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Editor’s Note: On Sept. 12 Newton voters will have a chance to go to the polls to elect new candidates for the Newton Community School District Board. Four seats are open on the board this year, and four candidates will appear on the ballot. Board president Travis Padget and vice president Robyn Friedman will seek re-election this fall, while board members Shari Benson and Andy Elbert have chosen not to seek re-election. Also running for school board are Cody Muhs and Graham Sullivan. This week the Newton Daily News will feature a series of Q&As with each of the four candidates to give readers a chance get to know each candidate better.
Robyn Friedman
Occupation: Physical Therapist at Skiff Medical Center
Family: Bryan Friedman, children Isaac Friedman (16), Leo Friedman (12) and Talia (7)
Years of residence within the NCSD boundaries: 17 years
Educational background: Graduated from Pocahontas Area High School, Bachelor's degree from Wartburg College, Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from University of Iowa
Why do you want to serve on the Newton school board? I have already served 4 years on the Newton School Board and I feel that I have more to do and contribute as a board member. I feel I have learned a mountain of information in the last 4 years and have a much better understanding of school district ins and outs, finances and processes, policies and procedures. I Believe strongly in the public school system and all the value it holds for our children and our community and I feel my 4 years of experience will allow me to get to the heart of issues even more effectively.
Tell us a little bit about your background: I graduated in a class of 54 at Pocahontas Area And was involved in all activities possible (sports, music, drama) and went onto undergraduate at Wartburg College, majoring in Biology and running competitively on the cross country and track teams. I chose to go into physical therapy and graduated with a Master's Degree in physical therapy from University of Iowa. I practiced for 2 years in Washington State before moving back to Iowa and relocating to Newton, where my husband had found a job. I quickly found a job at Skiff Medical Center soon after this and have been there ever since in their outpatient rehab department. I have been highly involved with the Newton School district for the last 10 years through the PTA and volunteering in classrooms that my children have been in through the years. I have also served on the YMCA board, currently serve on the Jasper County Conservation Board and am also on the Newton Wellness Coalition. I am currently coaching the Newton middle school girl's cross country program and have volunteered with the high school girl's program in the past as well. I believe strongly in giving back to your community and love to help connect different community entities to help make our community stronger.
What qualifications do you think makes an effective school board member? I feel being an active listener and communicator are two of the most important traits. Being able to take in all points of view surrounding varied issues and then asking questions to further clarify concerns are also valuable skills. Honest, open communication is important to be able to work effectively with the board team and with administration. Being a problem solver and promoter for our school district, and being able to help set a tone that supports innovation and a positive supportive culture throughout our district are also important qualities.
Standardized test scores are holding more weight in Iowa's education policy than ever before, What do districts such as Newton need to do to ensure continued improvement in test scores and reach 80 percent proficiency in each grade level? I feel we are doing the right thing by adding in the extra PLC (Professional Learning Community) time for our teachers this year. I think allowing our professional experts (our teachers) to delve into this topic of proficiency and other important learning/teaching topics will do nothing but help our school district and students achieve their goals. I feel tests scores are just one part of the picture of how our district is doing and I am impressed with the work I See happening every day in our schools to help our students succeed in so many ways.
What is one thing Newton is doing right? I have a hard time listing one thing, as there are a lot of things we are doing right! I think our biggest strength is our professional, passionate caring teaching staff who are working hard every day to truly connect with our kids. I think our utilization of technology and continued professional development about how to use technology in varied ways in all our classrooms is also a big strength of ours.
What's one area Newton needs improvement in? I think our biggest area of need is an improved culture of communication. There is a need for better, more open and honest communication within our district and a need for improved communication to our families and community at large. I think that culture is something that needs to be worked on and improved upon so that we operate even more smoothly and effectively as a district. I am amazed at all we accomplish right now, but I feel if we improved our internal culture and communication more, we could even accomplish more.
What's your vision for the future of Newton schools? My hope is that our schools become a driving force for why people want to move to our community. We should be doing so well in so many areas and effectively communicating that progress, that people start seeking out the reasons for our success. We should be reaching for high goals and attaining them as a team and clearly showing our community and beyond how valuable a public education in Newton is to our community.
With state revenue shrinking, Iowa's public education funding levels are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. What do you see as Newton's primary funding priorities in the coming years? The primary funding priority should always be what benefits our kids most directly. Our funding formulas from the state and federal levels are very frustrating and hard for us to directly control, though it is important for us to advocate these frustrations directly to our legislators and through our education and school board associations. It is important for us to be good stewards of our taxpayers' money and important for us to keep having good conversations and brainstorming as a district team about how to do more with less, if education funding streams remain stagnant or lower. Making sure our community is well educated and aware of our constraints is also important, as I believe strongly in our community and its generous people and letting them know how they can help support our kids and teachers can also be a powerful benefit to our school district.