with all learning needs. I have worked side by side with the Intervention Specialist by sharing my notes, tutoring, and using his/her insight to educate all of the students. Teaching also happens on the athletic field. Coaching is teaching. I have coached high school football, basketball, and track. The student/athlete needs to learn and understand the concepts of the game he/she is trying to compete in to be successful. I have worked on writing Educational Grants from the State of Ohio for my science classes. The ‘hands-on’ lab approach brings the student closer to the academic discipline rather than ‘just memorizing’ material. The physics applied to a ‘curve ball’ to make it curve is easier to show than it is to explain. The same could be said of the osmosis of a substance through a membrane or the reaction between an acid and a base.
I have worked with many administrators. Each administrator is looking for the same final outcome. That outcome is to try to give each student the pieces necessary to ‘learn how to learn’. That one skill will be drawn on for the rest of their lives. This way, they may build a future by achieving goals and experience happiness. I have seen true ‘teamwork’ among Teachers, Intervention Specialists, Guidance Counselors, Custodians, Principals, Secretaries, and Superintendants all coming together to reach a goal. That goal is to make each student reach their potential. The Coventry Schools are there to try to make that happen. I know that I can make a difference if I am elected to this position.
Just as ‘it takes a community to raise a child’, it also takes a “School” to teach a well-rounded student.
1. Why are you the best candidate for the office?
I believe I can bring a career of experiences to the Coventry Board of Education. I care about students and their futures. My neighbors here in Coventry have heard about my background in education and have asked me if I would ‘run’ for the Board of Education. Since living here for the past 20 years and just recently retired, I feel that it is time for me to ‘give back’ to my community. I have taught in the public school classroom for 34 years. I have ‘team’ taught various levels of science classes. I have taught accelerated science classes. I also have taught inclusive classes for students with all learning needs. I have worked side by side with the Intervention Specialist by sharing my notes, tutoring, and using his/her insight to educate all of the students. I have worked on writing Educational Grants from the State of Ohio for my classes that I taught. Teaching also happens on the athletic field. Coaching is teaching. I have coached high school football, basketball, and track & field. The student/athlete needs to learn and understand the concepts of the game he/she is trying to compete in to be successful. The outcome of a school is to try to give each student the "pieces" necessary to ‘learn HOW to learn’. The Coventry Schools are there to try to make that happen. I know that I can make a difference if I am elected to this position. Just as ‘it takes a community to raise a child’, it also takes a "School" to teach a well-rounded student.
2. What are the current challenges facing the Board and how will you meet those challenges?
My top priority will be to be an active member of the Board of Education. I will study situations and attend workshops that arise and help in making prudent decisions to remedy an issue. The first priority is the fiscal responsibility of the school to the tax paying community. Some efforts have been made to resolve this issue by curtailing some of the expenditures. The second priority is the 'Open Enrollment' policy. A prudent observation of the ‘doors open’ policy should be re-visited. If it is to continue, each year the policy should be evaluated for cost effective budgeting. I also believe that the Board of Education members should have an interest in school activities, The students’ involvement in clubs, organizations, and athletics are important. Students should have a healthy heart and a healthy mind. The schools should foster ‘well rounded, schooled students’ that are also physically active as they can be for today's challenges. After teaching in the public school system for over 30 years, I have seen a lot of changes in education. I will be an active part in any changes in the Coventry Schools. Let us all go forward from today to better horizons of the future. We all are learning every day whether as students or adults. Let us all make the Coventry Local Schools a place where students want to attend and graduate.
3. What kind of relationship should the Board have with the community, its parents and families?
In today's fast moving world, input and discussions from the community need to be heard. This can only happen with open dialogue and should be in the forefront of most movements. The dynamics of a single family can be different from person to person. The likelihood of students in a school surely can not be identical either. Schools therefore, should have an open policy with the community to give and take information from each other and for each other. They should hear the concerns of parents and keep the parents informed of the steps of progress that the school and its Board of Education takes toward the betterment of all students. Above all, the schools should work toward the proper placement of all students into supportive environments that are most conducive to learning. Basic needs of assessment should guide the staff as to the rapidity of mastery of the subject matter by each student. Leaving a student behind should not be an option. Guidance would be the next 'step' in the growth of not just additional knowledge but toward the student's curiosity. The total process should allow for smooth transitions throughout the total educational experience which also includes the time after graduation from a high school. Preparation is not just for graduation but preparation for life skills. This kind of relationship with parents and families will foster good communication and a good education and a future for each student which all parents would appreciate.
4. What ideas do you have for ensuring safety in your school district?
A 2015 Gallup Poll found that 3 out of 10 parents worry about their children at school. One of the problems is that most Administrators, teachers, and support staff may have never attended a seminar or training workshop about school safety. One such program is called ALICE Training. It stands for Alert, Lock-down, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. Programs and companies are forming almost monthly to help schools throughout the country. The School Safety and Security Assessment Criteria (SSSC) on September 26, 2018, adopted an initial set of criteria to assist schools in guiding their school safety and security assessment, which is a strategic evaluation of a school's facilities and programs used to identify potential safety and security threats. As a board member, I believe that student safety is an immediate concern and will lead to evaluate our current plans and help to develop and put in place needed standards. Parents worry but the most important part of safety is the safety of the students. When they feel safe, they are more comfortable in their surroundings and that may allow them to concentrate more easily and learn at a faster rate. That is the 'business' of a school. Provide a safe environment so that the children can learn.