April Barefoot Tisher

The issues

Why are you running for this office?

I am a mom to three children currently attending Alachua County Public Schools, one in elementary, one in middle and one in high school. After being involved with not only their schools, but also in other schools around the county, I felt like there needed to be a voice on the board for parents to advocate for all students.

In your view, what are the top three issues facing the school district?

Safety and mental health, facilities, inequities among students, and more support for extracurricular activities and increased offerings for career and technical programs.  

How are you qualified to address these issues?

My current experiences with PTA participation, SAC committee, Bishop Community School Community Council as well as my experience with the State Public Affairs Committee with the Junior League of Gainesville have all prepared me to work collaboratively with local and state officials and to make decisions that can be based on what is best for students in the seats.

How would you assess the performance of Governor, President Trump and Secretary of Education when it comes to educational policy?

They could all do more to make public education a priority. We need to stop focusing on our students as test scores or more on educating each one to their own potential.

Share your opinion on the changes to school safety and gun ownership enforced in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act.

I am very happy with the increased mandates for more school safety. I feel like having dedicated SRO’s at all of our campuses is what was needed (Side note: Alachua County was already way ahead in this mandate). Our men and women in uniform are the best choice to keep our students (my children included) safe at school. They have the proper and ongoing training to deal with violent situations and must pass weapons qualifying on a regular basis. Hardening our campuses is also necessary, although it will be expensive and a difficult task to accomplish without making our schools feel like prisons.

Share your opinions on the guardian program and arming teachers.

Alachua County opted out of the Guardian program; again I believe that SROs are the best choice for school safety.

What are your plans for school safety and how do you plan to accomplish it?

I think at this point the district is taking many of the same strides I would have wanted to with having dedicated SROs, hardening campuses, the RAPTOR system that checks the IDs of all visitors on campus. More previous work history screening for potential employees can be implemented.

Alachua County Public Schools has shown to have an educational gap, where more white students are passing tests than black students. What are your plans to approach this educational divide?

More educational programs designed for parents to help them understand the importance of being involved in their children’s education; more support for VPK and pre-Kindergarten programs so that students can start Kindergarten on level and ready to learn. I would look to many of the ideals being used in the Bishop Community School model; mentors, tutoring groups ( I would like to target specific groups to tutor, such as for athletes, clubs, etc.). Family involvement classes and the increased hiring and utilization of school social workers countywide. Social workers can address needs such as hunger, homelessness, violence, mental health, etc. that must be addressed before we can expect a student to learn.

Do you have any plans or policies that involve the University of Florida, and if so, explain.

I would love to see increased collaboration with UF in the way of mentors and volunteers. I would also like to be partnerships with specific colleges to help develop new career and technical offerings in our middle and high schools.

What are your opinions on school choice and opening charter schools?

I like our small niche based charter schools in existence. They meet specific needs for students who may not have found success in our traditional public schools. I am not in favor of large non-local for profit charter schools moving here and taking a share of our public schools funding. School choice is a good program; unfortunately many  of our schools are already overcrowded so choices are limited.

What are your stances on current teacher pay?

Teachers definitely do not get paid enough, I am not sure if we can even put a price tag on what they are worth. I would love to increase their compensation. If you plan to implement raises, how would you go about it and would class sizes be affected? I would look to the budget as a whole for ways to look for additional funds. Utilizing school owned properties that are underused for other country purposes may generate funds. I would also explore duplication of services or job titles that can help trim the budget.

What are your views on high-stakes testing?

I do not agree with the high stakes placed on the backs of our children. They should not carry the burden of a test score affecting their teachers and schools the way they do. I would support a reduction in the testing and the pressure it puts on everyone (Parents included!)

Share your stance on basing teacher pay off of performance reviews.

What is an example of a policy or issue you have changed your view on in the last 20 years?

Disproportionate discipline and changing the mindset of a community. I have seen how this mindset changed worked to reduce the number of school suspensions at Howard Bishop Middle School.

Do you support voting on college campuses?

Yes.

The campaign

Is there anything you want us to know about your opponent(s)?

No, my campaign is based on my desire to serve the school system for the betterment of my children and all the 28,000+ students in our schools. My running for this seat has nothing to do with my opponents. I am staying focused on spreading a positive message about myself and not a negative one about them.

Why should voters vote for you?

I am a voice for parents and students with a fresh perspective and different point of view. I am the only candidate (or current board member) that actually have children still in school. I think I can represent the people who elect me by listening to the concerns and thoughts of others.

Miscellaneous

What type of student were you in college?

I went to college in my hometown so I did not have the opportunity to be a “go away  to college” student. I would have liked to. I was always a hard worker and enjoyed school. I loved the social aspect of it as well!

What is the last music concert you saw?

Taylor Swift with my 7-year-old daughter

Who is your political hero? Why?

I don’t know that I have a political hero. Teddy Roosevelt was pretty cool though.

What is the best advice you have ever gotten?

That you can only control your own actions in life, you cannot control what others will say or do. You are responsible for how you react to them. Treat people the way you want to be treated.