Kuntz, Don - Chippewa Valley
Are you an incumbent?
No
Brief Intro of Candidate
"My name is Don Kuntz. I have lived in the Chippewa Valley School District for 35 years. I recently retired from the district in 2023, having completed 25 years of teaching mathematics at Dakota high School. In that time I have also served as a football coach, as the math dept. chair, as a union rep, as the sponsor for Dakota's chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, The National Math Honor Society, and as the NCA Chairperson. Before teaching, I also served in the United States Marine Corps. I think my time wearing the uniform taught me how to be part of a team as well as how to be a leader. I am fully committed to this district. I am committed to making decisions based on what is best for our students. I am willing and excited to work with all stakeholders in our community to make Chippewa Valley Schools the best we can be."
Endorsements
MEA, CVEA, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Macomb County Democratic Committee,
Top financials Contributors
Website and social media links
MEA, CVEA
Facebook page: Don Kuntz For Chippewa Valley School Board
How would you engage and include parents, caregivers, community members and students in decision-making in your district around things like curriculum, budgeting and district policy?
I think the most important thing is to be available. I live in the district and am always engaging with the people I meet. Also, I think we should have more times that we can just meet with groups and engage in solid conversations outside of board meetings. But, in todays digital age I think we have to use the digital landscape to ask questions of our stakeholders, and then follow through by trying to find the best possible solution that takes into account their input.
What are your thoughts on school discipline and the way it is exercised in your school district? What are your thoughts on restorative practices?
I think our district has been very intentional in in using restorative practices when disciplining students. We have in-services devoted to explain the implementation and have seen the difference it makes in our building climate. I think we always try to do what is in the best interest of the individual student. I have been involved in some of these disciplinary meetings with students and parents when I worked as a teacher and found the restorative approach to work in many instances.
What are your thoughts on how to improve student mental health
This is a huge challenge in our digital age. I think the implementation of classroom bans on cellphone has had good feedback so far. Helping our students disengage from, what can be, a toxic online environment can help many students. But I think the single most important way we can help with student mental health is, as educators, be aware, listen to what our students are telling us, and take it serious. Don't forget that we have to work with the entire child to help them have educational success. I know, and have witnessed in the classroom, students that were struggling mentally. Many times that can get lost in the hectic pace of schooling. We need to be willing, sometimes, to adapt our lesson for that student who is struggling. Help them get the help they need, then help them recover academically.
What are your thoughts on ways to improve Black student achievement in your district and in Michigan schools overall?
I think the previous questions in this document are a good place to start. Begin with more outreach. Engage with the Black Community and listen to their concerns. Don't assume what is being done for all students meets the needs of this community. Be willing to adapt to those unmet needs. There are many grants available, we need to try to get the funding to be able to begin programs that can help. As i have stated before, it begins by inviting conversation, listening carefully, then working our tails off to do everything we can to give every student their best chance at success
What are your thoughts on how to ensure that all students and their families, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, religion, income status, etc., feel safe and included in your district?
I truly believe we, as educators, get into this field because we enjoy serving our community. I think every one of us tries, every day, to to work towards this goal. I think, if we fall short, it is because of fatigue, or lack of resources. So, in my mind, I feel we have to find ways to lighten the administrative load on teachers. They need the time to engage with students, and the clear mind, unburdened by piles of paperwork, to be able to take time to listen, and respond, to our students. Then we need to be sure we are taking full advantage of every penny we can find, or are given, to put in place programs that facilitate every student's need to be seen and recognized for who they are.
What are your thoughts on how to recruit and retain staff, particularly staff of color, in your district with regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?
I have seen the working conditions of our teachers become more and more untenable. They are asked to do to much, with too little, for far too long. We need to change not only the pay structure, but the entire way we perceive the profession of teaching. We need to find a way to restore the respect teachers once garnered from the community. That includes a much more lucrative pay scale, but, as importantly, we need to support them and give them the freedom to advance their art. We need to yell from the top of the mountains about what they are doing, and what they need until our communities ad our government give them the respect, and the resources, they need to do their job. In terms of staff of color, we need to reach out to these communities and recruit. But, sadly, I fear that won't be successful until we achieve the goal of elevating the publics perception, and support of the teaching profession. Only then can we begin to think about having success in bringing in more people of color to the profession. I understand why people of color have difficulty with the notion of becoming a member of a profession that gets little attention or respect, when they are striving to elevate their communities that are underserved and disrespected themselves.