Christi Countryman
By Ashley McCarty
People’s Defender
Seven candidates are vying for the three procurable seats on the Adams County Board of Education this November.
Listed on the ballot for consideration are Tyler Cantrell, Christi Countryman, Justin Davis, Tiffany DeMint, Robin Lucas, Kevin Schoonover and Incumbent Gay Lynn Shipley.
Cantrell, of West Union, Ohio, admittedly never saw himself running for any positions.
“However, as a parent and member of our community, I saw a need to have fresh eyes and thoughts on how our school board operates. I knew that I have the skills and experience that could be an asset to the community so I decided to run,” said Cantrell.
Other than the “obvious COVID-19 issues,” Cantrell sees communication as one of the biggest issues affecting the district.
“While the staff, teachers, and parents are given some communication avenues it seems like none truly feel they are being listened to or that they have a good avenue of communication,” he said.
As a board member, he aspires to help transition the learning environment in the post-COVID-19 world with minimal effects on students and staff.
“Further, I want to promote more effective communication so that the staff, teachers, and public feel as though they are being heard and are informed of what is going on in their school system. I have been a strong supporter of our schools and programs for most of my life. I have lived and grown up in our community and know the special environment that we have here. I have the work and real-life experience and education to help our school system be the best in Southern Ohio,” said Cantrell.
Countryman, of Peebles, Ohio, said that her decision to run for the board was about service.
“Giving back to our community. I have a child that attends PHS, a granddaughter that attends NAES and another granddaughter that will be attending NAES. I also have two older daughters that attended PES and PHS. I have had children in our district for 26 years. I love our county and I believe that all the children in this community deserve the highest quality education that we can provide for them,” said Countryman.
In her opinion, there are several issues affecting the district.
“I would say the biggest is lack of real transparency, communication and leadership with the community and staff. I see children missing out on education and plans not being made or implemented to help them. I see teachers that have loved their jobs being overloaded and not supported in correct ways to truly help them in the long term. I see parents having the most difficult school schedules that they have ever had to deal with on top of education and transportation issues for their children,” said Countryman.
If elected, Countryman has many goals that she would implement as quickly as possible.
“We as a district and as all districts currently have access to large amounts of funding through the pandemic relief. In total ESSER funding, we have received $17.1 million. In addition, the decision was made by the current BOE to keep and move a prior millage which was promised to be returned. If elected, I promise to never raise your taxes without your vote to do so. This is the time to make things happen. My goal is to create multiple plans and implement them as quickly as possible. There is currently a three-year cap on the use of pandemic funds. We need an immediate plan to put and keep our children in the classrooms. We need plans to help our teachers and all staff. We need plans for long-term goals to ensure the success and future of our district. My goal is that we work together to create this,” said Countryman.
We need to come together, she said.
“Meaning the district, court system, children’s services and the community. I want to create the highest and broadest form of learning. I was to attract teachers and not lose good people to other districts. I want to evaluate the way that we spend so that we can increase salaries for the people who work and educate in our district,” said Countryman.
Countryman believes the community should vote for her because she believes in the county and has a vision for the district.
“I also strongly believe in transparency and communication. I have been in the real estate industry for 30 years. The largest part of my job is to analyze everything that is happening in markets that are affecting property values. School districts play a major role in that. Conversely, districts are affected by more than just education. They are affected by all the things happening in our market. Surprisingly, the market has thrived during the pandemic and people have found and created new ways to work. Education must evolve,” said Countryman.
Davis, of Peebles, made the decision to run for board because the county and community have always been great to him and this is a way he could give back.
“I believe our kids are the future and they need a voice that can be an advocate for all of them. Education is a huge part of our children’s lives and it will help them build a strong foundation for their future endeavors. In addition, I felt that our board and district needed another point of view; someone to represent the general taxpayer, all staff, and all students with no personal gain or benefit. I want to be here to help, listen, learn and make the best decisions possible for the district as a whole,” said Davis.
The district has pros and cons just like any other district, he said.
“We are fortunate to have an amazing staff that takes care of our students daily, but we need to make sure our staff has the tools and resources they need at all times. I think as a district we are reactive rather than proactive in several situations and we need to make our decisions in a more timely manner and stand behind those decisions. As a district, once decisions are made we need to inform the public of them, and share why those decisions were made. I believe being as transparent as possible and informing our entire community can only bring us together,” said Davis.
