Marshall faces two challengers for Albany County School Board seat

Three candidates are competing for the Area B seat: the current school board chair, an educator with 27 years experience, and a candidate from the conservative ‘slate’ seeking control of the board.

Welcome to the Laramie Reporter’s 2022 Elections newsletter. This newsletter seeks to introduce Albany County and Laramie residents to the candidates who have filed to run and to explore the issues surrounding what promises to be an interesting, impactful local election.

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Albany County School Board Chair Janice Marshall is hoping to keep her seat. Representing Area B — which covers all of Albany County minus Laramie — Marshall faces challenges from two candidates: Stella Rios Nowell and Leo Swope.

Nowell is a professional development program manager for a company that helps teachers across the country develop instructional materials. She taught in Albany County schools for 14 years.

Leo Swope said he has experience helping kids with special needs in public school settings.

Marshall, like her two challengers, also has a background in education. She currently serves on the Wyoming Professional Teaching and Standards Board.

Albany County voters will get to vote for one of these three candidates during the 2022 general election. The Area B race is one of just four school board races that every Albany County voter gets to participate in.

Each candidate shares interest in readying students for the world following their public education.

• Marshall said the biggest challenge facing the district is funding, followed by the need to reverse the “learning slide” that happened during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said supporting student mental health is “a complex issue with no easy solutions” and that staff should serve as “sentinels” for students’ mental health. She wants to increase graduation rates and ensure safety and security for the students. As for parent concerns about course curricula or library books, Marshall said, “We must trust our educated professionals to make sound decisions about the materials they use. As for library books, we have trained librarians who choose age-appropriate books.” 

• Nowell said it is easy to find what resources students need to be successful but it is much harder to ensure that those resources are put to good use. “We need our students to feel safe in the classroom, we need to make sure that they are attending school, we need to make sure that they are fed, we need to make sure that their needs are met so that they can engage in the cognitive work of learning,” she said. Nowell added she wants to improve the communication between all stakeholders in the district and outside of the district. She said she is against banning books and that the community should trust teachers to make decisions about their curriculum, but also that communication between parents and teachers is essential.

• Swope said the district needs to increase graduation rates and reduce the unnecessary burdens that teachers might have. He would like to focus on the education of students, rather than what he sees as “distractions” from education — which could include a number of things, from GSA clubs to “inappropriate” course materials. Swope said there’s a lack of communication in the district and he would like to increase open and honest conversation. He did not support the mask mandate briefly in effect during the delta wave of 2021. This puts him in line with other members of a conservative “slate” of candidates running in all four school board races.

Off to the races

The Area B race for Albany County School Board No. 1 is just one of four races for open school board seats. Every voter in Albany County votes in every school board race, so voters participating in the 2022 general election will be able to select their favorite candidates in each of the four races.

In addition to picking one candidate for the Area B seat, voters will also choose:

• Two candidates for unexpired two-year terms in Area A

• Three candidates for four-year terms, also in Area A

• One candidate for a four-year term from the at-large candidates

“Area A,” “Area B” and “At-Large” refer to the residency requirements for candidates, not voters. Area A is the city of Laramie, while Area B encompasses the rest of Albany County. At-Large candidates can reside anywhere in the county.

Marshall, Nowell and Swope answered a series of questions from the Laramie Reporter about their backgrounds, opinions and hopes for the 2022 election. Previous Laramie Reporter features highlighted the two candidates for the at-large district, the six candidates for Area A’s unexpired two-year term and the nine candidates for Area A’s four-year term.

Laramie Reporter: Tell me about your background and profession. Do you have experience in schools?

Janice Marshall: My educational background is a bachelor of science from UW in botany. I have worked in several positions at UW. I have also worked in mine reclamation and on rangeland surveys. Currently, I am employed by our family contracting business. Prior to serving on the school board, I spent many years volunteering in classrooms, serving on PTA boards and serving on district committees. Presently, I serve on the Wyoming Professional Teaching and Standards Board.

Stella Rios Nowell: I have been an educator for over 27 years. My current profession is a Professional Development Program Manager and I work with teachers across the nation. I was fortunate enough to teach for Albany County School District #1 for 14 years as both a classroom teacher and instructional coach. I was also able to work with pre-service teachers from UW at various stages of their education. Prior to moving to Laramie 21 years ago, I had taught in Colorado. I have a BS in elementary education and a master's in education for multilingual learners. My children are grown and went through schooling from elementary to graduation at Laramie High School.

