Letter To The Editor From Rance Ossenberg, Candidate for School Board At-Large

My name is Rance Ossenberg. I am writing this article to share a little about myself and to make you aware of my candidacy for the at large seat on the Evansville Vanderburgh Board of School Trustees in the November 4 election.

I grew up in Evansville in a family devoted to this community. My mother was a teacher and counselor at North High School and my sister was a teacher. My father was in sales and served on the City Council and as a County Commissioner. My wife and I were married in 1981 at Christ the King Church. After graduating from Harrison High School I attended the University of Evansville where I earned my Bachelor and Master Degrees in education and my certification in School Administration and Supervision.

I have a strong record of leadership with thirty-six years of experience in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. During that time I was a classroom teacher, an assistant principal, and a principal. As assistant principal for 8 years I was the primary disciplinarian, responsible for ensuring that our middle school of 500 regular and special education students was safe and orderly.As principal for 17 years my primary responsibilities were to empower faculty and staff to work together successfully, providing the best learning opportunities for the children in our school community. I worked daily with students, parents, the PTA, our school neighbors and community groups that came into our building.

During my career I served on many educational and leadership committees, helped write teacher evaluation documents and was trained and participated in collaborative bargaining with the Evansville Teacher’s Association. I met with area legislators and lobbied for more school funding. I was well respected by teachers, secretaries, custodians and others who worked in my building as well as by other administrators with whom I worked. Parents and community members knew that they were welcome in my building and that I would listen and act on their concerns.

Teachers in the EVSC are currently overwhelmed by new programs that have been dictated during recent years. In some cases programs have been changed before it was determined whether the program was or was not successful. I believe that new ideas and teaching strategies are best developed with teacher and staff input. Teacher led programs enhance successful implementation. When teachers are empowered to work together and are actively involved, student engagement increases. As a member of the Evansville Vanderburgh Board of School Trustees, I believe I have the experience and knowledge to help make these things possible.

We know that proper funding for all schools is an obvious concern for the Board. Money is critical for public education to provide a variety of learning opportunities for a diverse student body; however, while money does matter, it is not the only concern facing our Board. The U.S. Department of Education confirms that 30 percent of new teachers flee the profession after just three years, and more than 45 percent leave after five. A state-by-state analysis done in 2008-09 found that 7 percent of Indiana’s teachers left in that year and since that report numbers in the state have continued to increase. In Evansville, as in the rest of the country, teacher turnover is highest in schools where half or more of the students receive free or reduced-price lunches. What’s more, 36 percent of EVSC teachers have been teaching more than 20 years and are now approaching retirement.

We know that salary, teaching conditions, keeping up with the standards, the pressure of standardized testing, and student discipline all present challenges to teachers. We also know that additional funding from the State is going to be minimal considering the current economy. If we are going to provide the best education possible for our students, the Board will need to find better ways to address these issues in the light of budget limitations. I believe that we need to examine the current budget and determine how best to reprioritize monies so that funds are used wisely, buildings are used efficiently and excesses are eliminated. Community input and employee groups should be solicited and considered when making budget decisions.

As a board member, I would want better relationships with all union and employee groups. The perception of the public with the latest negotiations is that there was a lack of communication between the administration and the bargaining units. This opens the door to rumor and half-truths that create distrust and a negative environment. Collaboration between all parties is imperative if we are to create a positive work environment that in turn will help optimize learning conditions for students.

The Evansville Vanderburgh Board of School Trustees is charged with establishing policies and setting goals based on the corporation’s mission statement. They must also choose a superintendent who has the vision to move the EVSC forward as directed by the Board. Communication with the public is imperative. While Evansville has many excellent public, private, parochial and charter schools the majority of boys and girls attend the EVSC. All of these students represent the future of our community. They will move Evansville forward in the years to come. For this reason we must have an outstanding and vibrant public school corporation. I believe that as a member of the Board of School Trustees I can help the EVSC become a leader among school corporations in Indiana as we work to improve student achievement. I would appreciate your vote on November 4.

THIS ARTICLE IS POSTED BY CCO WITHOUT OPINON, BIAS OR EDITING.