Springfield school board: Candidates explain why they ran, plans to improve SPS if elected

In neighborhoods across Springfield, it is common to see campaign signs for school board candidates Judy Brunner and Shurita Thomas-Tate in one yard and Chad Rollins and Landon McCarter in the next.

They may share yard space and many of the same supporters but the candidates are not running in pairs. Each one has a distinct story about why they entered the race, what they will bring to the board table, and how they plan to improve Springfield Public Schools if elected.

Brunner spent decades inside Springfield schools as a teacher, principal and administrator. She co-owns a business centered on school safety.

Raised in a family of educators, McCarter is an entrepreneur who runs a digital ad agency with a local footprint and a national reach.

Rollins is a pharmacist and fitness advocate who wants to encourage "personal excellence" in SPS. His spends his off time raising money for children's charities.

A speech language pathologist, Thomas-Tate teaches college students about language development and disorders. Her nonprofit focuses on childhood literacy.

On April 4, voters who live within the school district boundaries — which extends beyond the city limits into parts of unincorporated Greene County — will be asked to vote for two of the four candidates.

They will also, on the same ballot, decide the fate of a $220 million bond issue to rebuild Pipkin and Reed, remodel and reconfigure Pershing, add elementary storm shelters, and enhance safety features in all buildings. If approved, the bond will add to district debt but not alter tax levy rates for property owners.

The two candidates with the most votes will be sworn in April 11 to serve a three-year term on the seven-member governing body. It sets policy, approves a budget, and hires and evaluates Superintendent Grenita Lathan, who is in her second year.

Board president Denise Fredrick, first elected in 2011, is the only veteran member of the current board. She opted not to run again and will step off next month.

The other six board members — Kelly Byrne, Scott Crise, Danielle Kincaid, Maryam Mohammadkhani, Steve Makoski and Thomas-Tate — are all serving their first terms. Thomas-Tate is seeking a second term.

This spring, the new board will quickly face decisions about next year's budget, the first spending plan shaped by a new strategic plan.

Their decisions will help the district address teacher and support staff shortages, raise student achievement levels, and better support at-risk students.

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Brunner, McCarter and Rollins grew up in Springfield. They graduated from the district and their children and, in Brunner's case, grandchildren too, have been SPS students.

Thomas-Tate, a Springfieldian by choice, moved to the city for work. She has been a foster parent.

They've spent months knocking on doors; meeting with teachers, parents and taxpayers, and answering questions in interviews, meet-and-greets, and forums.

Judy Brunner

Brunner, a lifelong educator who initially retired from SPS in 2006, said she is running because this is a "pivotal time" for public education and the state's largest district.

"I've lived in the school district my whole life, I'm an SPS graduate, my husband and I actually met at Glendale High School. I had the privilege, the true privilege, of serving in a variety of capacities," she said. "After discussions with my family, we collectively decided that the time was right for me to turn the passion that I have for education and for students in R-12 to make an impact."

She started her career as a special education teacher at Parkview High School before serving as assistant principal at Pershing, a K-8 building. She was principal at Wilder Elementary, Reed Middle School and then Parkview, where she implemented new school safety measures.

In 2019, the district asked Brunner to return, part-time, as the interim lead principal at Central High School, which she did for two years. She stayed on, working part-time for the district, in different leadership roles including at the Study Alternative Center.

"Experience matters. Perspective matters, in terms of coming at this (role) from a variety of different angles. Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I push myself and am constantly looking for ways to get better," she said. "I have remained current in the educational community but I've not become stagnant."

Working at Central during the pandemic, she adopted the mantra "work the problem" to collaborate, get creative and fix any issue that crops up.

"We were faced with some realities that we had never even considered," she said. "That is the way I face life, I work the problem."

Brunner, who has three degrees from Missouri State, said she was fortunate to grow up in a family where education and hard work were prized. She knows not all students have that upbringing and may need extra support.

In 2000, Brunner co-founded Edu-Safe, a school safety training company, with the former director of the SPS police force. Training ranges from crisis planning to the best ways to prevent or stop bullying.

She is also part-owner in a business called Instructional Solutions Group, which provides training to districts across the U.S. on academic engagement, literacy, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development.

