Breckenridge mom cites first-hand knowledge in school board race

SUMMIT COUNTY — With two kids in elementary and middle school, Breckenridge resident Margaret Carlson wants to broaden her involvement and join the Summit School District board.

“I live this every day,” Carlson said. “I see what's going on daily basis in the schools. I think that combo is really important; I want to be involved.”

Carlson, who's run a small local business for 17 years, said her professional experience with budgeting and daily operations will lend itself to making board decisions for the community. The school board candidate also noted her involvement spanning five years with school district committees — two building accountability advisory committees and the district accountability advisory committee. She's also a member of the PTA.

Though Carlson has only attended one school board meeting in the past six months, she says she's ready to jump in feet-first because of her weekly involvement in other school committees.

“I've enjoyed all of my work (with the district) over the last several years, and I'd really like to take it to the next level,” she said. “I think it's very important that board members are involved, in touch and connected with the district. These are the people who are going to be making the decision that affect all of our kids. Outside perspective is valuable, but knowledge of the district is key.”

Carlson's vision

When asked to describe the superintendent's role, and how she thought the board should interact with and oversee the super, Carlson said: “Officially — the board advises Millie, and Millie supervises the staff. I think it's really important that they work together closely. For the most part, board members are not professional educators so they need to rely on significant input from professionals in the district.”

Carlson also noted that her vision for Summit schools is similar to what the district's mission already states — “To engage every student, every day, in intellectual, challenging and meaningful learning. ... I'd like to see growth and progress every year. Of course that means higher CSAP scores, closing the achievement gap, better use of technology, becoming closer to being culturally proficient. But what it really comes down to is taking care of the students' needs.”

Even so, Carlson said she doesn't think much change is necessary in the district, only a little patience.

“The district has taken on many lofty goals — closing the achievement gap, IB, cultural proficiency,” she said. “We need time to let all of these things work.”

The school board candidate also said she's a big supporter of the IB program, especially at the elementary school level.

“IB is a framework for teaching,” she said. “But it gets a little more confusing and controversial at the high school level. It's a way of looking at learning that connects ideas between different subjects, and it makes us all think a little deeper about difficult subjects.”

If Carlson is elected to the school board, she said she hopes to follow through on work the district has already taken on.

“There's a lot of hard work to be done if we're going to try and accomplish these goals in a meaningful, thoughtful manner,” she said, adding that she will be approachable and accessible to the community. And to be more inclusive with Summit County residents, Carlson said she'd be willing to start a blog to communicate about school board topics if she was elected.

And, according to Carlson, the district has a responsibility to all children, whether they're English-language learners, gifted students, or pursuing non-academic areas like culinary skills or trades.

“I feel strongly that enrichments would benefit many kids, not just the kids who have been labeled gifted or talented,” Carlson said. “Kids at either end of the spectrum get a little more attention than kids who are in the middle of the academic spectrum. I don't want middle kids overlooked. If we really want to offer intellectually challenging learning, then enrichments and special programs should be available to all students.”

For more information about Carlson, read her blog at www.margaret4boe.com.

Caitlin Row can be reached at (970) 668-4633 or at crow@summitdaily.com.