Joan Corbin, Candidate for Pella School Board District 2 - Never be complacent

Joan Corbin has been on the Pella Community School District School Board since 2004. She is running unopposed for a third term at this time because of the legislative mandate changing the length of terms of all school board members from three years to four.

Corbin was born in Guthrie Center and raised in Stuart. She graduated from Iowa State University in early childhood special education. Her most recent teaching assignment was in Knoxville, but she has spent the majority of her professional career as a home interventionist, providing support to the parents and families of children with special needs. She has also worked in community outreach programs.

Corbin is an at-home mom for her third grade and kindergarten daughters. (She and her husband, David, who works for Vermeer, have already had six children graduate from the Pella school system. Four of those are currently in college, one has graduated from Iowa State, and one manages the Pella Smokey Row.) The Corbins moved to Pella from Georgia ten years ago, and Joan is really looking forward to her two youngest children "completing their entire education in such a fine school system as Pella."

In Pella, she ran an in-home preschool for four years "in order to keep abreast and sharp." She has spent six years on the board of the Pella Early Learning Center (formerly called Pella Day Care). Her particular focus was on curriculum advancement. Since being on the School Board, she has served on the Legislative Resolutions Committee of the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB), as our representative at the Delegate Assembly of IASB's annual conventions, and on the Marion County Conference Board.

Her future plans include advancing her own education by returning to the special education field to earn an MA in early childhood education or administration - not to become a school administrator, but to study management philosophy and leadership.

Corbin has thoroughly enjoyed serving on the School Board. She likes working with the other School Board members. "I so very much appreciate being part of a district that values high achievement," she says. "We are a good team, the Board and the Superintendent. There is mutual respect at the same time that healthy dialog is encouraged. I must also say what a pleasure it is to be part of a district with some of the finest teachers in the state in terms of their wisdom, passion, and terrific work ethic."

The most difficult aspect of being on the School Board was initially trying to define her own role. "The Board needs to be visionary, to lead without trying to manage. I am a graduate of the Iowa Association of Schools Boards' Leadership Academy, which helped to clarify the bigger picture items. Through reading and talking I gained a clearer understanding of leadership, of how boards can lead and grow together, of how other boards worked together. In the 1950s, school boards were most focused on being accountable to the taxpayers and being financially solvent. The focus now is of course on maintaining that solvency, but also the pursuit of high student achievement."

State Department of Education officials have warned school districts that 2011-2012 will be financially difficult years, she related. "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds (stimulus monies) will be short-lived. As a Board, we've tried to make decisions with that in mind. We continue to dialog about how to prepare for economic challenging times. We'll also have the challenge of balancing the Iowa Core Curriculum requirements that begin in 2012 with the national requirements through the No Child Left Behind mandates."

In her spare time, Corbin likes to read in the area of - and implement what she learns about - organic gardening. She will also read in the education, health and nutrition areas. Most recent reads include Mary Pipher's In the Shelter of Each Other (reviving families and the community), and Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, the story of a family who chooses to live one year using only local foods. Corbin also keeps abreast of political and educational issues, and bikes and exercises regularly. Of course, family gatherings also rank high on her list of preferred activities.

Corbin does not have a personal agenda, going into this election. But as a participant she would like to "get better at improving our ability to work and grow together." With two of five board members certain to be new following the election, she sees a need for "workshops for shared learning and crucial conversations that will result in better informed decisions." She sees the benefit in visiting other schools as well.

Corbin reminds us of the Pella Community School District's mission statement: Maximize life's opportunities for every child, and enthusiastically describes new classroom offerings. "Innovation is our greatest asset," she says. "Our teachers and leaders are constantly innovating."

She cites Project Lead the Way, a high school freshman class introduced this fall that is a beginning introduction to engineering and technology, and Construction Trades, "a class designed to help learn practical skills to take directly into the workplace. The class will be working directly with Habitat for Humanity.

"We're making huge gains in getting better at science offerings," she continued, "particularly with the introduction of a science writing heuristic process at the fifth grade level and the implementation of inquiry science at several grade levels. We have a new consumer sciences division with emphasis on the culinary arts in the new wing of the high school, as well as the technology classes. We have renovated space for Project Lead the Way."

Corbin concluded by saying "I feel strongly there should be citizen participation and support in these elections. Citizens should not become apathetic. I am delighted that there will be a KNIA/KRLS-sponsored candidate forum (Thursday, Sept. 3, Pella Public Library) and invite all voters to participate. I recognize the enigma here: people are very happy with how things are going in Pella, but it's still every citizen's duty to keep our leaders accountable and support high achievement."

Further information about the Pella Community Schools may be found at www.pella.k12.ia.us. The School Board election is September 8. If you are not familiar with the candidates, you will find on this website interviews with each.

Marty Racheter 82609

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