Brad Williams, Candidate For Parkway School Board

Biographical Information

• Name, age and address: Brad Williams
• Occupation: Transfer Coordinator at UMSL; Advisor, Tau Sigma National Honor Society
• Education: BA History, UMSL
• Family: 2 children attending school in the district, 8 years in district

Brief Background 

I am active in the Riverbend Elementary PTO and serve on the districts Government Relations Committee.  Currently serve on the UMSL Physical Facilities, Space and General Services committee of the University Assembly; have previously served on this committee as well as the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Assembly. Additionally, I am a proud member of the NRA, ranked as a Distinguished Expert as well as a former state firearms instructor and commercial deep sea diver/dive medical specialist. Other community involvement includes:

• Food Outreach
• Missouri Hunter Education Instructor
• American Red Cross Disaster Response

Reasons for Running

Through personal experience and research I came to realize that the students and faculty of our district do not feel safe. To experience first hand a school principal refusing to enforce school policy and Missouri law in regards to a bully with multiple past offenses, is shocking to say the least. When I later read data showing our faculty also had concerns regarding the management of behavioral incidents; I knew it was time that I ran for school board and demand the policies be enforced.

Questions:

• What qualifies you to be a Parkway School Board member?

My experience working in higher education has provided me an opportunity to see first hand the school districts successes as well as areas for improvements. Additionally through my studies and work in education policy, my knowledge base in the areas of school funding, choice and challenges of the next decade is second to none.

My success both in a previous technical career and then later in life in a professional, academic setting provide me a broader view point of the ever-changing environment that today’s economy can be. It also allows me to better appreciate not only the necessity, but also the potential for success through career and technical training programs in supplement of our traditional pre-collegiate focus.

Finally, my skill and qualification as a NRA “Distinguished Expert” make me the ideal candidate to clearly articulate to all stakeholders, including the legislature, that we must not allow our teachers to carry weapons in our schools. Additionally, I plan to work with the districts PTO to ensure the NRA’s Eddy Eagle training program for gun safety is implemented to help keep our children safe. 

• Do you feel Parkway Schools are as reasonably safe as they can be in the wake of the Newtown school shooting? What is the most important thing you would like to see the district do differently with respect to school security moving forward?

No. Recent data, taken prior to the Newtown tragedy, shows the students and faculty do not feel safe on our campuses. I am certain it is bullies they speak of, unfortunately bullies often times are the underlying cause of horrific violence. The voices and concerns of our students must be taken seriously before it is too late.

I plan to continue to work with Dr. Keith Marty regarding my plan to increase police presence in our campuses through simply designating and offering open parking, desk and computer space during school hours to on duty officers to be utilized as a neighborhood sub-station.

• Identify the most significant area where you disagreed with the majority decision made by the Board of Education over the past two years and tell us why?

Budget reductions to School Resource Officers this last year. Even though the budget was tight, this was one area we should not be making any cuts. SRO’s not only provide security, but just as important they also role model strong character and good citizenship for our youth. Finally, they are trained specifically to interact with school-age children in a manner so as to increase friendships and respect between children and law enforcement; something our region is greatly lacking.

• Is there a program or area of the school district budget that should be more closely scrutinized when it comes to evaluating possible budget cuts in future years?

Going forward, if any further reductions are necessary, I believe we can find up to an additional 10% in the following areas:

• Technology – Due to the decision to purchase instead of lease equipment this year, going forward it will be possible to cut back or slow down on technology replacements and upgrades as deemed most appropriate on department by department basis (ie… if the current hardwarde/software packages are operating well and maintenance costs are reasonable, there is no longer an obligation to replace the computer hardware every 3 years).

• Instructional
  • Cut by 50 % the Supplemental Reading Specialists  Cutting back to 2 foreign languages on each campus (from 4 - 5)
  • Reduction in cost of substitutes through requiring administrators of smaller units with less demanding responsibilities to serve as per diem substitutes on rotating, occasional days so as not to interfere with their other duties.
  • Administrative
    • Continued reorganization of the many program and department heads that comprise the bureaucracy of Parkway.
    • 7.5% across the board required mandatory operating expense reduction for all departments
    • 7.5% salary reduction for all personnel whose total annual compensation exceeds  $250,000
    • Salary freeze for all personnel whose total annual compensation exceeds $100,000

• Do you support the merger of continuing education classes and programs with the Rockwood School district?

No. At this time I do not believe entering into any new arrangements or agreements with Rockwood would be prudent; until they have had a few years to settle their financial affairs in a more respectful and appropriate manner than what they have recently demonstrated.

• What is your process for establishing priorities when it comes to budget cuts which could impact student instruction?

My first focus and priority will always be on the delivery of instruction by highly skilled and qualified faculty in high caliber facilities. That said, many of the programs that we enjoy in our district, while fantastic, are optional. If the time comes that further budget cuts are necessary, I would first want to evaluate options like increasing AP and other applicable fees for services that are not part of traditional K-12 education.

• What do you desire to change in Parkway?

The perception of insecurity by our students and faculty, through a multi-faceted community approach. This will have to include our police officers, fire fighters and other first responders, obviously the school board and its employees; but also mental health professionals and other healthcare providers as well as families.

First, let’s continue our work in character development; but it too has room for improvement. Supplement that with more School Resource Officers and a “Community Oriented Policing” program designed for our campuses. But also, it is just as important to remember that bullies and other violent offenders with repeat offenses must be removed from the setting before someone gets hurt (e.g. ensure all school policies are enforced appropriately).