Jeanne Reveal is a self-proclaimed conservative candidate for the Kenai School Board. She wants clear, financial transparency from the school district, along with robust support for parents who want to homeschool or utilize charter schooling options.

Reveal is running against Sarah Douthit for the District 2 seat on the school board. The election is Oct. 1.

She’s also a firm believer in schools focusing on core academics while avoiding divisive social issues.

Reveal is no educational bureaucrat. She’s spent most of her professional career in public safety, including as a school resource officer.

According to her online candidate profile, she is “deeply concerned about the KPBSD’s student performance ratings,” and wants to help the school district become more focused “streamlined and efficient.”

“We need to find ways to help the students gain enthusiasm in learning,” she stated. “It’s hard to keep the same dialogue going without seeing different results.”

Reveal noted that Kenai’s traditional public schools are losing ground to charter schools and homeschoolers, and it must become more competitive.

“Parental involvement is how we do that,” she added. “Parents need to have a say in how and what their children learn.”

In a recent radio interview on the Michael Dukes Show, Reveal spoke admiringly of homeschool students, and said she’s impressed by how well they perform in state testing. Likewise, she’s impressed by local charter schools, where parental involvement is higher, and test scores are better.

Reveal indicated that both of these options should be encouraged by the district. At the same time, traditional public schools need to focus on core academics, while streamlining their budgets to provide maximum attention on classrooms, teachers and students.

If the school district claims it needs more money, Reveal expects accountability. She told Dukes that it’s important to know how all school funds are being spent, and to make it transparent – and easily understood – for the public.

On the curriculum front, Reveal said parents should have a substantial input into the development and approval of any proposed changes.

“Sometimes the curriculum that comes down the pipe is garbage,” she said during the radio interview. “It’s frustrating for the teachers and the parents and students.”

One of the qualities Reveal appreciates about charter schools is that parents get to decide curriculum, and they are encouraged to be involved in the day-to-day running of schools.

When asked what separates her from her opponent – Sarah Douthit – Reveal claimed to be the more conservative candidate, who has a strong desire to do some serious digging into how the district spends public money.

“I’m just a little more assertive when it comes to digging,” she said.

TAKING ACTION

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