Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Blue Valley Board of Education to address leading up to the Nov. 4 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to the Blue Valley community.
Each day this week, we’re publishing the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Student achievement: Monitoring student achievement and enacting policies and programs that drive that achievement is one of the main responsibilities of a school board. What do you see as the most urgent area for academic growth in your district? And how would you tackle it if elected?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Member 5
Gina Knapp (incumbent)
Our most urgent need is fully funding special education and strengthening supports, especially for middle-tier students who often fall through the cracks. These are kids who may not qualify for intensive services but still need extra help to thrive. I would prioritize adequate staffing, intervention programs, and resources that close gaps before they widen. By focusing on special education funding and targeted supports, we can lift achievement for all students and ensure no child is left behind.
Steve Roberts
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Member 6
David Benson
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Jim McMullen (incumbent)
Test scores in Blue Valley, and indeed across Kansas, have fallen quite a bit from where they were 10 years ago. In Blue Valley, we have seen some rebound in math scores but not much movement in reading scores. The cause is obvious. Our kids are much more deeply tied to technology than ever before, and that has changed what they spend time doing (in and out of school), how they learn, and what sort of preparation with which they come to school. The school district must be responsive to this reality by embracing rigorous advanced reading, writing, listening, and speaking instruction throughout the school day. This means a significant amount of time in a tech-free environment, so every student has time to delve into challenging material with minimal distraction. This does not extend to just English instruction. The focus needs to be across all core disciplines, including mathematics and science. We also need to commit to an additional small group writing & speaking class where students can spend uninterrupted time developing ideas and expressing those ideas in writing or articulating them orally. These skills are foundational to sound cognitive development.
