MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Sara Anderson, a WVU Professor at the College of Education, wants to bring her knowledge to the Monongalia County Board of Education.
“It felt like the right time to step up and give back and contribute my expertise to the school board,” she said.
“That’s really where my background, interest and expertise is. In addition to having two kids in the school. For me, it was a real natural fit.”
Anderson, a PhD in Child Development, said she wants to create a better school system for her two children currently attending Mountain View Elementary.
One way to do that, she said, is to continue improving compensation for school personnel.
“We are competitive relatively speaking, but we’re also on the Pennsylvania border,” she said. “And we know that teachers can travel 10 or 15 miles to work elsewhere. I would like to see additional resources and attention paid to the compensation package of our teachers and staff in the county.”
Anderson said, if elected, she’s looking forward to the unique challenge that being on a Board of Education represents.
“It is not about day-to-day management,” she said. “It is about broad strategy, funding, and overseeing the whole district.”
Vision is another important plank in the Anderson campaign. She said, whether you have children in the school system or not, Monongalia County schools are representative of what type of community residents want to build.
“We are as good as our schools,” she said. “So, our kids are going to graduate from Mon County schools. We want to make sure that they are well prepared to enter the work force, to contribute to Mon County, to want to stay in Mon County, and give back.
We should care about our schools because a vote for school board member is going to mean that you have a vision for what you want the schools to be.”
Anderson also said she’d like to see an additional focus on healthy eating inside schools, especially considering the number of students who participate in meal programs.
“I’ve heard about some great salad bars in some of our schools,” she said. “I’d love to see more of that so the kids have those alternatives and the opportunity to have their fruits and vegetables.
It sets a great pattern for a lifetime of health.”
This story is the third in a series of stories about the Board of Education candidates, who are appearing on Morgantown AM in the run up to the May 8 election.
We previously interviewed Matthew Kirby, Melanie Rogers, and Gary Drvar.