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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency Services, Oct. 1 ... Our View: School district facility fees should be reasonable ... Jordan Cove LNG opponents vow to take fight to governor's office ... Emergency Services, Oct. 1 ... Our View: School district facility fees should be reasonable ... Jordan Cove LNG opponents vow to take fight to governor's office ... EDUCATION Four candidates run for two Eagle Point School Board slots Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 29, 2015 at 6:10 PM Updated Apr 29, 2015 at 6:14 PM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 29, 2015 at 6:10 PM Updated Apr 29, 2015 at 6:14 PM » Social News Four candidates will compete for two positions on the Eagle Point School Board in the May 19 district election. Ballots are expected to be mailed out Friday. Current board members Ted Dole and Mary Ann Olsen are not seeking re-election, leaving Jackson County Security’s Chief Operations Officer Jason Libby to challenge pediatric physical therapist Ana Mannenbach for Position 1 and stay-at-home mom and small business owner Nita Lundberg to challenge retired police officer Terry Marks for Position 4. Libby said his twin brother, Don Libby, a candidate for the Medford School Board, encouraged him to run for the Eagle Point School Board. Of his four, school-age children, three attend Table Rock Elementary in White City and one attends Jefferson Elementary School in Medford. Libby, a 2002 South Medford High School graduate, admitted that he would rather have run for the Medford School Board, has not been attending Eagle Point School Board meetings and is “inexperienced" but said he hopes to learn as he goes. He said he's passionate about student safety, feels that teachers are underpaid and administrators are overpaid, dislikes Common Core State Standards and would like to see the district hire more staff to help out in the classrooms, specifically in special education classes, and to monitor the campuses. “I’m going off what I've heard from teachers in the district and that’s what’s fueling my urge to get involved,” he said. “Student safety, teachers’ pay, administrators’ pay — those are the things I’m going to hang my hat on,” he added. His opponent, Mannenbach, has a doctorate of physical therapy from Eastern Washington University and has served on the district’s budget committee, as well as Eagle Point Parks and Recreation Commission and the Southern Oregon Head Start Board. According to the voters’ pamphlet, her primary objectives as a school board member would be to keep resources focused on students, support academic programs affecting student achievement, invite parent and community involvement in the schools, and support the district’s teachers, administrators and volunteers. “I decided to run for the School Board because I want to support the great work that has been occurring in our classrooms,” she said in the voters’ pamphlet. “School District 9 is an educational leader in Southern Oregon and I will dedicate my time to making that a long-term reality.” Mannenbach did not respond to phone calls from the Mail Tribune Tuesday and Wednesday. Like Libby, school safety was a top priority for Position 4 candidates Lundberg and Marks who both served on the Eagle Point Weapons Safety Committee. Lundberg said she would like to see the district conduct regular assessments of its safety procedures and measures to ensure it is providing "the safest situation for children and families." Marks was displeased with the district’s decision last fall to remove language from its employee handbook that prohibits staff from bringing a gun to school. “If you’re not going to arm teachers and provide training, then why would we allow just anybody with a concealed handgun permit to carry?” he said. “By going silent, they are saying that anyone with $39 can carry and have absolutely no idea who that is.” Lundberg, a self-described “volunteer at heart” and a 1987 graduate of Eagle Point High School, has three children attending Eagle Rock Elementary and one at Eagle Point Middle School. She is a member of the district’s budget committee and a member of the Eagle Rock Elementary PTO and an Eagle Point Middle School volunteer. She also co-founded the Upper Rogue United Futbol Club with Phil Ortega. “I figure that if I want to see things happen then I better roll up my sleeves and make it happen,” she said. “And investing in my children’s education and the education of their peers will help create stronger members of the community and working on that is something I am honored to do.” If elected, Lundberg said, she’d like to strengthen the district’s communication practices, sponsor programs that increase the number of third-graders meeting or exceeding grade-level standards and promote digital learning. “I think we will see an increase in the number of kids wanting to learn if they are learning through methods they enjoy,” she said. Marks retired from the La Mesa, Calif., Police Department and moved to the area about 13 years ago. He is now Eagle Point High School’s assistant cross country and track coach. Describing himself as an “advocate of public education,” Marks said he is frustrated by the lack of “clear and reasoned thinking on the school board.” Not only was he displeased by the district’s decision regarding weapons in schools but also by some of its actions during the 2012 union members strike, particularly those referenced in a federal lawsuit filed by its employee union and the judge’s subsequent summary judgment against the district. As the parent of an Eagle Point High School and an Eagle Point Middle School student, Marks said, he’s frustrated that homework doesn't count toward a student’s grade and has issues with the way Common Core is being implemented. Marks also said there seems to be a breakdown in communication between teachers and district staff, and if elected, he would like to create a committee of teachers that would bring problems and issues before administrators. Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 29, 2015 at 6:10 PM Updated Apr 29, 2015 at 6:14 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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