Who I am
I am a husband, a father of two, a historian, and a teacher. One of my children attends KSD and will be in first grade in the fall; the other is in preschool. I have lived in the Tri-Cities for ten years and lived in Kennewick for the last seven. I am deeply gratified to work in and for the community as a historian of the Hanford Site, and to care for the physical history of Hanford through my work at the Hanford History Project at WSU Tri-Cities. I take the land-grant commitment to the residents of Washington seriously and I am committed to engaging students and the public with the many complexities of history. My core values are service, kindness, knowledge, and optimism. These are not my only values of course, but as my core they guide me in my personal and professional life.
I grew up in Alaska, my mother a teacher and my father an IT worker (in the early days of IT). My mother was a well-recognized teacher in her district. As a child, it was frustrating to have everyone know my mother and say such wonderful things about her (“because she’s not YOUR mother” I would think to myself). However, I came to realize how many lives my mother positively influenced, which in turn instilled in me a deep respect for the work public school teachers do. I also witnessed my mother’s tireless efforts dealing with different learning styles, and the endless hours she spent grading. My mother warned me against going into teaching, saying that while she didn’t regret it, she felt that the pay was not commensurate to the effort involved. She, like any parent, wanted success and financial stability for her son. Yet her passion sparked my interest in teaching—my initial career path was to go into teaching history in the high school—but I was steered into graduate school and decided to stay in academia as a teacher there. I treasure my position as Assistant Professor of History and am rewarded with a great sense of fulfillment through teaching. It’s this passion and love of teaching that drives my desire to be on the Kennewick School Board, to support the students, teachers/staff, and parents who make up the public school community.
Why I am running
While I am running against an incumbent, my candidacy is not in direct opposition to a specific individual, but rather because I believe my experience in and passion for education is needed in the Kennewick School Board. I also believe that ideological diversity is our strength, and that the consideration of different perspectives is crucial for sound decisions and policy. I will not bring my political beliefs or culture war battles to the board; rather, I acknowledge that I share a different ideological perspective than the incumbent, and that our students, teachers, and parents deserve a diversity of opinions and perspectives in their governing board. As a historian and educator, I am aware that school boards shape the learning environment and that students, teachers/staff, and parents look towards board members for support. For example, the Pasco school board battles of the late 1960s and early 1970s directly shaped the learning environment and support for the community. Through my work documenting this history I have come to appreciate the efforts of school board members, drawn from the community, to sacrifice their time and energy to support their community (this work is coming in digital format next year as a series of essays for the National Park Service).
I also know the impacts of boards disconnected from their role as public servants and stuck in ideological echo chambers. I was utterly dismayed at a recent board meeting to hear sentiments that lawmakers “shove policy down our throats”; that peer-reviewed research and best practices are “like bell-bottoms – fashion without substance, and changing with the whim of the times.” That research “comes in phases” and that “you can find studies that say whatever you want.” That the board is considering lobbyists without a background in education; the only qualification is that they meet an ideological priority. That the current board gave themselves an “A” in interpersonal board relations during their most recent self-assessment is no surprise—they seem to be in ideological lockstep. However, the fact that both candidates up for re-election are being challenged indicates that Kennewick residents think there are better options and are dissatisfied with the viewpoints and actions by their elected board members.
As a college professor I see the products of local education, and my desire to support students drives me to want to more actively contribute to the support and learning of every student in the Kennewick School District. That is why I am running.
How I envision my term
Should I win your support for position I will work productively with the other board members to maximize accessibility and resources for every student and for teachers/staff. I will keep a metaphorical open-door policy to parents, students, and teachers/staff and will work to translate sound ideas and feedback into best policy. I envision my term as one not of perfect, lock step decision making, but rather one where open communication, spirited debate, and best practices guide our decision-making and result in maximizing access and opportunity for students, parents, and teachers/staff. I believe my experience in education and my skills as a community-engaged historian prepare me to serve on the Kennewick School Board and I hope I can earn your vote.