Leo Swope: Let’s first start with some of the most important experience. The experience of being a parent of children that have and do attend public schools. I have experience with three. I also have a degree in education and experience in educational services for kids with special needs. I also have experience in many business-related fields through consulting with various manufacturing, educational and service businesses. My experience can positively impact our education here in ACSD1.

Reporter: What does Albany County District No. 1 do well? What does it need to improve upon?

Marshall: ACSD#1 does an excellent job of providing choices in schools and a robust, varied curriculum taught by outstanding teachers. ACSD#1 includes two charter schools. Lab School is also a school of choice. Our schools include a rich offering of classes, extracurricular activities and sports, special education resources, a dual language immersion program, and outdoor learning opportunities. LHS has a variety of career and technical education classes, AP classes and dual enrollment classes at LCCC and UW.

Nowell: The commitment that the certified and classified staff have to the education of students is outstanding. I believe deciphering what resources students need to be successful and putting those resources into place is another thing that the district traditionally has done well. I think the biggest thing that ACSD1 can improve on is communication within the system and communication outside the district. It is my hope to continually find ways for two-way communication both within the district and to all stakeholders.

Swope: ACSD1 has fantastic teachers who strive to do the best with what they are given in the way of support. Wyoming schools are in the top 8 in the country when it comes to funding on a per pupil basis. They have a lower teacher-student ratio average. Our proficiencies can be much better than what we are seeing. Administration and student accountability could use some work though. Reducing unnecessary burdens on teachers is a must.

Reporter: What are the biggest challenges facing Albany County schools?

Marshall: The biggest challenge facing ACSD#1 is funding. It is essential that we get adequate funding that includes an external cost adjustment for inflation. That will ensure we are able to offer our staff an attractive salary and benefits package. Other challenges include overcoming the learning slide that happened due to COVID, getting to 100% graduation of high school students, increasing student learning outcomes (higher test scores) and constant assessment of safety and security in schools.

Nowell: I think one of the biggest challenges facing ACSD1 schools is ensuring that all students’ needs are met. Post-pandemic, we need to ensure not just the educational needs of the students are met, but the social, emotional, physical and mental well-being of each and every student is met. We need our students to feel safe in the classroom, we need to make sure that they are attending school, we need to make sure that they are fed, we need to make sure that their needs are met so that they can engage in the cognitive work of learning. 

Swope: The largest challenge comes from what is being reported on a national level in the way of staff/teacher shortages. Shortages can result in accepting lesser quality staff at all levels of our schools. Second would be our proficiency rates. We can do much better than the 50-65%. The third is communication. The lack of or perceived lack of communication between parents, school board, administration and teachers is an issue that must be addressed quickly.

Reporter: What specifically should be done to support the mental health and wellbeing of students?

Marshall: Supporting the mental health of students will require partnerships with mental health professionals, collaborations within our community to maximize resources and support from state leaders. This is a complex issue with no easy solutions. Specifically, all school staff have the indispensable opportunity to serve as sentinels on mental health. Staff members are well positioned to observe students and to assess changes or warning signs that might indicate a mental health issue.

Nowell: We need to have the resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of students.  This takes money, time, human capital and investment from the district, as well as the community. Not all families have insurance that includes mental health coverage, and we need to ensure that when students need mental health support, they have access — that may need to come from the schools. Having effective counselors in the buildings, being proactive in teaching mental health strategies, and identifying when a student may need additional support is critical before a student reaches crisis mode. I will also add that we need to keep a close eye on the mental health and wellbeing of our educators — they are going through a lot right now.

Swope: Reactions to COVID have made mental and emotional health a much larger issue. Not just among our students but also among our teachers. We need to ensure we support our teachers and students who are struggling academically and emotionally from negative results of these COVID reactions. Support through health insurance for our teachers is essential to ensure they can get services they may need. Students need the continued emotional supports we provide in our schools.

Reporter: What specifically should the district do to protect children and the wider community from COVID-19?

Marshall: We can continue to encourage hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick and COVID vaccinations.

Nowell: I think that the district should continue to listen to the national experts and follow the national advice that is given.

Swope: The school can educate parents and students on COVID realities. They can supply information regarding where vaccines can be obtained if the families desire that. We could educate on how to best protect themselves from the virus. We have policies in place regarding how sick students should proceed. And we need to ensure teachers have the support to get the students, who may fall ill, all the tools to not fall behind the other students.

Reporter: Did you support the mask mandate when it was in place? Would you support that or similar measures if Albany County experiences another spike?

Marshall: I supported following the guidance of our county and state health officers that included a mask mandate. If we have another spike in COVID cases, I will seek guidance from our trained health care professionals, including the county and state health officers.

