Angela Caraway

ANGELA CARAWAY'S RESPONSE

1. Why/what made you decide to run?

Running for public office has been something heavily weighing on my mind for several years. I believe in community service, mentoring others and using your talents to help others achieve their goals. The value of giving back to your community is something I promoted in our household with Samantha (25), Nicholas (22) and Zachary (20). All three of my children are graduates from Kirksville High School and they benefited greatly from the dedication of the district and teachers throughout their journey. This fall it was evident to me that the school and community were in crisis mode. Having spent over 28 years in Community Mental Health, I am confident that I can bring a wide range of experiences to the district. As the Vice President of Clinical Operations at Mark Twain Behavioral Health, I work every day to be the employer of choice and a provider of excellence in behavioral health care. I have worked closely with Kirksville Public School’s on School Safety Committees and the past 3 years promoting School Based Therapy (SBT) services. SBT is a partnership with the Missouri School Board Association and Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers to embed access to services in public schools so any child can access mental health care regardless of the family’s ability to pay. Working in the mental health field, I have had a very unique opportunity to see how the pandemic has impacted our local youth, families and teachers. We serve many youth that have been struggling with anxiety, depression, declining grades and facing social isolation. I have enjoyed my conversations with the faculty and staff and value their need to feel heard and their requests for consistency in the district's messaging. Ultimately, I agreed with the approach to give options this past year, but I do support in- school learning when possible. Overall, I feel my 28 years in mental health with 14 of those years in executive leadership would be a valued asset to the district.

2. Is there anything you would like the KHS student body to know?

In my current role, I spend a great deal of time working directly with staff recruitment and retention, working with policies and procedures, budgets, legal issues in the field, strategic planning, Trauma Informed Care, grant management and staff wellness. I have closely worked with our team to develop Return to Work Plans to keep over 160 staff and 5,000 consumers safe throughout this past year. I have recent experience in large scale capital improvement projects with multimillion dollar construction that could be of great assistance when the school decides to go for a bond issue (i.e. Fine Arts Center and Sports Complexes). I am excited about the potential for facility growth. I understand the importance of good business and community relations and how those partnerships impact the school. When schools thrive, your community thrives, property values go up and school revenues increase. Ultimately, those partnerships grow educational programming and opportunity for our area youth. I am a large supporter of the KATC programming. I believe it is important to provide a variety of options in the district and not silo children into one path. I have also seen some exciting growth in STEM education and creative ways to engage youth choosing that path. I have no agenda, but to aid in the recovery and strengthening of our district. No decision I make will directly impact my children; they will solely impact the administration, staff, and the student body of Kirksville Public Schools.

3. How do you think the school district can best address the ever-increasing expectations surrounding at-risk learners and students with chronic mental health issues?

Promoting recovery is something that I have unequivocally been the most passionate about in our community. I have spent decades treating individuals and families and most recently building increased access to care and programs that support area youth. When I implemented SBT services in Northeast Missouri, I was amazed at the overwhelming positive response I received from superintendents across the region. Today we have 14 schools with therapists working with children of all ages in Northeast Missouri. The issue I am most passionate about with at-risk learners and vulnerable students is addressing youth suicide. Kirksville recently struggled with a youth suicide contagion effect in our community. There is nothing worse than losing a child or young adult to suicide. I cannot begin to tell you the tears I have shed over these events and throughout my career at the precious loss of life. The sorrow and loss that will forever impact the families, their friends and the school community. I believe gate-keeper training (e-CPR or Youth Mental Health First Aid) is crucial and should be taught in every school. Everyone should learn to recognize signs and symptoms of distress and how to access help. Our LGBTQ+ community is extremely vulnerable and statewide we are also noticing an increase in mental health concerns in our middle school age youth. Recently I wrote a grant with our team to expand mental health services in Northeast Missouri and our organization successfully brought over $3.4 million dollars to support increased infrastructure and additional staff to serve at- risk members of our 9-county region. Please never hesitate to reach out for help. If you are struggling reach out to a trusted supportive adult or call our 24-hour Crisis Line at 800-356-5395.

4. What is your understanding of our district's ESL population, educational issues, and plan to improve those?

With the growing number of minority and immigrant families moving to Kirksville, the district has a strong need for continued classes in (ESL). Many younger immigrant children are able to acquire English as a Second Language much quicker than older youth. So, I believe continued ESL focus is crucial to both the students and parents navigating public education. When welcoming students from other countries, I believe it is important to learn about their culture and through that learning educator’s will find ways to connect with the students. I recommend promoting opportunities for that student to share about their heritage especially in music and art. The endless pursuit to find that spark or passion to promote learning is universal in our youth. We must remember that some of our youth come from countries struggling with violence, poverty, and historical trauma. What we know about the impact of trauma on brain health should play a factor in how to care for these children. They rely more on extended family / community- based parenting which is much different than our nuclear family model. This is something we need to consider when communicating with these families and making plans for their child’s success. If elected to the school board, I would be excited to learn in more detail about the successes and challenges in this area. A few important areas I would support include posting signs publicly and in restrooms in their native language on how to access help (i.e. information on emotional distress, Suicide and human trafficking). Finally, I would promote mentoring and buddy system programs to pair ESL students with student ambassadors to work closely with them in the schools. Ultimately those bonds and friendships will play a vital role for everyone involved.

Thank you for reaching out to me regarding my candidacy and more information can be located on Facebook at Angela Caraway for Kirksville R-III School Board.