Josh Hawley and John McHargue, (Courtesy)
GRAND ISLAND – Two people are competing for a spot on Grand Island Public Schools’ Board of Education, Ward C.
They are incumbent Josh Hawley and challenger John McHargue. Chaperone, a political action committee, endorses McHargue.
Three questions were sent to each candidate. Their responses, listed alphabetically by candidate, are:
Josh Hawley
1. Why are you running for office?
I am running for re-election as I believe our constituents deserve unbiased representation at the local school board level. They deserve people who want to make a difference, are up to the task and lead with a servant mindset. GIPS represents around 10,000 students and the entire community of Grand Island. Although not an Islander by birth, I remain an Islander by choice. I am a true independent candidate.
I moved to GI over eight years ago. Growing up as a military kid, I never really called anywhere home until Grand Island. I want to continue giving back to the community that has given me so much. I have sent all of my kids through GIPS. Being involved at this level gives me the opportunity to see the day to day struggles that our administration, teachers and families endure, and allows me to be part of the solution for helping shape our direction as a district for years to come.
2. What are the top three issues you would face in office?
In my opinion, the teacher shortage is on everyone’s mind. This is a big issue, not just in Grand Island, or Nebraska…but nationwide. Finding high quality teachers to fill the vacancies in our district is a tough job. I know our administration staff works hard to overcome these challenges each year. Having a seat at the table to bring ideas around negotiations, or attracting new talent, is a privilege and a responsibility that I am honored to have. We have to get creative and help our state find ways to attract more teachers to Nebraska, keep the ones we have, and draw more students into the profession.
The next two issues I would lump together into one; Absenteeism and Poverty. The numbers on chronic absenteeism have seen a rise over the last several years. Many things can contribute to that, but one key factor is poverty. Here in GI, we have our fair share of both. Being open to looking at the numbers and having tough conversations is pivotal to being on the board. It’s not about my “political views”, but rather about the data, which is something the folks at GIPS are really great at. They collect data well, and analyze it well. We need to see the trends that are coming up and get ahead of them to set our students and families up for success. We need to network with our peers in neighboring communities both large and small to share ideas with each other. We need to be open to change and willing to put our students above our pride.
3. What background and experience do you have as an elected official?
I am nearing the end of my first term as an elected official on the GIPS Board of Ed. This is the only elected position I have held. While that may not seem like much, just like everyone else, there is more to my story. Prior to serving on the GIPS BOE, I sat on the PTA at Newell, the Walnut Parent Advisory Committee and was the parent representative on the District Safety Committee. I am currently the chair of the Grand Island Senior High Show Choir Parents board. I was asked by many people to run for this position when I did, I am guessing because they know me personally. I care about true leadership, not just sitting in the chair. I care about this community. I care about our kids always having “a place to belong.” I want to stay educated on school policy and trends in an effort to help build the best education possible for our students. My goal is to have another four years as an elected official for GIPS BOE.
John McHargue
McHargue did not return answers to three questions sent to him or a photo of himself. Information about him is available on Chaperone’s website and Facebook page.
The Facebook site for Chaperone is at: https://www.facebook.com/ChaperoneGI
The website for Chaperone is at: http://ChaperoneGI.com/
