OAK HARBOR: Statement from School District Director Sharon Jensen

[Ed. Note: We invited political candidates in Island County to do interviews, including the three candidates for Oak Harbor School District Director, position 5. Only Will Smith recorded an interview; however, we received an email from the incumbent, Sharon Jensen. Mrs. Jensen, who suffered a bike injury on Jun. 18 and underwent surgery on Jun. 27, apologized for her delayed response. She provided the following statement, which she has been sending to constituents who contact her directly, and gave us permission to publish it here.]

The core principles of a school board, as documented by the WA State School District Association (WSSDA) is below. Please see page one (pdf pg 3 of 20)  of this link. Additionally these correlate directly with the OHPS School Board policy 1005 – “Key Functions of the Board” (which can be found here on the OHSD website). My priority would be to fulfill the role of a school board director to the best of my ability.

I originally applied for the vacancy created by Director Mann’s move out of the district because I was concerned about the divisive rhetoric within education (as seen on TV) and our family had an overall favorable experience within both the OH and Shoreline school districts.  I still believe in the importance of a strong public educational system and thought I could bring an open mind to the position and willingness to collaborate with the board as to policy updates and evaluation of the administration. Additionally, my business and accounting background allows me to more fully understand the budget, which the board approves annually.

All this said, much has changed since my girls graduated (most recently from HS in 2016) and within the culture. There is much to learn and be sensitive to. I am wanting to keep learning and strive toward protecting parents’ rights while at the same time, honoring and respecting the students. First and foremost, I would like to see our academics continue to improve and the behavior issues decrease.

We have a wonderful opportunity to continue to promote strong academics and seek to find solutions that are most favorable to the highest majority. The schools are an extremely important part of a child’s education, but family and other institutions and avenues play an integral part as well. My hope is that the School Board experience that I’ve gained since January will position me to continue to be an inquisitive voice of reason, and a team player as we strive to work as #oneOakHarbor on behalf of students and families.

Thank you for your questions and deliberation in the voting process. I hope to earn your vote of confidence.

Sharon Jensen