Louse Jackson, newly elected CCS school board member

Why did you decide to run for the CCS School Board?

I have two children in Carmel schools. I have already been volunteering in my childrens’ schools, mentoring and coaching young people and partnering with school leaders. As I’ve been working with our students I know they are our future teachers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc. and I want to be a part of setting them up for continued success. Being a part of the school board would allow me to continue supporting our community and teachers and bringing a unique skill set and perspective to our district’s governing body.

What interests you about being a part of the school board?

What interests me is continuing to understand what our students, parents and educators believe we need to better support them and remain a wonderful school community. I am interested in how we can continually evolve to proactively set all students up for success (during COVID-19 and beyond) and ensure our school environment is inclusive and welcoming of all students and educators. I would love to ensure our programming meets each student where they are, helps them grow in the areas they are passionate about and enables improvement where necessary to accommodate a smooth transition into a trade or college program of choice. I want to help ensure our teachers feel appreciated and set up to do their best work. I also want to celebrate innovative educators who help Carmel lead the way. I truly desire to assist our Carmel schools in not only being best-in-class in Indiana but the best school district across the globe in innovation, academics and school culture.

What is the process to run for the school board?

In order to run for school board you must gain signatures from registered voters who support your candidacy and submit your completed paperwork to the Hamilton County Clerk’s Office. You must be a registered voter. One must also understand and clearly articulate to the community why they are passionate about serving on the board and work hard to build a campaign that informs the public of why she/he would be the best candidate for the job!

Katie Browning, newly re-elected CCS school board member

Why did you decide to run for re-election?

 I am very proud of what we accomplished together in my first term and felt that I could contribute to future successes in Carmel Schools. 

 What does the Carmel school board do?

As a team, the Carmel School Board sets the vision and goals for CCS, adopts policies that give the district direction to set priorities and achieve its goals, hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts and oversees the annual budget, manages the collective bargaining process for CCS employee groups and works directly with legislators to support the CCS community.

How do school board meetings work?

 We have two regularly scheduled meetings a month. One is primarily to conduct business. We approve financials (payroll, etc.). We review/vote on policy recommendations and other items that are going on with our school buildings. We will also hear updates regarding legislative issues, curriculum, HR, etc.  The other meeting is a workshop. This is an opportunity for Dr. Beresford and his team to present carrying topics to the board for review and discussion.

 What would you say to someone considering running for school board in the future?

I think it’s a meaningful way to serve our community. It is a long-term commitment that, at times, can be demanding both in time and emotions, so a sound support system is very important. If you have a heart for public education, our community, and our students’ and staff’s needs, we welcome you to run.