As a board member, Davis would like to have more direct and transparent lines of communication with the entire county.
“We need to cascade and share our information and decision making with the general public and taxpayer. I also feel we need to protect our students and all the staff that take care of our children. I want to make sure all of our staff have the tools and resources to be able to perform their jobs to their highest level so that our students are able to excel to their full potential. Our finances are extremely important and we need to make sure our money is being managed and used efficiently as possible. We need to get back to the basics, get on a budget and run our district like a business. But in doing so we need to remember why we started this business; which is to educate children,” said Davis.
We have wonderful schools and programs he would like to continue to grow, especially the Career and Technical Center by adding more programs and growth in the existing programs.
“I realize I’m not the normal candidate choice, I don’t have kids, I’m not in the educational field, and I’m younger than the rest of the candidates. But I still care about our youth, and my age and profession give me a different outlook on issues. I am not political and I believe that being a part of the school board should be educational and be focused in that manner. I will be the first to say that I don’t have the highest level of education and I won’t have all the answers; but I am always willing to listen, work hard and learn. I want to make financially sound and educationally directed decisions for our district. Once again, I know I don’t have children of my own and that adds a different candidate dynamic, but it just means I am here for all the students; I want everyone to succeed. I am able to be an unbiased ear to listen to all parents, guardians, staff, and students,” said Davis.
He will always welcome conversation, and wants to hear the communities likes as well their dislikes.
“I believe hearing from everyone can be extremely beneficial as a school board member. I want to be able to listen and process all topics and take them back to the board without the emotion involved and present issues and represent all sides of the spectrum. Our entire community needs to have a voice and I want to be able to help in doing so,” said Davis.
DeMint, of West Union, is a parent with three children who have only been enrolled in the district.
“I have watched over the years the mental, emotional and physical stress we have put on our students, teachers, bus drivers, administrators and parents. I simply cannot allow myself to sit back and let the students of Adams County be a number on a page within our own district. I’m devoting my time and energy to creating tangible changes. Our district’s mission statement is as follows: “Our mission is to reach excellence through continuous improvement.” Continuous improvement is identifying these four areas to reach excellence: a) Performance, b) Commitment, c) Strategy, d) Process. Yet, when I look at the evaluations of our district leaders’ goals and objectives, I am presented with none of these. How do we expect our teachers, administrators, and students to perform at a level of continuous improvement if one has not been defined? How do you as taxpayers know what your return on investment is if no strategies are identified and deliverables are not defined and monitored? The biggest issue is a lack of accountability,” said DeMint.
While she knows she would be one of five, and nothing happens overnight, her main goal is to set a clear long-term vision that is shared with the community.
“I want to help create an environment that is conducive to obtaining and retaining highly-skilled, experienced teachers. This includes providing adequate salary and wages as well as having adequate materials to teach our children. We need to build stronger bridges with our local government agencies and our youth outreach programs. A child doesn’t stop being a student when that last bell rings. Because of this, we need to engage our community leaders to invite different outreach programs throughout the whole district,” said DeMint.
Her roots are here in Adams County. She attended kindergarten at Jefferson in Blue Creek, Ohio, and then finished her education at WUE and WUHS.
“I have only left to obtain my bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University, but returned home once I graduated. Even though my career takes me 74 miles away, my roots have never been uprooted. To say I am invested in my community would be correct. The familiar statement, “it takes a village to raise a child,” rings loud and clear. As a parent, I want to be a voice for the village that is helping to raise our children,” said DeMint.
Lucas, of West Union, wants to run for the board because she feels she has skills and knowledge of the education system to help the board make wise decisions.
“I have 35 years of experience in education as a teacher, principal, district and administer. Also, I have a lot more learning to do, which I love,” she said.
For Lucas, the biggest issues affecting the district are COVID-19, attendance and funding.
“With this virus still growing and manifesting, it is a constant issue keeping kids in school. Studies show kids learn more when they are physically in a seat in the classroom with an excellent teacher, teaching. Attendance in schools has always been a problem. So parents, make sure your children don’t miss school unless they are truly sick. Our district strives to reach the 93 percent requirement on the Local Report Card. I know funding is always an issue with most school districts. Our district isn’t any different. The State and Federal government keep cutting funding each year,” said Lucas.
They take away public school funding to give to private schools which have children that would be in our public schools if there was no other choice, she said.
