Editor’s note: Cordova’s regular election is set for March 6, in the Cordova Center. Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Community Room A. Two school board positions are open for three-year terms. Candidates include Bret Bradford, Dan Reum and Peter Hoepfner. The Cordova Times gave the same questions to all the candidates. These are their answers.
How long have you resided in Cordova?
- 25 years in Cordova, Alaska commercial fisherman of 30 years, chocolatier for 16
Why do you consider yourself to be the best candidate for the job?
- I have sat on the local Cordova School Board for 12 years now. I have learned a lot about local governance through 12 years of training from the Association of Alaska School Boards to continuously increase my knowledge about education and developing trends, as well as to continue learning more about my role as a school board member. While on the local board, I have brought another level of awareness to Cordova by sitting on the Association of Alaska School Boards board of directors for 7.5 years, and I am currently past president of the organization, president of AASB last year, as well as 5 years on Alaska Student Activities Assn. Most recently, I have been honored to be elected as Pres Elect of the Pacific Region (eight western states) of the National School Board Assn, and additionally sit on the 18-member NSBA Policy and Resolutions committee, bringing a rural Alaskan point of view to the national table. For the last 12 years I have been very active with the Legislature, advocating for education funding and education issues, testifying on education bills from our local LIO, as well as going to Juneau twice a year – so that the legislature knows how their bills/laws will effect the Cordova School District. I have been called upon to sit on committees such as: the Alaska Education Leadership Counsel, the Alaska Education Challenge, participated in the stakeholder meeting about statewide assessments, the Governor’s Education Leadership Council, the Future of Learning Symposium, the Forum on Alaska Education and the Consortium on Digital Learning to name just a few, as well as constantly advocating for education funding from our own local city government.
What would be your top priority as a school board member?
- I want all children of Cordova to learn, be engaged in school and activities, and excel to greatness. The top priority for me is student achievement, and expecting excellence from students, staff, administration and board. The Cordova School District has an excellent environment for children to learn. With an increasing focus on “soft skills”, social and emotional learning, as well as trauma informed practices, thus addressing barriers to student achievement, students will succeed. It has been shown that students who are more “connected” to schools, are more engaged and will achieve success, and have less associated youth risk taking.
What would you do to make Cordova safer?
- Cordova’s school system has a safe and welcoming environment. Principles daily engage the youth, and our teachers truly care about each student. Presently some of our district and superintendent goals is to increase social and emotional learning as well as trauma informed practices started through staff in-services and trainings. This “new awareness” — even though most of the “causes” occurs outside the classroom — affects student learning. Cordova’s School District is trying to make sure that students are truly engaged in their learning.
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