Posted: Monday, March 15, 2010 1:24 pm

Kevin Fisher

Name: Kevin Fisher
Occupation: Correctional officer
Education: MTSU and Trevecca Nazarene University
Campaign e-mail: kevinfishertennessee@yahoo.com

Why are you running?
I decided to enter this race out of a genuine concern for our young people. We have wonderful teachers in this area, great schools, and parents who wish to be more active in their child’s education.

The problem is, I don’t feel the Murfreesboro City School system utilizes every option to ensure each child gets a quality education, and I believe many parents feel stifled in their attempts to insert themselves actively in their child’s education. It shouldn’t be this way. Parents should have a much greater say both in where their children attend school and the curriculum they will learn from. In other words, I’m a firm believer in school choice.

Also, local news media outlets have repeatedly detailed wasteful expenditures on behalf of the current school board, from overnight accommodations at luxurious hotels for them and their spouses at taxpayer expense to full-course dining before meetings, again at taxpayer expense. Over and over, this current board has wasted taxpayer money frivolously. Yet there was little to no money for teacher raises and bonuses this year.

How can we expect to improve test scores in the classroom if we aren’t doing all we can to retain quality teachers for our children? How can we as a school system expect to recruit top teaching candidates if we can’t offer a competitive benefits package?

We need to cut excessive waste, control costs better and focus on ensuring each child gets a quality education. And we need to do more to retain our experienced teachers.

This current board as a collective body, respectfully, has shown themselves unable to do this. By adding someone such as myself, a fundamentally conservative person to the board, I believe we could do better.

What are the most pressing issue facing city schools and your possible solution?
There are so many difficult issues facing the school system today. Wasteful spending, excessive costs, rezoning; where do I start?

However, from fundamental standpoint, I would say parental involvement is the most pressing issue. I believe very strongly that parents should have a greater say both in where their children attend schools and what curriculum they are taught. I’m a firm believer in school choice, and I support school vouchers as a way to both control costs, alleviate overcrowding in classrooms and it would give parents more options to consider.

The bottom line, school vouchers would give children an opportunity they might not otherwise get. Numerous school districts are now implementing some aspect of school choice to address issues like cost, overcrowding in schools, and opportunity for kids. Why not us? Our goal should be to ensure every child has access to a quality education.

What would you do to improve areas in which MCS failed to meet No Child Left Behind benchmarks?
I would like to see us retain our more experienced teachers, and we should improve our benefits package so that we are attracting the best teacher candidates available.

I believe by doing this, we will go a long way towards reaching NCLB benchmarks.

Also, we have a wonderful ESP (extended school programs) program in place, and I’ve been a major supporter of ESP programs, though I would like to see a greater focus on tutoring in the program.

We have MTSU, a wonderful university that has an Early Childhood Education program.

Together, I would like to see a better utilization of these resources, focusing on tutoring and meeting the academic needs of our young people.

What is your position on the consolidation of Murfreesboro City with Rutherford County Schools?
I would support consolidation if we can show, definitively, that such a move would be both in the best interests of the child, and operate in a more cost effective manner. I believe it would do both.

Paying taxes to support two separate systems has gone on for far too long, and way too much taxpayer money is unable to be accounted for. Consolidation would ensure, to a large degree, better accountability and management of revenue. Therefore, I welcome consolidation.