Incumbent Christie Goodenough will face challenger Lisa Zaborac for the Hoquiam School Board Position 5 seat in the November general election. Both fielded questions from the Daily World about their qualifications and why each believes they are the right choice for the job.
Why are you running for School Board?
Goodenough: “I am seeking re-election because I have enjoyed my time on the board for the last four years and feel like I am not done in my work for the Hoquiam School District. It is an exciting time for Hoquiam with our new superintendent and I love giving back to the district my children are a part of. Grizzly Pride runs deeps in our house!
Zaborac: “Although I have been very active with the schools, it is time to take the next step and do my part to help the community as a whole with service to the School Board. I believe a school board should be receptive to open communication from parents, school staff, students and the community.”
What has been your personal involvement with education in our community?
Goodenough: “I have three children in the Hoquiam School District, a daughter who is a freshman and twin boys who are in second grade at Lincoln Elementary. I worked in the district as a para educator for three years as a preschool assistant, a Title 1/Reading Assistant at Washington, and as a Math/Special Education assistant at the high school. I was also very involved in the Parent-Teacher Organization for about seven years. I’m a born and raised Grizzly as well!”
Zaborac: “I have volunteered in the class room for nine years. I have served on the PTO board of the elementary schools as president for two years and have been serving as president of the middle school Cub Club for the last year. Before moving to Hoquiam I also served in Spokane as secretary for my son’s elementary school. In addition I had the amazing opportunity to home school my boys for a year.”
What makes you stand out from your opponent?
Goodenough: “I have experience! There is SO MUCH to learn when you are on the School Board. I attended School Board meetings as well as met with the superintendent for about six months before I was elected. I have served as a legislative representative for our board as well as serving one year as vice chair and one year as chair of the board. I have worked on many projects while on the Board. Some of those projects include creating student representative positions for one junior and one senior to become non-voting members of the board. Their input has made a difference! A project I am very passionate about is our Wall of Distinction, which honors members of the community who have made a significant impact to our schools.”
Zaborac: “I am very passionate about the needs of the children in our community. I have the energy to push my sleeves up and get the work done. My husband grew up on the Harbor and we were very excited to have the opportunity to relocate our family here five years ago. I was raised in a military family and feel very strong about the importance of service to your country and community.”
What do you feel is the number one challenge facing our schools today?
Goodenough: “Honestly, I feel that the amount of testing the districts are required to do is incredibly ridiculous. Instead of teaching the child to pass the test, let’s teach the child in the best way possible for that child to excel. They can’t pass the test, but they made huge gains personally in reading, math, and/or science – let’s celebrate that! Academic excellence can look many different ways and can not always be seen through a test score.”
Zaborac: “It is all too easy to lose sight of what is really important, the children and their success not only during their school years but their ability to be successful and productive members of society. Here on the Harbor we have faced some tough times financially and as a community we know what we need to thrive. We need to improve access to technical training for our youth so they can compete, be it at the college level or in the workforce. We need to ensure our young people have the training needed to fill local positions and help our area grow. Too many times I hear the young people talking about getting out.”
What is a priority concern you might have regarding the district that has not been raised?
Goodenough: “One thing the general public is sometimes unaware of are the unfunded mandates that are handed down to the school districts. Many of the laws that are passed are good and needed, but the government doesn’t usually pass along the funds to pay for the new laws. This results in the districts having to take away money from other programs. The state claims that basic education is now fully funded, yet they are taking away other resources the districts use.”
Zaborac: “I was deeply affected by the tragedies involving our teenagers last year. I hope to work with the community to help those who are struggling to keep their heads above water. I want to know at the end of the day that I have done EVERYTHING I could to make the world a better place for the youth of my community.”