"I've written a number of books on the topic of school safety as well as literacy. And at last count, I believe I've had nine books related to study skills and reading," she said.

In forums and interviews, Brunner has touted a three-pillar plan that she wants to see implemented, if elected. The first is safe schools.

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The second is getting families more engaged in the educational process. She said schools must listen and respect what they want. "They love their children, they want the best for their children and the school."

The final pillar is supporting educators. "When I talk about educators, I'm talking about everyone that works in a school. We're all educators, whether you're a cook or custodian or a maintenance worker, or an administrative assistant, or the teacher in the classroom, or the principal down the hall. We all have a stake in what we're doing. And we all teach in a variety of ways we lead and teach by example."

Brunner, 70, said with her, voters know what they're getting because she has a long track record.

"The pillars of school safety, engaging families and supporting educators. Anyone that has known me over the years would agree and recognize that that's how I've lived my life, certainly my professional life," Brunner said. "And that's what they can expect from me in terms of a school board member."

Landon McCarter

McCarter said he was inspired to run because he cares deeply about SPS, where he graduated and his children now go, and the example set by his educator parents.

His father, Larry, taught math for 30 years in SPS and 11 years at Ozarks Technical Community College. His mother, Connie, was a frequent school volunteer who spent 13 years as a teacher's assistant.

"I want to support and serve the students of Springfield but, almost more importantly, support the teachers of our community, specifically Springfield Public Schools because I was raised by them and I love them and I care deeply about the educational system in Springfield," he said.

He said, on his campaign website: "I was raised by teachers and have a strong appreciation for the work they do. I also value the Christian, conservative foundation of our community and plan to represent that voice on the school board."

In 2003, McCarter won a basketball state championship at Kickapoo High School — alongside teammate and friend Byrne, now a board member — and then went to Missouri State University, where he earned a degree in marketing.

McCarter, 38, is an entrepreneur and real estate developer. He is co-founder of Secret Agent Marketing, which has 40 local employees and a national reach.

"I've been lucky enough to be very successful as a businessman in Springfield. And I love Springfield, Missouri. It is the best place in the world to raise a family," he said. "You get to a certain point in life, where you really have to be answering the question, what are you going to do to give back to the community that's given you so much?"

He said running for school board was a "no-brainer" because of his father's legacy, his experiences as a student and his children are currently enrolled.

If elected, McCarter said his top priority is improving academic achievement, which he believes can be achieved in part by reducing distractions. He said more needs to be done to address discipline issues.

"Distractions in the classroom are taking teachers bandwidth away from teaching the basics," he said. "Teachers are being asked these days to be a teacher, but also a social worker and a police officer."

He added the more time teachers deal with distractions, the "less time that they have to teach the subject and get the students prepared for the next step in life, or step in school."

More:At PTA forum, SPS board candidates talk about 'role of parents in decision-making'

McCarter said distractions, including what he described as political agendas, have led to a drop in the percentage of students scoring at or above grade level in reading and math. He wants to improve academic rigor.

"My main goal is to really try to protect the classroom integrity, and protect the classroom bandwidth and make sure that these teachers are supported with the tools and support that they need," he said.

In his professional life, McCarter said he has experience "winning with a team."

"I am very comfortable working with six other individuals to create opportunities that are best for our teachers that our kids and I have proven that over and over again in business," he said.

McCarter said despite having a long history with the district, he can offer a fresh view.

"By having kids in the system, I have views into the system but I haven't been a part of the system. And that's a good thing," McCarter said. "I'm going to be bringing a new perspective, an entrepreneurial problem solving perspective."

Chad Rollins

Rollins, pharmacist and facility director with HealthDirect Pharmacy Services, said he was inspired to run and give back to SPS after changing his own life.

"The last four or five years, since I turned 40, I was really going down a path of becoming more healthy and fit. That turned into doing a lot of fundraisers for kids through fitness, and just building myself up and building my own personal excellence and trying to become a better person, for my own family, and for my wife and my kids," he said.

"I decided it was time to do something more and, and I figured this would be a good opportunity to give back to my community and just serve the public and really benefit kids in our area and see what I could do here to help."