Nowell: ​I did support the mask mandate when it was in place. I hope that we would not need to go back to the mask mandate, but I would support whatever measures are necessary to keep students safe in schools and to keep schools open.

Swope: I did not support how the school board reacted to COVID. The initial announcement of masks not being necessary for the high school and the last-minute reversal caused unnecessary chaos and distractions. Our students dropped behind academically. Teachers and students now have higher mental and emotional stresses because of the reactions and resulting consequences. Forcing the police to arrest a young girl was a bad decision and opens us up to unnecessary legal costs.

Reporter: What is the goal of public education?

Marshall: I cannot adequately address this in 75 words! However, to put it concisely I agree with Albert Einstein: “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” More specifically, public education should: prepare students with reading, writing and math skills, provide opportunities to explore learning about diverse subjects, educate students with skills to thrive in an evolving world, and to provide equal learning opportunities for all students.

Nowell: Most people would say that the goal of education is to produce educated citizens, or to get students college- or career-ready. I would agree and would like to add that another goal of education is to prepare students to have both the knowledge and skills to succeed in a global environment and the nimbleness to make sense of new learning in order to prepare for occupations that have not even been created. We need students to be comfortable with engaging in productive struggle and persevere even when things are tough.

Swope: Public education serves the community. It is there to ensure students are prepared for what life can throw at us. It is not there simply to give students the education each student thinks they need for the path they envision themselves to be on. It is there to ensure they are proficient in the areas that will make them successful and productive. Multi-preparation for college, trades, the arts and directly entering the workforce.

Reporter: How should the district handle challenges to its educational curriculum or attempts to ban/remove books from the school library?

Marshall: All curriculum materials are available for review. If parents deem materials inappropriate for their students, they can address their concerns with their teachers. We must trust our educated professionals to make sound decisions about the materials they use. As for library books, we have trained librarians who choose age-appropriate books. If there is a concern about a specific library book, that can be addressed with the librarian first. Then at the district level. There is a policy under review to address this.

Nowell: ​​​I believe openly sharing about the curricula being taught would be a positive, proactive move that would again, open communication. I think that banning books is not the route we should be taking. I think parents can and should have a conversation with the teachers if they are concerned about the curriculum, but there also needs to be a trust in the teachers to use the tools they have to engage in the work of teaching and learning.

Swope: Any person with common sense knows that books simply need to be age-appropriate. Just as the school has policies in place for internet and computer use in schools they also have policies and guidelines from the state and the district regarding reading materials. Simply all stakeholders need access to materials their children may have access to. Openness, honesty and discussions help us tremendously in reducing distractions caused by items seen as inappropriate for students.

Reporter: What’s your opinion on Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs in schools?

Marshall: There are many diverse organizations and clubs in our schools. It is important that all students feel like there is a place where they belong at their schools. For some students that is GSA. For others that safe place may be student council, FFA, FCA or any of the other groups that are available for students.

Nowell: The goals of any and all clubs are to strive to provide a kinship, a sense of belonging, and a place to be with like-minded individuals. My opinion is that the GSA club strives to do just that — it sends a message to the students that 'you belong here’ just like French, chess, or speech and debate. These clubs offer students the opportunity to be part of a student interest club and have a sense of belonging.

Swope: If any subject people want to bring up becomes a distraction to our main educational goal then that becomes an issue that must be addressed. It does not matter the subject. The goal I am speaking of is for the highest quality education we can provide to all students. The media purposefully tries to distract the teachers, schools and elections with such questions. We need to remain focussed on the education of all ACSD1 students.

Reporter: Finally, why are you running for school board?

Marshall: As a current school board member, I would like to continue using my experience and knowledge to carry on the governance work of the school board. I can think of no more impactful volunteer work than serving as a district trustee. I am ready to hit the ground running and to use all that I have learned about being an effective school board member to benefit ACSD#1 by providing vigorous educational opportunities for students and supporting district staff.

Nowell: The reason I am running for school board is to ensure that every decision that is made by the school board considers the impact that this will have on students and on the employees of Albany County School District #1. I have seen nationwide the positive impact teachers and schools have for students and have also seen disruption in that impact due to lack of support for students and staff. I hope to be a positive support in the education of the students in ACSD1.

Swope: I am running for school board because I have a strong interest in the education field. We need leadership that prioritizes the stakeholders and their education. I want to see a community that can be proud of their community and its schools. I would like to see all students have the ability to excel in all aspects of education and to have a better chance at being proficient enough to be successful in our world.