- District 1 Assembly
- Troy Wuyts-Smith
- Barbara 'Wáahlaal Gíidaak Blake
- Paul Kelly
- District 2 Assembly
- Kelly Fishler
- Michelle Bonnet Hale
- Mayor
- Beth Weldon
- School Board
- Kyle Scholl*
- Thom Buzard
- Will Muldoon*
- Ibn Bailey
- Aaron Spratt
- Elizabeth Siddon
- Amber Frommherz
Age
43
Family
I’ve been married to my wife, Amanda for almost 24 years. We have five sons, the oldest being 20 years old who serves in the Coast Guard. I have an 18 year old son who attends University of Alaska Southeast, doing diesel vocational training. I have a 16 year old high schooler and a seven and a four year old.
Politically, how do you identify?
I would identify myself as a conservative and minimalist in government.
How do you earn a living?
I’m a pastor at a local church.
What are some topics you’re an expert on?
I’d have to say, you know, I hope I’m an expert in theology, but also in constitutional rights, the understanding of the Constitution and the role of our government.
Why are you running for office?
I want to serve Juneau in this critical role. I don’t believe that our current mandates regarding COVID-19, especially the forced masking of our children as young as five are appropriate for the situation that we’re in. I believe I have the judgment skills to do well, to make the best decisions for our children and our students, regardless of the issue.
Education policy
What’s something in Juneau’s standardized test data that informs an education policy you want to implement or action you want to take?
Our students who fall behind in reading before third grade, it’s very difficult for them to catch up through high school. I believe that we need to use, especially the MAPs [Measures of Academic Progress] data to intervene with these kids who are not adequately progressing in math and reading, instead of the robust targeted interventions that we need. The district currently ignores them and passes all students on to the next grade in elementary and middle school.
COVID-19
What do you think of how the district has handled COVID-19 in schools so far? Would you like to change anything?
I believe parents make the best educational and health decisions for their children. Many countries do not require students to wear masks, and they have not seen an uptick in cases amongst children. The fact that COVID and flu account for less than 1% of pediatric deaths should inform our behavior and our requirements for our students and find a balanced response.
Working together
What’s your approach for dealing with colleagues you disagree with on a policy matter?
We have to recognize that our intentions, our goals are the same. We want to make the best decisions for our students to offer world-leading education. So whatever we might disagree upon, we can always find areas of agreement.
School involvement
What is your relationship to Juneau’s schools? Are you a parent?
I am a parent. I have two school-age children. I’m also a taxpayer and I feel that all people are eligible to run for all offices.
Serving Juneau
Which parts of Juneau do you think are underserved by the school district, and what will you do about it?
Right now, I think we’re all underserved by the Juneau School District. Our current policies in elementary and high school of passing kids on to the next grade, no matter what their academic proficiencies are, is a real failure of our system. Every single student deserves a robust public education and I will work on behalf of every student. Each one is the most precious person their parents have ever known.