Ashton Atlas

Role of a board member: A school board member’s role is to ensure that each student is receiving a quality education, not in a direct role as a teacher would, Atlas said, but by making sure the teachers are on the same page. It’s also to “ensure everyone has a fair chance.”

 

Time to give to board duties: Despite working both a full-time and a part time job, Atlas says she has “can devote as much time as needed,” to board duties. 

 

District connections: Her mother is employed as a paraprofessional in the district. 

 

Board meetings attended: Atlas has attended one in West Plains this year, but reports watching other board meetings online and attending board meetings of surrounding rural schools. 

 

Technology/AI in the classroom: Since she has grown up with tech, the internet, and AI, Atlas says she’s seen how these tools have been used by both students and professionals. “It can be beneficial, and it can be harmful when it’s doing all the work for a student.” She mentioned concerning impacts of AI and social media on reading comprehension and spelling. “It started out as auto-correct on your phone…and then you’re really not spelling words. That’s trickled into education.”

 

How to establish a culture that retains teachers and students: “It’s super important to be objective and not be biased by a personal preference. You have to be objective when you’re in a public leadership role on what is most beneficial to all people,” Atlas said. “The compassion aspect every situation is slightly different. There is nuance, no one-size-fits-all solution.”

 

For teachers, retention will hinge on bringing in people “who want to be there and are invested in the outcome of their work…Being a teacher is a hard, thankless job,” she said, and hiring people who are committed to results and have ties to the area will promote a retention culture. 

 

Role of social issues in a school board election: “These are issues that seem to be at the forefront of everyday life,” Atlas said. “It would be doing a disservice to say that it’s not important at all. At the same time, it’s not directly applicable in a lot of areas.”

 

“Each family is different. Families are their own experts…and that applies. Every household operates how it works best for them.”

 

“To be transparent, the news from November didn’t really sit right with me, and I felt like there needed to be change. My lived experience and my professional experience directly contradicted newsworthy opinions, so that did inspire me to look into running,” Atlas said. “I wouldn’t say I’m running in opposition to any particular candidate.”

 

If you can get even one differing opinion on a school board, she said, then the board is increasing the number of lives it can impact.

 

Any board action she would change: Atlas said she did not “feel equipped” to answer. 

 

What skills would help you manage a new superintendent: She described her financial perspective which she described as “different” from other candidates because she grew up below the poverty line, and “knows how to make a little bit stretch a long ways.” Atlas said she thinks having the perspective of someone who was raised without wealth on the school board when they discuss the management of millions in taxpayer funds will be beneficial. 

 

Why do you want to serve in education? “I’ve always really wanted to be the person I needed when I was a kid,” she said, referencing childhood hardships. “Teachers spend a lot of time with kids. You spend as much time at school as you do sleeping at night. I decided not to go into education and have that direct classroom impact, but as a school board member, I can help every kid. I would also be supporting the teachers, the ones directly working with those kids.”