Six school board candidates vie for pair of half-terms

Two resignations since the last election have left the Albany County School Board with two unexpired terms. Now six candidates want to finish out those terms, but only two will join 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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In the 2022 general election, Albany County voters will decide seven of the school board’s nine seats. Depending on the election’s results, Albany County School District No. 1 could soon be helmed by an almost entirely new set of faces.

This is not typical.

In the average election year, only half of the Albany County School Board’s four-year terms appear on the general ballot. But since the last election, the board has lost two members through resignation.

These vacancies were filled by appointment. But those appointees must now prove themselves in a popular election to keep the seat going forward.

A total of six candidates are vying for these two-year seats.

Albany County voters — no matter where they live in the county — will get to vote for two of the six when they head to the polls in November.

The six candidates are:

• Elliott Arthur, former California Highway Patrol officer turned flight instructor running on the conservative ticket.

• Mary Alice Bruce, current school board member (appointed this year), and emeritus professor of counselor education at the University of Wyoming.

• Dexter Candelaria, owner and founder of Iron Monkey Self Defense.

• Alex Moon Krassin, licensed clinical social worker and mental health therapist in UW’s Counseling Center.

• Phoebe Newman, home health aide, CNA, and wife of Laramie City Council candidate Brandon Newman, running on the conservative ticket alongside Arthur.

• Jeff Suloff, vice president of claims at Mountain West Farm Bureau.

How do the candidates differ?

Arthur and Newman are allied with a conservative coalition of candidates seeking to take control of the school board — motivated by what they see as a district going off the rails, their campaigns colored by their opposition to the COVID mitigation policies adopted last year by the current board.

Topic: COVID-19 response

Arthur was particularly dismissive of concerns about COVID — which he called ‘the Kung Flu’ — inaccurately stating that masks are ineffective. (Most research shows that masking reduces transmission and that communities with high rates of masking see less spread.)

“I don’t support anything the current administration does or says about masks or vaccines,” Arthur told the Laramie Reporter.

Newman said the district itself should follow CDC guidelines, but that individual students should be allowed to not follow CDC guidelines. Suloff said only that the district should encourage “individual responsibility.”

Bruce and Krassin stressed the importance of following CDC guidance, basing decisions on evidence and listening to public health experts.

Topic: Mental health

Krassin, a mental health professional, and Bruce both raised the possibility of establishing school wellness centers as a way of supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing.

On the topic of mental health, Newman and Suloff suggested raising awareness, while Arthur said only that students’ basic education would naturally improve their mental health.

Topic: Book bans

As school districts across the country withstand attacks about the contents of their school libraries and the appropriateness of their course curricula, Krassin gave the most forceful denunciation of book banning — which has already started to take place in Wyoming.

“The banning of books does not encourage critical thinking but rather conformity,” she said. “This is not, nor should it be, the goal of education in Albany County.”

Suloff said the First Amendment ought to be defended, while Bruce outlined the process already in place for parents concerned about coursework materials or library holdings.

Newman has said “we need to ban inappropriate books” from school libraries. In a questionnaire for Vote 411, Newman compared Manga books to pornography.

Arthur said the superintendent ought to remove “ideological nonsense” from the curriculum and said he is concerned about the alleged presence of pornography in school libraries.

“The district has allowed ideologies harmful to impressionable young minds to permeate what passes for education,” Arthur said. “As for banning books, that’s the wrong tactic. However, books containing material of a pornographic nature should not be available to children too immature to understand the consequences of sexual conduct.”

Concerns about “pornography” in school libraries or “critical race theory” in school classrooms characterize an ongoing right-wing push to take back “out-of-control” schools. While neither pornography nor CRT are likely to appear in public school districts, the push has resulted in the removal of books about a range of topics — from comic books about uncomfortable subjects or histories to fictional works featuring LGBT characters.

Off to the races

The race for Area A’s unexpired terms is just one of four races for open school board seats. All school board races are countywide, so every Albany County voter participating in the 2022 general election will be able to select their favorite candidates in each of the four races.

In addition to picking two candidate for the Area A unexpired terms, voters will also choose:

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

• One candidate for a four-year term in Area B

• 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.

