Note to readers: The answers to survey questions below have not been edited in any way. They were provided as is by the candidates.
Name: Roland Riemers
Occupation: Self-employed real-estate investor/manager
Age:
Family: Married with children and grandchildren
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Leadership experience:
Why are you seeking a seat on the School Board?
I wish to offer a better alternative for the voters to consider. An alternative that seeks a higher level of educational performance while also seeking less squandering of our tax dollars.
What is the biggest issue the School Board is facing?
My biggest concern is getting the federal government and its thousands of regulations out of our local schools. Generally, for every two dollars we get from the federal government, we have to spend three dollars, which doesn't make much economic sense. I would start changing this by just voting NO to all federal handouts and mandates.
How would you deal with or approach that issue?
I would start changing this by just voting NO to all federal handouts and mandates.
Are School District resources being used to maximum efficiency? What, if any, improvements would you explore or recommend?
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In the United States we spend more and get less for our educational dollar then any other country in the world. Currently our American educational system is rated about 23 internationally. Often our local students getting academic awards are really just visiting foreign students. We can no longer afford to squander our educational resources. I would promote setting our educational standards to international instead of the mediocre American standard. If that means longer school days and school years, then so be it. We just have to do better then we are now by demanding more from our educators and our students.
I would also like to see us do better in our continuing adult educational program. We have many individuals who need to learn educational skills, but we run this vital program the same part time bases as we run our schools, with lots of days off during the school year followed by a generous summer vacations.
Our advance educational program should also be taught with UND instructors to insure that students can earn college credits for taking college level classes.
What is your ideal classroom size, and why?
I doubt if there is an ideal classroom size. More important then size is the quality of education given in that classroom. I would sooner see quality education in a large classroom then a poor education in a classroom of two.
