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With the general election Nov. 3, contested school board candidates were asked to respond to three questions.
Today’s responses are from Tippecanoe Valley School Board candidates for district 3, Shelly Engle, Jamie Murphy and Joe Secrist.
1. What is your background and why are you running for the Tippecanoe Valley School Board?
Engle: Tippecanoe Valley has been an important part of my life for many years. My husband and I are both Valley graduates, and our children attend Valley Schools.
I spent 13 years teaching in the district — six at Akron Elementary and seven at Tippecanoe Valley High School. Our family continues to be involved through athletics, church, youth ministry and community service.
Professionally, I serve as the Director of Teacher Education and an assistant professor at Taylor University. In addition to preparing future educators, my administrative responsibilities include program leadership, curriculum oversight, accreditation, school partnerships and continuous improvement. I work with educators and schools across Indiana, which gives me a broader perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing public education.
Jason and I also own Jason Engle Construction LLC, where I manage much of the business operations, including finances, personnel, scheduling and project coordination. We regularly employ Valley students through the high school's work-based learning program, often hiring them full-time after graduation.
I am running because I love Tippecanoe Valley and want to give back to a school community that has given so much to my family. I believe my experiences as an educator, administrator, business owner, parent and community member would allow me to contribute thoughtfully while listening, learning and working collaboratively to serve all Valley students.
Murphy: I want to give back to the community that invested in me as a kid and a young adult. I also want to make sure that our students and our staff are supported to the best of our ability.
Education is important to me, the education of our youth is one of our greatest investments. Our students are the next generation; they’re going to be the ones making decisions for our future. I feel like one of the best ways to invest in their education as a school board is taking care of our teachers and support staff.
Secrist: I have lived in the Mentone area all of my life except while attending the Indiana School for the Blind and Indiana University. I am the owner of Niff-Tone Dist. I have lived my life believing that we should help others and serve the community.
I have been a Boy Scout leader, Awanna leader, CASA volunteer, director of the local American Red Cross, church trustee, EMT for 27 years and been involved on multiple mission trips to Haiti. I have been very involved in our school system by substitute teaching, coaching in two varsity sports, teaching CPR and basic first aid to our staff for 10 plus years.
I have also spent time subbing at Burket Education Center and have helped with several countless programs to help students prepare for there future. I have volunteered with the athletic department and when possible hire Valley grads. Currently employ two.
I have a very strong background in business and experience running many organizations and programs.
2. If elected, what are some of the goals you would like to accomplish in the next four years at Tippecanoe Valley Schools?
Engle: My overarching goal would be to support a strong educational experience that prepares every Valley student for success beyond graduation, whether that means employment, further education, or military service.
First, I believe we must maintain a strong focus on student learning. Foundational skills in reading, writing, communication, and mathematics are essential, alongside meaningful opportunities for students to explore their interests, develop practical skills, and prepare for their futures. I would want to understand our student achievement data, celebrate strengths, and identify opportunities for continued improvement.
Second, students and staff deserve safe, supportive learning environments where they feel valued, respected, and equipped to succeed. I would support continued attention to school safety, student well-being and the recruitment and retention of excellent teachers and staff.
Third, I value strong partnerships among schools, families, businesses and communities. Opportunities such as Work-Based Learning demonstrate how these connections can help students prepare for life beyond graduation.
Finally, responsible financial stewardship, transparency and thoughtful long-term planning are essential to maintaining strong schools. I would approach these priorities by listening to stakeholders, examining evidence, asking thoughtful questions and collaborating with fellow board members and district leadership. My goal would be to build on Valley's strengths while helping ensure excellent opportunities for every student.
Murphy: As far as changes go, I don’t think I can go in demanding changes. I want to make sure, as a school corporation, we are supporting our students, teachers, and staff to the best of our ability, and that communication is open at all levels.
I would like to know that a board member can have a conversation and hear concerns of our teachers and staff without fear of reprimand for doing so. I understand the chain of command and support that, without it there would be chaos. However, if a conversation happens and it's taken to the rest of the board, there shouldn't be a reprimand to the teacher or staff.
Our teachers are parents and community members too, they deserve to be heard, too. I believe that we are all parents first and foremost, and if there is a problem or something that doesn't sit right, those voices need to be heard, too.
Secrist: I am running for the school board to try and help our schools be the best they can be. I have always believed we need good people who understand business, understand how to get things done and that are not afraid to speak up. Anyone who knows me knows that I can get the job done.
When elected I have several goals, one is more transparency on what is going on and why we make decisions. I think there is a disconnect between the schools and community and even students and why decisions are made. That needs to change.
I want for us to take a hard look at our facilities and equipment. We have a lot of things that need fixed and or replaced that can truly make our schools better. We need to have more good conversations.
I want a student committee representing all of our schools that meets with the board and just talks about the good and not so good with the understanding that all things go through the building administration. I want more informal conversations with employees about what they are seeing. We don’t have to do everything as a negotiation. I want to see more open forums with the community to let people know what’s going on and get feedback.
As a school board member we need to take pride in our schools, we need to instill that pride into our stents and all employees. If students and employees feel valued they will perform at a much higher level.
3. What do you think the role of the school board should be within the school corporation?
Engle: I believe the school board's primary responsibility is to provide thoughtful, responsible governance that keeps students and their educational opportunities at the center of decision-making. The board plays an important role in establishing policies and long-term direction, overseeing educational programs and student outcomes, approving budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, and hiring and evaluating the superintendent. The board provides governance and oversight, while the superintendent and administrative team are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the schools.
I believe effective board service begins with listening. Board members should seek to understand the perspectives of students, families, teachers, staff, administrators, and community members. They should ask thoughtful questions, examine information carefully and work collaboratively to make decisions that serve the entire school community.
My experiences in education, administration, and business ownership have reinforced the importance of understanding complex issues, considering different perspectives, and making informed decisions. I would bring those experiences to the board while recognizing that no individual member has all the answers. Ultimately, I believe the board's responsibility is to help ensure that Valley has the leadership, resources, policies, and direction necessary for students, educators, and schools to thrive.
Murphy: The role of a school board is to ensure three things, first and foremost we have sound policies in place.
The next one is, thorough accountability of the superintendent and the last being fiscally responsible budgets.
True leadership maximizes transparency at all levels and makes sure that public business is conducted in the public eye. We need to make sure that the voices of our students, staff and community members are heard and respected.
Secrist: The school board is the business administrative body of the school. It does not run direct education or tell teachers how to do there job. School in reality is a business and the board is the directors of that business.
Our students are our customers and need to be provided the tools they need to learn and thrive. Our teachers and staff are our employees and we need to make sure they have the tools to do their job. The community is our stockholders that we need to make sure we are spending their money properly and providing the service that is expected.
We have a chain of command in the schools and all things need to go through that chain with the board ultimately responsible for school actions.