Five of the six candidates for this race answered a series of questions from the Laramie Reporter about their backgrounds, opinions and hopes for the 2022 election. One candidate, Dexter Candelaria, agreed to answer the same questionnaire but missed multiple deadlines and never submitted answers.

A previous Laramie Reporter feature highlighted the two candidates for the at-large district. Future features will highlight the nine candidates for Area A’s four-year term and the three candidates for Area B’s four-year term.

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

Elliott Arthur: I was born in Laramie but grew up in NE Colorado and the Black Hills. After a tour in the Navy and one trip to Vietnam, I joined the California Highway Patrol. Twenty years later I retired and became a flight instructor. I’ve been teaching for 32 years.

Mary Alice Bruce: As a current ACSD#1 School Board Trustee, I have years of experience working in the public schools as a math teacher and school counselor. I have first-hand experience serving in both urban and rural schools, and taught math as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya. My work in education led me to earn my Ph.D. and become a university professor, licensed professional counselor, and now emeritus professor of counselor education at the University of Wyoming.

Alex Moon Krassin: I obtained my bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Wyoming and master’s of social work from the University of South Dakota, where I received education and training in working with individuals, families and communities from a biopsychosocial framework. This means considering the range of biological, psychological, and social factors that impact people. Since graduating with my master’s degree, I have held a number of both mental health and education positions that have further strengthened my qualifications for this office.

Phoebe Newman: My husband and I have three beautiful children and have fostered numerous more, many who remain in our lives to this day. While fostering it became apparent that public schools couldn’t always provide the education or attention they needed. Some succeeded and others, sadly, did not. I am running for school board to represent those marginalized students, as well as my own, and the parents who support them. I am a caring and compassionate individual who knows how to work collaboratively to achieve good health, be it a foster child, a patient or a school district.

Jeff Suloff: I’m a father of two children in the district and have lived in Laramie for 25 years. I have no other formal education administration experience. I’ve worked for a local insurance company for 23 years.

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

Arthur: I don’t know what the school district does well. All I hear and read about is the dismal record of student performance. That coupled with my experiences with recent graduates who can’t spell, write a coherent sentence, or complete a simple math problem, tells me the district needs to improve fundamental instruction drastically.

Bruce: In Albany County, our families, teachers and staff are outstanding in their support of students to maximize their potential and succeed in life. We enjoy good community relations and strong connections. Our caring staff engage students with innovative, academically challenging teaching and learning experiences. We offer excellent basic education as well as Advanced Placement opportunities, dual-listed courses with higher education institutions, and a variety of practical electives.

Krassin: ACSD does a wonderful job offering extracurricular activities and classes that engage the whole child, socially, emotionally and academically. The school district has highly qualified staff who engage the parents and community in understanding and supporting the schools, while encouraging parent involvement and child responsibility. Currently, students in Albany County are scoring higher than the average in Wyoming and while the graduation rate has improved over the past couple of years, there is room for improvement in both these areas.

Newman: Albany County does a lot of items well. They can look into the budget better. As a district, we need to be looking into the education of our students as a whole. With 62% proficiency in English and 42% in math we can and must do better.

Suloff: I understand that voters want a candidate opinion, but I think that is where I want them to know that I am not running with an agenda or any specific ideology. I’m not running with any specific areas that I feel need to be fixed but recognize that there will be areas that my experience may allow me to help improve. I want to integrate into the board, take in as much information from fellow board members and my constituents, and use that information to help make decisions for the good of each and every student.

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

Arthur: The biggest challenges appear to be enhancing student performance, keeping control of the budget, and communicating effectively with parents. 

Bruce: Student sense of safety, self-worth and academic confidence must be assessed, and then we can address learning gaps that may have occurred as a result of the pandemic. Realizing students’ learning differences, reading and math may call for extra student support, including tutoring in and outside the classroom, as we motivate our students to grow and excel in a caring learning community. Meanwhile, our budget is tight as inflation increases and state revenue lags.

Krassin: COVID has created and sustained a number of mental health concerns, such as eating disorders, increased substance usage, and suicidal ideation in younger populations. An additional challenge is school safety and security. The nation has seen a rise in violence across school districts, so ensuring school safety and security is a must. Addressing mental health in the district can look like implementing resources like wellness centers in each individual school. Mental health and school security/safety are extremely important areas and currently the school district does not have the needed budget to meet these areas fully.

