  Responses By Anna AnnicelliAbout Anna Annicelli
Question #1 For School Board Candidates: Published Saturday - September 7, 2002 - 11:40 pm If elected, would you support implementing a district policy for drug testing for school board members, teachers and administrators?
The District is currently involved in gathering public input about whether to extend the current drug testing to students other than athletes now that a legal precedent has been set elsewhere in the country. When the original decision was made to have random testing for athletes (after legal precedent was set) it was in response to a problem identified and with input from many students saying that the possibility of testing gave them a way to resist peer pressure. I am not aware that a problem has been identified within any of the groups listed above, but if there are issues, I urge you to consult the Superintendent first. There are clear processes in place to deal with someone under the influence in the workplace or on school grounds. I personally have been subject to drug testing within several health care workplaces and also while I was a nurse in the U.S. Navy.
Question #2 For School Board Candidates: Published Tuesday - September 10, 2002 - 7:00 pm Do you think the KGBSD needs to develop a better way for providing their annual "Report Card To The Public"? If so, what delivery method would you support as the best way to ensure that this information is easily accessible for public review as well as understandable?
A good place to start would be to hear from you, the public, about what is important to you to hear in the annual "Report Card." If you are asking this question, then we the District are not doing a good enough job communicating our successes and challenges. As we revamp our School District web site, we should look at periodic progress reports being easily available on the site. We also should be giving updates to the Borough Assembly, which provides a large portion of our funding. We currently send the reports home to parents but perhaps it could be sent as a supplement in the newspaper to reach a broader audience.
With less funding and the likely need to further cut services, what services would you reduce or cut first?
I cannot answer that question without having the situation and the complete financial picture to consider. I also would not be making the decision alone, but with the other members of the board. Personally I will work to preserve direct instruction to students as my priority.
Question #4 For School Board Candidates: Published Tuesday - September 10, 2002 - 7:00 pm What is the most serious challenge facing the school district and how would you address this challenge?
The most important issue for this district right now is that we as a district and a community have been operating in a crisis mode, responding to situations as they arise without truly following an overall plan for what we are doing. Lack of continuity in leadership roles has led to varying interpretations of the strategic plan that has been in place, and we are not consistently basing our decisions on what we have stated is our strategic plan. The QS2 process (Quality Schools, Quality Students) is providing a framework for re-evaluating our strategic plan, and obtaining community input -- with the goal of having priorities we can all agree on and use as a basis for decision making in the future. I am very optimistic that the QS2 process can help bring us together.
Question # 5 For All Candidates: Published Wednesday - September 18, 2002 - 7:40 pm During the interviews of the school board candidates on KRBD, the issue of violence in our schools was brought up as a reason that some parents are seeking alternatives to education other than public schools. I'm concerned about the level of abuse that seems to occur in the schools and wonder what thoughts the school board and borough candidates have about adopting a policy of zero tolerance in our schools for any form of abuse including verbal as well as physical and sexual.
Verbal, physical and sexual abuse are already addressed in School Board policy and in individual school Codes of Conduct. Those school codes spell out disciplinary measures for offenses. The School Board and the Administration of the District do not tolerate such abuses. Your question does not give specific examples of incidents that you are concerned about, so it is difficult to provide a more definitive answer. If there are ongoing problems that you or any citizen feel are not being addressed, I hope that you first talk with the principal of the school or go to the Superintendent if there is no resolution at the principal level.
Question #6 For School Board Candidates: Published Thursday - September 19, 2002 - 2:30 pm Why do you think there has been an increase in the number of parents who are choosing to home school their children in Ketchikan?
If there is an increase, it is because we as a School District are not perceived as meeting the needs of those students. We need to understand why parents are making this choice and what needs are not being met. Home schooling requires a huge commitment of time and energy by parents -- how wonderful it would be if we could tap that energy to help improve our district system and attract students back. We need to welcome creative ideas for improving our learning environment.
Question #7 For School Board Candidates: Published Thursday - September 19, 2002 - 2:30 pm There are currently 5 public elementary schools (includes the Charter School) and 4 private elementary schools. Do you think Ketchikan needs another elementary charter school to provide school choice?
I believe that the proposed new charter school offers exciting alternatives for creating a learning environment different from the more traditional structure present in the other elementary schools. It may be part of the answer to attracting home-schooled students back to the District.
Question # 8 For All Candidates: Published Thursday - September 19, 2002 - 2:30 pm Our community focuses on the importance of 'Youth Asset Building' - I would like to know that our elected officials set a good example. Have any of the candidates been charged for any serious violations of the law other than for minor traffic tickets.
I have not.
Question # 9 For All Candidates: Published Sunday - September 22, 2002 -3:50 pm Would you recommend to all the citizens of Ketchikan that they support building a bridge to Gravina? If so, what would you say to community members about the short-term and long-term benefits to the community as a whole? If you support building a bridge, will you or your family personally benefit monetarily from bridge construction or do you or your family own property on Gravina?
I do not believe that my feelings about the bridge to Gravina should have any bearing on how I make decisions as a member of the School Board. We as a board have to deal with the constraints of the economy but do not have an official role in influencing the economy directly. My husband and I do not own property on Gravina, but it is possible that we would benefit economically from construction work as we have a bed and breakfast. If the bridge to Gravina is built I believe that there will indeed be a short term boost to the economy. I am not convinced of the long term benefits however, and feel that for the greatest long term benefit, a hard link to the mainland needs to be developed.
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