Eric Van Cise is making his first bid for school board — not because he’s unhappy with the way the district is performing, but because he wants to join a great team. Van Cise spent 16 years patching people up as a flight medic and EMS instructor at SEARHC. Now, he’d like to help Sitka’s schools emerge healthy from the funding and political struggles ahead.
Eric Van Cise is looking at a very big picture. He questions why public schools have been placed in jeopardy — both by funding cuts and political pressure.
“To me, public education is a cornerstone of our country. When I think of the actual wealth we have in the United States, in budgets and dollars spent — really, to be honest, there’s no excuse that public education is scraping the bottom of the barrel. When I see programs here in Sitka that have historically benefitted students and families — and have created a great growth environment — getting cut, it has huge impacts.”
Van Cise is not running as a critic. Last year the school board began the budget cycle looking at a deficit of over $1-million. Balancing the budget took compromises, cuts, and some hard lobbying.
Van Cise says he paid attention.
“I’ve admired the board and the administration. I watched what they did last year, and it was just incredible how much time and energy those people dedicated just to secure what they could.”
More cuts are likely on the way next year, and will probably affect extra-curricular activities first. Van Cise has been the high school soccer coach for the last three years. He coached for six years before that at Blatchley, and he’s been involved for at least ten years in the Community Schools indoor soccer program.
He knows activities are critical to the education of students. But if the legislature makes good on threats to reduce funding next year, Sitka’s schools may have to revisit their mission.
“What are we preparing them for? What kind of world and environment — the United States or other places — what kind of core foundation do those kids need? When they graduate from school, whether they stay here or go other places, to be successful out there in the world? And if that means it’s the core subjects, Math, Science, Writing, History, and those things — if that’s where it gets down to the bare bones — we need to make sure that those things are funded and adequately staffed.”
And that foundation, according to Van Cise, is more than just academics.
“Sitka schools was one of the few schools in the nation that went the other direction. They actually expanded their vocational educational facilities. Where many schools across the country are shutting them down. And I see that as a critical component of preparing our kids for future livelihoods and contributing to society.”
Van Cise believes in contributing personally to schools. He’s been an active parent of his two boys, one of whom just graduated from Sitka High, and another who’s a sophomore. He’s never seen himself as a replacement for a teacher, but he’s stepped up to help organize activities like soccer rather than see them not happen.
He hopes other Sitkans feel the same way, as the district struggles with budget issues next year.
“We need to collectively, along with our concerns, promote ideas. What can we do? Say this isn’t going to be funded, what are our options? What can we do?”
The hot-button political issue this season is the adoption of new Alaska Education Standards. The district is well along the path toward full implementation of the standards. Van Cise doesn’t want to change course.
“I may not be in 100-percent agreement with it, but it needs to be given a chance.”
The new standards have generated several opposing constituencies: those who object to the new testing, those who are suspicious of their origins, and those who resent the intrusion of top-down educational principles into local schools.
Van Cise, again, is looking at big picture.
“We need to have a type of curriculum that if kids travel to another state or someplace else, they’ll have something that easily blends from state-to-state, town-to-town. I know it brings in a new testing standard, a new curriculum. We have kids that are struggling academically. I want to make sure that Alaska Standards are fitting their needs. It’s got to be workable for the parents, when they’re dealing with homework — how user-friendly is it? And absolutely it needs to be something for the teachers — the ones working in the trench, when we say we want something done, or something’s mandated. They’re the ones who have to do the finished product. How’s it working for them?”
Van Cise left SEARHC when it closed its Emergency Medical Technician program last fall. Now he works for the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association as a trainer.
There’s a web of regulations around this work, that sometimes seem counterproductive. But the bottom line is about keeping people safe.
Van Cise sees something similar in schools.
“We can sometimes get caught up in a political bubble, or a small-community bubble. And in public education we need to be concerned about those and do what we can. But at the same time I feel there’s an equal obligation as a public school entity, to prepare our students for when they go off into life.”