Newman: We need to get our grades up and help our students learn more efficient and proficient. These students are our future and we need to invest in any way we can afford to do.

Suloff: Budget and controlling any agenda and ideology.

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

Arthur: Students must be taught basic education in subjects necessary to provide a foundation upon which they can build a good life as they travel their chosen path. Their mental health and wellbeing will be enhanced by their confidence gained through successful application of knowledge gained.

Bruce: Our schools are welcoming and highly engaging learning communities for our students, thanks to the strong relationships and support of our dedicated teachers and staff members. Counselors, social workers, nurses and others are trained in interventions and may bring forward ideas such as school wellness centers to offer specific assistance as needed. In addition, they can help staff, administrators and families assist students to set goals, manage their emotions and enhance relationships that support wellbeing.

Krassin: Current staff are being creative with current resources but more can be done. Such as implementing resources like wellness centers in each individual school, providing professional development on intervention/assessment for mental health concerns to all school staff, and finally employing a school social worker, school counselor and school psychologist in every school so all areas of mental health can be addressed, is essential.

Newman: We as a board and a district should support mental health awareness. This can be done with having a mental awareness week and discussing different aspects of mental health.

Suloff: Provide additional resources to improve awareness and reach those that need it.

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

Arthur: The school district is not the entity responsible for protecting anyone from the Kung Flu. The past performance is proof they are not equipped nor trained for that mission.

Bruce: As a current board trustee, I want to hear from you, the stakeholders, if we face another pandemic. Evidence-based research can contribute information, and then we need to invite the voices of our local health professionals and community members to help us decide how to best protect our children and the wider community.

Krassin: COVID-19 was a time of chaos, trial and error, and upheaval for our country. Many different systems, schools especially, were required to change almost everything about how they functioned in a short time with limited information. Currently, we have more knowledge around COVID-19, how it spreads, how to prevent the spread, and vaccinations/medications that can be utilized to decrease symptoms. The CDC and other larger and more knowledgeable systems research disease spread, current community concerns around physical health, and treatment. It is the school district’s responsibility to follow the guidelines and recommendations by the CDC to ensure we are keeping our children/community safe.

Newman: Following CDC guidelines is where we should start. As a district we have the proper protocols in place that are required.

Suloff: Use common sense and encourage personal accountability.

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?

Arthur: Based upon the latest information from educated people, health professionals and personal observations, mask mandates were little more than ‘feel good’ measures which were ineffective for the vast majority of the population. I don’t support anything the current administration does or says about masks or vaccines.

Bruce: At the time, based on the federal guidelines, state and local data regarding COVID occurrences and deaths, and the information offered by our local health professionals, plus our district teachers and staff, as well as students, parents and stakeholders — the mask mandate seemed necessary. In the case of another spike, along with evidence-based research, I would invite stakeholders to weigh in on best preventative measures to protect our students.

Krassin: I did support the mask mandate in the beginning. I would support the policies and guidelines from the CDC and local/state health facilities if we see another spike.

Newman: The district has a responsibility to follow CDC guidelines. Students and staff also have rights and can choose not to follow those guidelines as they are just that — guidelines not rules.

Suloff: Yes, initially, but it grew into a circus it didn’t need to. Potentially, there are too many variables that would need to be understood and it’s not appropriate to make a definitive statement without additional information.

Reporter: What is the goal of public education?

Arthur: The goal of education must be to provide a foundation upon which every student can build their lives. Ideology has no place in K-12 classrooms. The Nazis used that to drag the German people into participating in atrocities that boggle the mind. We must not allow that to happen here.

Bruce: High quality public education, with an emphasis on academic achievement and career preparation, prepares students for success in the world today. Input from our stakeholders, including students, staff, parents, and community members, along with research data regarding educational issues, can help us continue our holistic perspective in supporting excellence in education. The board and our new superintendent are committed to our holistic perspective with fair access for every student as a budgetary priority.

Krassin: Public education supports the whole child, socially, emotionally, academically and psychologically. Public education allows and encourages critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and increases belief in self to make the necessary decisions for each child’s future and how they can engage as productive citizens. Ultimately, public education is necessary to provide the foundation for each person to pursue their goals.