The fitness advocate who believes in pursuing "personal excellence," qualified and competed in the 14th season of American Ninja Warrior. His run did not appear on the NBC show.

Rollins, who has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Missouri State University and doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has seven children and has been an SPS parent for more than a dozen years. His children range in age from 7-20.

"Having the kids in the system and having skin in the game and with my professional experience and the experience I've had with raising up young adults and, and kids and outside of my family, I've proven time over and over again that I've been able to take people from all kinds of different backgrounds and make them better people," he said.

He wants to create a positive culture and outlook in the district and ensure that students have a good enviroment where they can learn.

"I just want to do the best I can to help bring others up help with their personal development. I'm really wanting to help children and support the teachers as well," said Rollins, 46. "My platforn is just to be a support for the students, for the teachers, and then be a voice for parents."

Asked about leadership experience, Rollins said he served on the board of admissions at UMKC, and was involved with the interview process for applicants. He was also a leader in his fraternity at Missouri State.

"I do have that experience with bringing a lot of people, a lot of different views, together for one common goal," he said.

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Rollins said he received a great education in SPS and was prepared enough to obtain a pharmacy degree and find success professionally.

"We still have a pretty good public school system where parents feel that they can send their kids to public school, whereas maybe some other districts in larger cities, they've had issues where you don't feel safe sending your kids to public school," he said. "... All the issues we have can easily be turned around."

He said improving test scores, student discipline and teacher retention are top priorities.

"When I talked to teachers, what they told me is that the distractions and the behaviors in the classroom is what is swaying the teacher retention in the wrong direction. Several of them told me they didn't feel like they have the backing from administration when it came to behaviors," he said. "If somehow we could lower the classroom size, and still have enough teachers to do that, I think that would be a positive."

Shurita Thomas-Tate

Thomas-Tate, associate professor at Missouri State, said she is running for a second term because she wants to help all children succeed.

The Oregon native lived in Louisiana, Ohio, Michigan and Florida before moving to Springfield in 2011.

She has a doctorate in speech-language pathology and has used her expertise to help students, consult with teachers, conduct research and help districts address language, literacy and achievement gap needs.

"I fully understand the larger landscape of public education in a way that maybe no other candidate does and I have experience with very broad parts of our community, people with identities not like my own. I have advocated for students and parents and teachers who don't share my experiences and I think that's important," she said. "That includes my work in foster care, includes my work with the homeless, my work with literacy and the work I do in special education and advocacy."

Thomas-Tate, who is single, has worked with children as a foster parent and as a volunteer with her church and the Springfield NAACP. She founded the nonprofit Ujima Language and Literacy — in partnership with MSU, SPS, the library district, and a neighborhood center — to empower families and help children improve reading and writing skills.

"I have always been committed to community service and public service. I have always valued education, especially public education," she said. "This is evident in the way that I have lived my life and chosen my career and engaged in community."

She said there is a significant learning curve for new members and by running again, she wants to provide "a level of stability" to make sure the board functions effectively.

"There is a movement in our state, and even in our city, against public education. It's important to have people on the board who fully support public education and want to see it succeed and not see it fail," she said, adding that public schools have the "power to transform lives and strengthen communities."

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Thomas-Tate, 49, said SPS must produce graduates who are engaged citizens and academically prepared for success in college and the workforce. She also wants them to feel safe and secure in school, and not just physically.

"I truly believe that healthy schools equal healthy communities," she said.

She said her experience living in other districts and working with students there gives her valuable insight and a different perspective.

She said improving academic achievement is a top priority but added the board should not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the district.

"The school board does have oversight over the superintendent, who is the person who has been given oversight over the district," she said. "We are providing oversight on the budget and the budget plays a huge role in what our superintendent is and is not able to do."

Thomas-Tate said other challengers in the race have referred to her as part of the status quo and "more of the same," even though she has only been on the board three years.

"If 'more of the same' means more supportive of all students, more supportive of public education, more supportive of of excellence, then yes I am more of the same," she said. "Every single teacher and administrator is in this for the public good of our community and for the success of individual students, every one of them. We need greater support from our community, we need greater support from the state and we need greater support for public education for us to succeed."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Board candidates on why they ran, how they will improve SPS if elected