I am a husband, a father of two, a historian, and a teacher. One of my children attends KSD and will be in first grade in the fall; the other is in preschool. I have lived in the Tri-Cities for ten years and lived in Kennewick for the last seven. I am deeply gratified to work in and for the community as a historian of the Hanford Site, and to care for the physical history of Hanford through my work at the Hanford History Project at WSU Tri-Cities. I take the land-grant commitment to the residents of Washington seriously and I am committed to engaging students and the public with the many complexities of history. My core values are service, kindness, knowledge, and optimism. These are not my only values of course, but as my core they guide me in my personal and professional life.
I grew up in Alaska, my mother a teacher and my father an IT worker (in the early days of IT). My mother was a well-recognized teacher in her district. As a child, it was frustrating to have everyone know my mother and say such wonderful things about her (“because she’s not YOUR mother” I would think to myself). However, I came to realize how many lives my mother positively influenced, which in turn instilled in me a deep respect for the work public school teachers do. I also witnessed my mother’s tireless efforts dealing with different learning styles, and the endless hours she spent grading. My mother warned me against going into teaching, saying that while she didn’t regret it, she felt that the pay was not commensurate to the effort involved. She, like any parent, wanted success and financial stability for her son. Yet her passion sparked my interest in teaching—my initial career path was to go into teaching history in the high school—but I was steered into graduate school and decided to stay in academia as a teacher there. I treasure my position as Assistant Professor of History and am rewarded with a great sense of fulfillment through teaching. It’s this passion and love of teaching that drives my desire to be on the Kennewick School Board, to support the students, teachers/staff, and parents who make up the public school community.
Why I am running
While I am running against an incumbent, my candidacy is not in direct opposition to a specific individual, but rather because I believe my experience in and passion for education is needed in the Kennewick School Board. I also believe that ideological diversity is our strength, and that the consideration of different perspectives is crucial for sound decisions and policy. I will not bring my political beliefs or culture war battles to the board; rather, I acknowledge that I share a different ideological perspective than the incumbent, and that our students, teachers, and parents deserve a diversity of opinions and perspectives in their governing board. As a historian and educator, I am aware that school boards shape the learning environment and that students, teachers/staff, and parents look towards board members for support. For example, the Pasco school board battles of the late 1960s and early 1970s directly shaped the learning environment and support for the community. Through my work documenting this history I have come to appreciate the efforts of school board members, drawn from the community, to sacrifice their time and energy to support their community (this work is coming in digital format next year as a series of essays for the National Park Service).
I also know the impacts of boards disconnected from their role as public servants and stuck in ideological echo chambers. I was utterly dismayed at a recent board meeting to hear sentiments that lawmakers “shove policy down our throats”; that peer-reviewed research and best practices are “like bell-bottoms – fashion without substance, and changing with the whim of the times.” That research “comes in phases” and that “you can find studies that say whatever you want.” That the board is considering lobbyists without a background in education; the only qualification is that they meet an ideological priority. That the current board gave themselves an “A” in interpersonal board relations during their most recent self-assessment is no surprise—they seem to be in ideological lockstep. However, the fact that both candidates up for re-election are being challenged indicates that Kennewick residents think there are better options and are dissatisfied with the viewpoints and actions by their elected board members.
As a college professor I see the products of local education, and my desire to support students drives me to want to more actively contribute to the support and learning of every student in the Kennewick School District. That is why I am running.
How I envision my term
Should I win your support for position I will work productively with the other board members to maximize accessibility and resources for every student and for teachers/staff. I will keep a metaphorical open-door policy to parents, students, and teachers/staff and will work to translate sound ideas and feedback into best policy. I envision my term as one not of perfect, lock step decision making, but rather one where open communication, spirited debate, and best practices guide our decision-making and result in maximizing access and opportunity for students, parents, and teachers/staff. I believe my experience in education and my skills as a community-engaged historian prepare me to serve on the Kennewick School Board and I hope I can earn your vote.
Sponsored by Robert Franklin for Kennewick School District, PO Box 3542, Pasco, WA 99302
