Candidate Q&A: Albert Wagner

Website: https://www.facebook.com/changefornassauschools/

Email: changefornassauschools@gmail.com

Phone: 904-891-9972

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

With Nassau County growing so quickly, how would you use your position on the school board to ensure students are accommodated for?

The County has grown considerably, and we need more sophisticated and conservative financial leadership. One case in point is that, for years, we've paid cash (at current taxpayer expense) for capital assets like land and schools that should be debt-financed over 30 years to spread the burden among current and future taxpayers. I would have never voted to approve the $3.6 million (in cash) for the 10-acre land purchase in Yulee. This purchase cannot possibly provide a rational return on investment for our taxpayers. I also would have never voted to sideline a Citizens Budget Advisory Committee. If our District wants to increase transparency, why would we fear the recommendations of financial experts in our community related to our budget issues?

We all deserve better than the same old policies that have led to our ongoing budget woes. With these ideas in place, we can conserve our financial resources and use them to help with the growth our county will need.

Even though Nassau County has been doing relatively well in regard to teacher retention in comparison to other districts across the state and the country, many teachers are finding jobs outside the Nassau County School District. As a board member, what would you do to help them stay?

One of the first things I would like to look into are the exit interviews of previous employees if they exist and, if not, create and adopt policy to begin making them mandatory because we can’t fix what we don’t know is broken. I would also like to review policies on how our district advertises, recruits, interviews and hires upper leadership positions. The cronyism and nepotism in our district highly favors certain individuals. Our teachers and staff see who the favorites are and how they are treated differently.

As a board member, the review of policies and the adoption of new stronger policies to ensure cronyism and nepotism are not taking place is just a start. I understand the challenges facing teachers today and I also understand that the teachers know far more about what works in their classrooms than the administration does. Without a doubt, there is too much emphasis on testing and the ongoing micromanagement of our teachers is driving our best teachers away from the profession. We do have a teacher pay problem here but it is not the sole reason for our teacher retention issues and we need to look into the mirror and address all of those issues.

How will your specific background help your efforts to make the Nassau County School District the number one in the state?

I decided to run for School Board to modernize our School District and bring "a fresh perspective.” This is more than a slogan to me. If I'm elected to this position, I promise to bring my 18 years of education experience in both teaching and administration to address our district's unnecessary but chronic budget issues, teacher retention and to expand our technical education programs. I am a father of two children who attend school in Yulee as well. What is best for our children will always be top of mind for me. I will fight for you and your children and, by doing so, together we will build a more prosperous future for Nassau County.