FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What motivated me to run for the School Board?

Do you have any children in the School System?

Do you have experience working with kids?

What are your views on the behavior issues at the middle school?

What are my views on Tiger Football?

What are my views on joining the Federal League?

What motivated me to run for the School Board?

As a Businessman with 27 years of Finance and business management experience I was startled to learn that we spend almost $58 million a year operating the Massillon schools. We spend more money per student than almost every other school system in the county. Yet while 80% of the schools in Ohio are rated Excellent or Proficient –Massillon Schools have only passed an average of 1/3 of their proficiency indicators over the last 4 years. That’s not a very good return on the taxpayer’s investment! Could you imagine taking that report card home to your parents … or tolerating a football coach with such a losing record? Why am I running for The Massillon Board of Education? Its time to realize that these statistics we keep reading about aren’t just numbers, they’re our children! Why am I running…I’m running for the kids!

FAQ

Do you have any children in the School System?

Recently, I was amazed to learn that I am the only candidate with kids currently in the Massillon School system. As a matter of fact, if elected I will be the only Board member with kids in our schools! Every day I hear first hand from my daughter what is going on in the middle school and at my son’s elementary school. I see first hand what kids face growing up in today’s world.

FAQ

Do you have experience working with kids?

In order to spend more quality time with my kids I have spent several years as a youth coach in the YMCA basketball program, Massillon Little league and Boys and Girls Club football league. I have met hundreds of our city’s kids and learned first hand about the difficult circumstances many of them live with everyday. I cringe at the lack of basic character skills so many of these kids lack. When did respect for your elders and manners go out of style?

FAQ

What are your views on the behavior issues at the middle school?

If a child isn’t taught respect for authority how can our teachers teach? If a child isn’t taught manners, respect for the people around them and property of others how can we trust them? If we don’t teach them about hard work, how will they succeed? As the only candidate with children in our schools and an active youth coach I understand what is necessary to bring out the best in our kids. Discipline, encouragement, hard work, punishment, rewards and respect are essential to every child’s learning process.
Its time to make the type of character development we learned as children part of the educational experience.

FAQ

What are my views on Tiger Football?

At the Boys and Girls Club Midget Football Banquet, I had the honor of receiving a plaque for my involvement as an asst. coach for the Massillon White coached by former Tiger, Bob Dunwiddy. I consider my experience with kids as a youth coach in football, baseball and basketball in the various leagues in Massillon the key factor in my decision to run for School Board. At the event, an active Booster Club member approached me with the knowledge that there were some people who were unfamiliar with my views about Tiger Football. Though I am a member of the Touchdown Club and close friends with many active football supporters, I understood the importance of his remarks.

WHERE I STAND...

A) For 18 years I have been a season ticket holder sitting in section 3 with my Father-in-Law, Tom Kimmins, a member of 3 State Title teams under Coach Mather and right in front of family friend Dewey Knight. I would say that I have become well versed in Tiger history and tradition.

B) I intend on taking lessons learned on the field about hard work, discipline and team work into the classrooms.

C) I believe Tiger Football and it's traditions are part of the fabric of our community and will fight to keep it strong and Independent. I realize that there are serious issues that need to be addressed concerning education and athletics in our district. If I wasn't confident that I could make a difference I wouldn't be running. To those who fear the effort it will take to get the job done, I would simply say, give me the ball. Then lead, follow or get the heck out of my way. Tigers don't quit when things get tough, they fight harder.

FAQ

What are my views on joining the Federal League?

Not being a current member of the School Board I am not privy to the inside story concerning this issue. Are there personal agendas we don’t know about? Is it an issue of effort on somebody’s part?

I can say that based on my research the main reasons for joining a league have less to do with Varsity Football than they do with all of our other athletic teams. It should be obvious that sending our kids out of the area on a 2 hour trip to play a soccer game on a school night doesn’t make sense. The very real impact on our school finances and our kid’s lives make it essential that we come up with some type of solution.

However, when we look at Tiger Football, the story is quite different. Anyone with a sense of our great tradition understands that we are different than the average H.S. team. I have been all across our country and had people bring up Tiger Football when they realized I was from Massillon.

Besides, many of the local programs don’t yet consistently compete on our level - nor have the facilities to host a program like ours. Subsequently, my opinion at this point is that we need to think outside the box. I refuse to believe that there are only one or two options. Perhaps we can join a league for all of our programs except Varsity Football? Again, not being elected yet I am basing my thoughts on personal opinion. My preference is that we find a way to maintain our independence and still be able to compete with some of our neighbors. When elected I will give this issue the attention it deserves and keep the fans up to date about any progress. Remember, I am not a politician-I am a highly trained businessman with connections throughout the county. I am running because the status quo is failing our kids. In today’s tough school funding environment I am sure that we can come up with a solution that makes sense for us and our neighbors.

FAQ