Newman: The core focus on public education is to give our students the skills and abilities to become successful young adults and into adulthood.

Suloff: Provide opportunity for a quality education to all students.

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

Arthur: Challenges to the curriculum is exactly what is needed right now. The district has allowed ideologies harmful to impressionable young minds to permeate what passes for education. The superintendent must be directed to remove ideological nonsense from the curriculum immediately. As for banning books, that’s the wrong tactic. However, books containing material of a pornographic nature should not be available to children too immature to understand the consequences of sexual conduct.

Bruce: The ACSD#1 has specific policies for challenges to its educational curriculum and questions regarding library holdings. The policies begin with a procedure for collaborative efforts on behalf of school principals and the worried party to respectfully hear each other’s perspective and achieve a practical solution. Next, further communication can occur with administrators to make reasoned decisions that are in keeping with local values and priorities.

Krassin: The district has highly skilled and qualified staff who are researching the most evidenced-based curriculum and vetting materials based on age appropriateness and educational needs. The district can be transparent with this process but follow state and federal guidelines that are mandatory, therefore not changed based on a small percentage of dislike for the material. The banning of books does not encourage critical thinking but rather conformity. This is not, nor should it be, the goal of education in Albany County.

Newman: Firstly, looking to see if the books are age appropriate. Second, do they teach something relevant to the teachings of the school subjects?

Suloff: Protect the First Amendment. Support the administration's positions if they follow state initiatives.

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

Arthur: I believe that what consenting adults do in their relationships is their business. But it is inappropriate for anyone to publicize ‘their business’ in any way. Encouraging sexual behavior of any kind in K-12 schools is inappropriate. 

Bruce: Our schools must create a safe, welcoming and accepting environment for the wellbeing of all students. As a student advocate, I work for the rights of all students while counteracting bullying and harassment. I can engage in difficult conversations, listening to the feelings and concerns of others. We can find a way to partner and create a more inclusive learning community, which may include GSA clubs that help students feel less alone and isolated. 

Krassin: These clubs support emotional growth and support for students who may not find this support in other areas of their life. There’s clear evidence that students who identify as LGBQ+ are more likely to engage in school, have an increased self-esteem, excel academically, pursue higher education — whether that be trade schools or college — if they feel supported by peers and staff within their public school environments. GSA clubs in school are prime examples of where this support/connection derives from, so I firmly believe that canceling or banning these clubs is extremely detrimental to the mental and physical health of students currently and for their future. 

Newman: In my opinion, I don’t think it should be an issue. As long as all the clubs are for the students and it’s a positive influence.

Suloff: Support all clubs, but no one club should receive a disproportionate amount of support or attention. That being said, the size of any club (active members) should be taken into consideration.

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

Arthur: I’m running for school board in an attempt to return education in Laramie to what it should be. I will work to improve student performance, provide students with the ability to think logically, and to develop common sense. Students must understand that they must learn something every day of their lives.

Bruce: As a current ACSD#1 School Board Trustee, I want to continue to contribute to our community in ways that are a best fit for my experience, education and passion. I am a creative problem-solver and skilled communicator, shaped by valuable experiences as a mother, spouse, teacher, school counselor and professor. I have lived in Albany County for 30 years, and I ask for your vote to continue my advocacy for our students.

Krassin: I am motivated to pursue a school board position by my value for healthy, safe and engaging school environments that are guided by collaboration between the community, school board, staff, teachers and school leadership. Collaboration between multidisciplinary teams, supporting evidence-based policies and procedures, and listening with compassion to all voices that impact the school district also motivate me to pursue this position. Recently having my own child, who will be educated in this school district in the future, created a strong desire for me to become more involved in the district.

Newman: I want to help the students to achieve the best education possible. I may be one person, but I want to hear from the teachers, faculty and parents, what they have concerns about and what we can do to make things better.

Suloff: I believe I can make a difference in the educational experience afforded to our local youth. My professional experience and skills in risk management, corporate planning, investigation, lobbying, budgeting and working with multiple regulatory agencies would bring additional diversity and benefit to the board as well as complement the backgrounds and experience of the other board members.