SCHOOL BOARD Q&As: Robyn Friedman

Name: Robyn Friedman

Age: 48

Occupation: Physical therapist and manager of rehab services

1. Please introduce yourself and explain why you are running for school board.

My name is Robyn Friedman and I have lived in Newton for 21 years and have served on the school board for 2 full terms (8 years total). I am married to Bryan Friedman and we have 3 children, a son who graduated from Newton Community Schools and is now a junior in college studying software engineering, a son who is a junior at Newton High School and a daughter who is a 6th grader at Berg Middle School. I have worked at MercyOne Newton as a physical therapist for the last 21 years and was recently promoted to become the manager of rehab services at MercyOne Newton. I have been actively involved in the Newton community in the 21 years we have lived here (YMCA board, Jasper County Conservation Board, Lambs Grove City Council, volunteer with cross country teams, leader of Summer running programs for children) and have been involved in the Newton schools since our oldest started kindergarten in 2006. My first involvement with Newton Community Schools was as a very active parent volunteer within the PTA and I decided to initially run for the school board in 2014 when the school board had only 3 people running for 4 open seats. I ran as a write in candidate at that time and did receive enough votes to make it onto the school board. After my first term as a school board member, I chose to run for a second term because I felt those first 4 years were a steep learning curve regarding understanding how to become an effective school board member so I wanted to use that learned skill set for a second term.The reason I am seeking out a third term on the school board is because I feel strongly that the work I have done while on the school board team is valuable and I remain passionate about continuing that work. I have gained school board specific knowledge and skills over my 8 years on the board because I have done extra education on my own time, as well as the learning I have done working with our administration and within our school board work sessions and meetings. I have served two years as the school board vice president, two years as the school board president and have been involved with various school committees (school improvement advisory committee, policy committee, culture council). I feel a strength of mine as a school board member is that I am an active listener and I am intentional about asking questions within board meetings and outside board meetings to help keep our district moving forward in a positive direction.

2. What is a parent’s role and how does it fit into the school district?

A parent or guardian’s role is an essential one in a well rounded and high functioning school district. A parent or guardian is the link for teachers to better understand the children they are educating. A parent or guardian serves the role of getting kids ready to learn before they are old enough to start school and also helping to assure kids have the rest and food and support needed as they go through their school years. A parent or guardian sets the tone for the importance of an education for their students and they are partners with the teachers in their children’s education. An important role for all parents and guardians is to be actively engaged in communicating with teachers as needed and participating in scheduled parent teacher conferences. Parents with additional time and energy are also highly encouraged to participate in the PTA at any of our PK-8 school buildings or with the booster clubs at our high school. These organizations are fantastic ways to make a big difference in the specific school where their children are being educated and to provide extra ideas and resources for the variety of activities our children participate in. Parents and guardians are also welcome to be part of teacher driven volunteer activities within classrooms, and on field trips.These sorts of activities support both the children and the teaching staff. Motivated parents and guardians who want to take it a step farther and be paid for their time may want to even consider seeking out employment with the district, as we are always looking for bus drivers, substitute teachers and para-educators!

3. How do you think the district is recovering from the 2020 school year?

The 2020 school year was a challenge in so many ways for our full district but I have been so impressed with how intentional and creative our administrative and teaching staff have been to help overcome the gaps in learning that occurred because of the disjointed nature of the teaching and learning that occurred in 2020. A high number of our staff put renewed energy into Summer school, which recently presented data showed made a difference for those kids that participated. At a recent school board presentation about the latest standardized test results,it was not a surprise that our kids are behind benchmarks in several areas. However, much of the state is also behind benchmarks and there will be ongoing lobbying efforts when the legislature is in session to encourage continued extra monetary support for these various initiatives being put forth to help make up the gaps from the 2020 school year of learning. Having kids and students inside the school buildings for learning and connection has been essential to making up these gaps in growth and learning and I am thankful and hopeful we will continue to be able to keep that happening as colder weather months draw near.

4. What’s the best quality of Newton schools? What can the district improve on?

Hands down, the best quality of Newton schools is the people who work within them. We have dedicated and passionate teachers, administrators, coaches, paraeducators, secretaries, nutrition employees, bus drivers, maintenance and technology employees, substitutes and volunteers. These people are one of the big reasons kids want to come to school and stay in school. They work to make connections with kids and help them find lightbulb learning moments. I believe the size of our school is just right to be able to offer a big school variety oflearning and extracurricular opportunities but still have a smaller school feeling that keeps kids from being lost in the shuffle. We also have these fantastic partnerships within our community that benefit our students and our district, including places like DMACC and the YMCA. Some areas I feel the district could improve upon include assuring ALL students who go through the district are actively engaged in at least one extracurricular activity. I think we can also make improved strides in addressing behavior issues throughout the district and I think we can further improve upon our communication systems within the district and outside of district. I think each of these areas will help with healthy student and family engagement as well.

5. What other school issues are you most passionate about?

I am passionate about our full district living out our mission and vision because I think they both cover a lot of ground. Our mission is: The Newton Community School District empowers every learner to achieve a lifetime of personal success. Our vision is: We are a collaborative and cohesive team that inspires and supports all learners in a culture of safety and acceptance. If we can have every learner (high and low and in between) in our district feel empowered and connected and challenged and ready to take on any next transitional step within our district and outside of our district, that will be success. If we can have all of our learners (staff and students) feel supported and safe and part of a true team that cares, collaborates and communicates well, that will be success. I want to continue to be part of school board work to help our district make these ideals become reality. I encourage you to vote for me and the other 3 incumbents at the school board election on 11/2/2021.