“However, the public school also loses per-pupil monies through the voucher system. Tax dollars from property taxes have been declared unconstitutional by the courts. However, there has not been a change in the funding formula to determine fairness in school funding to date. I want to help make sure our tax dollars are spent wisely,” said Lucas.
If elected, Lucas has three goals she would like to accomplish.
“First, I want everyone to be accountable for the job they have been hired to do for the district. Therefore, I want proof of their work turned in to the board on a monthly basis. My second goal will determine if the first goal is achieved. Our district should be making gains on the State’s Local Report Card. The LRC is mostly based on Achievement testing. These tests measure how well a student is accomplishing their grade level State curriculum goals. The test is a measurement for that day, the day they take that test. I say this because some students come to school with other issues on their minds the day of the test. We, as educators, can’t control what happens outside of the school. Yet, educators are held accountable by the State regardless of the child’s mindset, that day,” said Lucas.
Thirdly, Lucas wants to make sure our tax dollars are spent wisely.
“I want to work with the board members to make sure money is not being used in one area when it could benefit students by being used in another way,” she said.
She feels people should vote for her because she has worked many years trying to make sure children are getting the best education possible.
“We are Adams County. Our children deserve the same education as students in districts that don’t have to worry about where the money is spent. I am a lifelong citizen of Adams County and I will be till the day the good Lord calls me home. I am in this for the long run,” said Lucas.
Schoonover, of Peebles, has been a lifelong resident of Adams County for 51 years.
“[I’ve been] married 23 years and have two boys in Peebles schools; one in elementary and one in high school. I share the same concerns as everyone has in our district. I want to protect our kids and young adults from what’s trying to be pushed into schools and classrooms. I also believe the need for transparency and fiscal responsibility has to come back to the taxpayers and voters of Adams County. I want the parents, teachers, support staff — cooks and janitorial included — and bus drivers to know they have an ear and a voice on the board. I care about the direction of our school district,” said Schoonover.
One of the biggest issues for Schoonover is how to deal with COVID-19 in the classroom.
“This is causing a huge overload on our teachers along with an incredible burden on parents trying to deal with this. If elected as a board member I feel we’ll need to go back to the health department and get better answers. It has to start there to get a handle on this situation with students that are being mandated quarantined (this mandate is from the Adams County Health Department, not the school district) because of exposure. Teachers are on overload trying to keep up with their class and quarantined students from falling behind. Parents are being burdened by having to make special arrangements for their quarantined out-of-school kids,” said Schoonover.
This has to be addressed in a better way than our current health department policy is making our schools operate, he said.
“Our district has to start collecting better data on how the virus is really affecting the students that are quarantined (students that actually contract the virus versus those that don’t after they are mandated long quarantined timeframes after exposure to the virus). These numbers can give us answers to a lot of questions if the quarantine timeframes are really effective or just adding unnecessary workloads to our teachers, school staff and parents. I believe parents know what’s best for the kids and I know teachers want to teach students. Let’s use collected data to see what works and what doesn’t. Let’s educate ourselves with information, not guesswork,” said Schoonover.
Schoonover believes the board sets the mission statement for the entire school district.
“I believe the mission statement should be excellence! Everything we do let’s do it with excellence! One of my goals is to bring back the focus of the board on our kids and young adults by giving them everything they need to succeed. I will hear and include the teachers, aides, support staff (cooks and janitorial included) and bus drivers. They are the leaders bringing our students to the next level and their brightest future. I want their input and let them know I’m listening! I will bring transparency back to the voter. No more discussions and decisions without the voter’s availability to be included in what’s going on in our school district. I will represent the people,” said Schoonover.
Schoonover is a conservative and will “fight to protect students from the crazy things that are trying to be brought and pushed into the schools and classrooms.”
“I bring proven leadership that can lead our district in common sense decisions and to excellence. I own a successful business here in Adams County and have over 23 years in the real estate business. I can get things done. I’m not a yes man or afraid to challenge things and bring a common-sense look into the board room. I can work across the table. I hear our teachers and parents. They need our support! I will bring transparency and fiscal responsibility back to the voters of Adam’s County,” said Schoonover.
Incumbent Gay Lynn Shipley, of Winchester, Ohio, chose to run for reelection for others.
