Board of Education Candidate: Rita Volkmann

Editor's note: Seven candidates are running for 5 seats on the Groton Board of Education on Nov. 8. Below is a Q&A with one of the candidates.

Name:  Rita Volkmann

Age:  62

Education:  Bachelor's degree in education, Southern Connecticut University; master's degree in American studies, Connecticut College.

Work Experience:  Retired teacher, New London Public Schools, Groton Adult Education, OIC of New London.

Civic/Political Experience:  Groton Board of Education, 2 terms; executive board of Learn, child & family organization

Family:  Married; 3 children

Why are you running for this office?  I believe deeply in public education and over the past eight years have dedicated my time and energy to serving the students of Groton.  I believe good schools can make a difference in a child’s life forever. I know that these are difficult economic times and public schools are going to need to make decisions about how best to educate our students as budgets decrease.

I would like to be a part of how those decisions are made in Groton to ensure, as much as possible, that dollars are spent on things that actually improve classroom experiences. As a parent and a former teacher, I have the background and experience to make these kinds of decisions.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge Groton schools face today, and what would you do to meet this challenge?  The greatest challenge that the Groton school system faces today is how to improve the educational experience of as many children as possible with the resources at hand.

While that means improving student performance, that also means ensuring that our schools provide an environment that students and teachers value and are excited to be a part of.  We must create an atmosphere of learning without increasing our school budget. 

I believe we should:  1) Concentrate on hiring and supporting top-notch teachers instead of hiring more administrators.  2) Ensure that when cuts have to be made, programs that are essential to quality education are not affected.  3) Carefully evaluate any proposed major expenditures. 4) Continue to visit classrooms, talk with parents and teachers and keep the community aware of current issues and try to make sure solutions are implemented in a timely manner.

How would you rate the performance of the current board overall, and what, if anything, would you do differently?  All board members care deeply about the students in Groton schools. While we do differ at times on how best to impact our school system, we all want the best for our students. Our performance has been solid, but there is certainly room for improvement.  

I, for one, will continue to evaluate and question administration proposals. I did not support some of this year‘s initiatives.  I supported a more limited plan than the proposed Phase II plan for renovating some of our schools. I believe we can and must do a better job communicating with parents and the community, particularly about changes being considered by the Board of Education and the Administration.

The current initiative involving middle school scheduling speaks to the importance of better communication.  I would budget less for administration and technology and more for ways to best enhance student learning. I disagree with the current “top down” decision-making approach. I believe the stakeholders - students, staff, parents, community - input is important if we are to make our school system the best that it can be.