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Interview with Ryan Stuart
I was studying my ballot for the 2007 election the other night. I saw a name on the ballot that I had seen on election related street signs before. Some additional research lead me to the homepage of Ryan Stuart who is one of the candidates for the Douglas County School Board in District A. I decided to send Ryan some interview questions. Ryan took some time out of his busy schedule and sent the following replies to the interview questions:
1) What are your plans and goals if elected to join the Douglas County School Board?
I would like to improve the way we pay our teachers. In studying for my Master's Degree in Education Policy, I read all of the studies I could on school policy. I was looking for policies that could dramatically impact student achievement. To my surprise, I learned that the only factor proven to impact student achievement is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. So, I would like to see a pay plan that provides incentives to teachers, that recruits the very best teachers from other districts to come to Douglas County, and rewards the outstanding teachers we already have here. I would also like to see more competition within the public school system in the form of charter schools and magnet schools.
2) You have been involved in local politics quite a while now. Do you have any bigger plans looking into the future?
No.
3) What would be your “30 Second Elevator Speech” to convince a possible voter to vote for you?
We have the best school system in the state, but that isn't enough. In this global economy, our children will not just be competing against students from other Colorado districts, or even other states, our children will be competing against Chinese students and Indian students. Our schools rank below average in International Assessments. We rank below Russia and the Czech Republic! I have a Master's Degree in Education Policy from Harvard, and I've served on a local government board. I know what it takes to take our schools from being the best in the state to the best in world - high standards, accountability, flexibility to school leaders, and competition.
4) If you could change something immediately after being elected – what would that be?
The teacher pay plan. I would like to see a meaningful performance pay plan that paid teachers on how well they teach, not just based on seniority.
5) You seem to live in Highlands Ranch. What do you like best about Highlands Ranch?
Highlands Ranch is the best place my wife and I could find to raise a family. The parks, open space, recreational opportunities are all outstanding, but if I had to choose one thing, I'd choose the schools.
Ryan Stuart also provided me with a small bio/profile to add to the interview.
About Ryan Stuart:
My wife, Amy, and I live in the Westridge area of Highlands Ranch with our two kids, a three year old son who just started attending a Douglas County preschool and a four month old daughter. I am an attorney. I am a former criminal prosecutor, and I practice civil litigation now. I currently serve on the Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District, the local government for Highlands Ranch.
Ryan's Homepage can be found here. Thanks for taking the time to answer the interview questions. All the best for the upcoming election day.
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