“I have been asked by several community members to run for reelection. I am committed to serving the students, parents, teachers and staff of the ACOVSD. The votes that I cast on setting district policy, planning student services, goal setting and long-range planning, adopting curriculum, establishing budgets, and engaging parents will always be made in the best interest of our students. I am a lifelong farm resident of Adams County. My husband Robbie of 35 years, my three adult children (Kayla, Wylie, Tanner) and I are all graduates of North Adams High School. I want to give back to the community by serving the district that has given so much to me,” said Shipley.
For Shipley, one of the biggest issues affecting the district is keeping students safe and healthy at school.
“COVID-19 has presented us with many challenges that have made life difficult for our students, parents, staff and community. It is so important for us to work together as a team to problem solve and support the efforts of our schools. Even though we may have different ideas of how we should approach our challenges, we should listen to all sides so that we can come up with a workable solution that is student-centered. COVID is a serious issue that will be with us from here forward. I appreciate the resilience of teachers and staff who have been willing to go above and beyond their typical job. The commitment to our students and community make me proud to be a part of this system,” said Shipley.
In addition to COVID-19, there is the concern of students who have fallen behind due to the disruption in learning during the 20-21 school year. Many students are not on grade level, she said.
“We must provide the support and resources to get those students caught up to where they need to be. The mental health of our students is another area of high need in our district. The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) process and procedures were introduced to the high school staff at the beginning of this school year. This system helps teams engage all students across the full range of learning needs. Another wonderful support piece would be the mental health services that are being offered through the Adams County Health Department and the University of Cincinnati. Our elementary buildings are highly engaged in the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. Many of our buildings have received significant awards in this area,” said Shipley.
Two other issues in our county are the lack of jobs for graduating seniors and access to dependable internet connection.
“The district needs to work with local government and economic development to bring opportunities to the students and families of our community,” she said.
Shipley believes in teamwork and values the knowledge and expertise of the other board members.
“One of the goals that I would like to see continued and expanded is the GRIT (Growing Rural Independence Together) project which is a process used to assess and coach our high school sophomores to help them discover a career that is matched to their skills, interests and aptitudes. Through the GRIT funding, support personnel need to be put in place to make this a seamless process. This summer we were able to offer a program at the OVCTC with over 25 students gaining an industry credential and some were able to earn the points to help them meet their graduation requirements. It is important that students leave high school with a career plan. I would like to see all of our high school students graduate with an industry credential. I have contacts through the GRIT program that can/will support this initiative,” said Shipley.
Another goal would be to expand the programs offered at the CTC, she said.
“We need to offer programs that produce workers for in-demand jobs such as HVAC, Plumbing, Cyber Technology, Drone Technology and the list could go on and on. It is very important that we think outside of the box and believe that we can offer unique programs for our county to excel and for which we can recruit high-quality staff and students,” said Shipley.
They must continue to attract and hire excellent teachers, staff and administrators to the district.
“In my current role in higher education and teacher training, I believe it is critical to form strong university partnerships with school districts. It is important to provide an environment where currently practicing teachers can act as mentors to preservice teachers as they learn in our district while providing an extra hand in the classroom,” said Shipley.
Shipley will be presenting two sessions at the Ohio School Board Association Conference in Columbus on November 8-9 where the district will be sharing their success stories regarding university partnerships and the GRIT project.
“I am currently the student liaison for the school board and I plan to have students and staff recognized at all of the upcoming board meetings. We have many great things happening in our schools and we need to flood our county with positivity. It is so important to celebrate the successes of our students and staff,” said Shipley.
According to Shipley, she brings the experience of serving on the board for one term and has been able to govern during a very difficult time.
“I have over 35 years of experience in education as a student, parent, teacher, supervisor, professor and now as the Assistant Dean in the School of Education at Shawnee State University. I attended Southern State Community College. I earned a Bachelor of Arts, in Elementary Education from Wilmington College and a Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Dayton. I have taught at the 6th-grade level and special education grades 9-12. I have been a special education supervisor, director of preschool programs, and curriculum director. I have written many grants and implemented many new initiatives at the state and local levels,” said Shipley.
At the university level, she has taught in the Middle Childhood and AYA programs.
“Accreditation, program development, curriculum planning and student-teacher placement/supervision were also part of the university position. I am a state trainer for the Ohio Department of Education in the Resident Educator Program and I have served on numerous state committees. I am knowledgeable of the resources in Adams County and I am on the Leadership Adams Board. It is important to have people on the school board that know and understand the intricate functions of a school system and are able to view those issues in education from a variety of roles and perspectives,” said Shipley.
