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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Keep Wiser on Spokane school board

Two positions on the Spokane Public Schools board are up for election. Board President Deanna Brower, who is running for a two-year term, is unopposed.

Four candidates are vying for Position No. 5, including Michael Wiser, who replaced Bob Douthitt, who resigned in January. It is a six-year term.

Wiser, 44, graduated from Lewis & Clark High School and got an undergraduate degree at the University of Washington in industrial engineering and a master’s degrees in engineering management and business administration from Northwestern University. He’s worked as an engineer and consultant. Currently he is vice president of strategic planning at CHAS Health.

Wiser has two school-age daughters and has volunteered in the schools. As a stay-at-home father, he started a group called Spokane Dads to connect with other fathers in the community. He is on the board of Franklin APPLE, where his youngest daughter goes to school. His wife is a physician.

Wiser believes the district is generally well-run, but wants to ensure that as many students as possible have a positive experience. He says resources should be allocated based on need. If a school would be better off with another counselor rather than an administrator, then so be it.

Among the challenges ahead, he spotlights the need for open communication as the district deals with the reconfiguration of schools caused by smaller class sizes and the need for more space. He touts the public input the board sought in deciding to shift sixth-graders into middle schools.

He would like to see closer partnerships with the health care field, given the number of students who come from challenging backgrounds, which can impede learning. He wants to ensure the district’s disciplinary practices are being implemented consistently from school to school.

Jennifer Thomas, 40, worked on Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ 2016 campaign, but felt a run for local office would better fit her passion for education. She says she reveres teachers, but doesn’t have the patience to be one herself. Her father was in the Air Force, so she moved a lot as a child before graduating from University High School. She has an associate’s degree in theology from Beacon University.

Thomas is the director of business development for the Jonah Project, a nonprofit that shines a spotlight on human trafficking. She is a member of the Spokane Human Rights Commission. She had a mortgage business that went under during the Great Recession, and her family “went from a Mercedes to the food bank,” as she put it. She is divorced and has four girls.

As a board member, she would want to advocate for children in disadvantaged settings, and points to the academic turnaround at Rogers High School as a model.

Jessica Yocom, 30, is an IT student at Spokane Falls Community College. She attended schools in Davenport, Creston and Medical Lake. She caucused for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and organized a local march to support him. She is a single mother.

Yocom stressed the issue of bullying and the need for schools to stand up for disadvantaged students. She says students come from varied backgrounds and don’t all learn the same, and the district needs to be attuned to issues of homelessness, mental illness, racism and sexual orientation. She would like to see more technology classes offered and wants girls to be encouraged to pursue science, math and technology careers.

Miranda Ackerman did not respond to calls for an interview with either the newsroom or the editorial board.

On education issues that often divide candidates, we didn’t detect much disagreement. Common Core was barely mentioned. They agreed that testing should be limited and not “high stakes.” Spokane’s charter schools are working well, and their expansion should fit a specific need without harming education overall. The candidates seemed fine with the leadership of Superintendent Shelley Redinger.

Wiser demonstrated greater knowledge about the many education challenges ahead. He has invested a lot of time volunteering at schools and has an impressive resume and work background. He brings important qualities to the board, and has earned our endorsement.