Randy Wilkinson is running for the District 3 seat on the Polk County School Board.

1. Why are you running for this office?

As a concerned citizen and parent of two school age daughters enrolled in Polk County Public Schools, I'm running because I'm quite disturbed by the lack of discipline and rigor in most of Polk County's public schools!

That poisonous combination has resulted in a freefall in student achievement. My solution is the three Ds:

  1. Discipline in the classroom
  2. Discipline in the budget
  3. Discipline in direction (no fads)

When we achieve the three Ds, we will be able to increase the depth and breadth of instruction in not only the three Rs (reading, writing, arithmetic), but also in the three arts (musical, visual and performing) and the three tools of innovation (science, technology and engineering).

2. Why do you think you are the best qualified candidate for the office?

Are our children in Polk's public school system better off than they were four years ago?  "No!" 

Upon receiving test scores in May, Superintendent of School Kathryn Leroy commented, "Oh my gosh, what happened? Even some of our best schools tanked." 

Polk's number of of schools given a grade of "D" doubled to a total of 41.  That would have been significantly worse but schools are mercifully prevented from dropping more than one letter grade, keeping more from getting a "D" or even "F." 

The Ledger had just completed a 22-part daily series titled "Shortchanging Our Children" before I was elected School Board Member two decades ago.  The Ledger documented a slide in student achievement. Not so dramatic as the current decline, yet it was serious enough to justify an three-week daily examination in the newspaper.   

Soon thereafter, I was appointed to Chair, the Curriculum Task Force for Polk County Public Schools first Strategic Plan while Dr. John Stewart was Superintendent.  I selected Polk County teachers, parents and retired professors from Purdue (Math)  and Penn State (English).  The plan set a gold standard for 15 years of steady improvement and achievement in our schools, until the last few years.

3. If you are elected, what will be your top priorities?

  1. Give teachers more authority and support, along with the accountability already expected.
  2. Implement I.S.S. (In School Suspension) programs in each of our schools where misbehaving students must catch up on lessons while learning to behave in order to go back to regular classroom and student interaction at lunch, etc.
  3. Form Curriculum and Discipline Task Forces made up of teachers, parents, and administrators for a new Strategic Plan for dramatic improvement.
  4. Adopt BFO (Budgeting For Outcomes) that I initiated on the Polk County Commission allowing us to freeze and eventually cut 14 percent of county staff positions while improving service and efficiencies.  Freeze School District Level Staff and cut 15% through attrition, moving savings to the classroom.