Sumner Newscow Political Forum: Wellington School Board District 1
Andrea Kreifels
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The following is the first of three Wellington School Board forums Sumner Newscow will be featuring for Tuesday’s election. Advanced voting in person at the Sumner County courthouse will go through Monday at noon. Polls open at 7 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. at the Raymond Frye Complex.
This year’s District 1 contest is a battle between Andrea Kreifels and Kent Douglas. Douglas has elected not to participate in the Sumner Newscow questionnaire stating he wants to focus his campaign on social media.
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1- Sumner Newscow: Please provide a background of yourself, where you grew up, where you went to school, when you went to college, what is your career, and any biographical information you find pertinent to why you are running for elected office.
Kreifels: I was born and raised in Wichita until my family moved to Wellington during my sophomore year of high school. I graduated from Wellington with the Class of 2001. I went to Baker University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Leadership. I worked as a program manager in a manufacturing facility for 10 years.
For the past five years, I’ve worked in accounting at Cooper & Co. CPAs. My husband and I have been married for 19 years and we have five children. Our daughter graduated with the Class of 2021. Our family is diverse and we have various needs for education. Our children have attended three of the four elementary schools, and our daughter is a recent graduate. Because of this, I have a unique perspective on the education differences at an elementary level, as well as recent experiences with middle and high schools.
2. Sumner Newscow: What is the main reason why you are running for the USD 353 school board?
Kreifels: I have three children currently in school and one that will be school age in a few years. I want to be more of an active participant in my children’s education. Two of my children have special learning needs so I have an understanding of the various learning needs of our children. I want to help the board make decisions that keep education a priority.
3. Sumner Newscow: Are you happy with the current form of the curriculum being taught in the school district?
Kreifels: From a parent perspective and from what I’ve seen, the current curriculum seems a little clunky- it jumps around and to higher levels faster than what seems logical. I do not agree with the report card system that’s currently in place at the elementary level.
It seemed great when it was first implemented but at my children’s conference the teachers say “I just gave a ‘P’ because it really didn’t work on this,” or “I just gave him all ‘Ps’.” Or “if I gave an E, he wouldn’t have anything left to learn.” I don’t feel like the report is really considering the progress of the child. I’d like to see us go back to the traditional ABCDF grading system where the children are graded on the work they are actually doing.
From a special education perspective, my child is learning different material but still being graded on the same level as other kids in his class, which I feel is unfair. It is frowned upon to hold kids back because the MTSS program is supposed to teach them at their level, but they are still being tested and held accountable to the grade level even though they are working well below it. It’s just setting the kids up for failure.
4. Sumner Newscow: With the shortage of teacher candidates out there and Wellington’s notoriously low pay for starting teachers, what is your view on expanding the job search to include non-certified teacher jobs?
Kreifels: It is my understanding that most 6th through 12th-grade teachers have to earn a degree in the field they want to teach in before they earn their teaching degree. The Kansas Department of Education offers a Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway that is built for exactly this purpose. It trains and certifies teachers while they teach. In my experience, one of the best ways to learn is by doing. I am not opposed to hiring teachers that are participating in this (or similar) program.
5. Sumner Newscow: Cowley College – Sumner Campus is becoming a more complete institution. Is USD 353 maximizing its relationship with the college to the east? If not what would you expand?
Kreifels: Having the college campus so close to the high school is such a privilege. I think the ultimate goal is to have kids graduate with both their high school diploma and associate’s degree at the same time. I’m not sure if that has happened for Wellington kids yet, but I’m excited about this goal and I hope we’re continuing to make progress towards it.
6. Sumner Newscow: State assessment scores took a dip after rising a bit for the Wellington schools? Why do you think that is? Is this of concern to you?
Kreifels: Our education system was devastated by the Spring 2020 extended spring break. Our children’s education suffered severely because of this. However, the Fall of 2020 was probably my favorite school year to date. I have never had more communication from teachers or felt more involved in education.
I think we’ve made progress but that we are still trying to catch up. I think the scores will rebound and we shouldn’t be too quick to react given our current circumstances.
7. Sumner Newscow: Do you feel like the Wellington school district prepares you for higher learning education opportunities?
Kreifels: I think there is room for growth in this area. I’m not sure that we fully prepare our kids with the proper study habits or writing skills necessary for a college setting. I think we put a lot of focus on having the high school kids plan for their future we forget high school is the place to figure it out and they don’t necessarily need to plan the next five years today. Our high school kids have a ton of stress on them already so we need to find ways to help them manage their daily life before expecting them to be making progress on often unachievable goals.
8. Sumner Newscow: Are you in favor of allowing an outside utility management company to dictate energy policy for the school?
Kreifels: I don’t think any outside company should be given the power to dictate. I’d rather see a cooperative relationship with recommendations and approvals. I like the idea of having the utility management involved with our energy needs so we can be sure we’re making the most of our resources.
9. Sumner Newscow: Do you see any projects (i.e. construction, technology, transportation etc.) ahead for the USD 353 that could prove costly?
Kreifels: The world market is struggling to keep supplies in the supply chain. The cost of everything is increasing, so we need to consider our purchases carefully and plan for changes in the economy.
10. Sumner Newscow: Do you believe education should continue to move more digitally and online? Or should we maintain a more traditional approach to education?
Kreifels: I don’t think education should be entirely digital, but I do see the value in some digital curriculum. College classes are available in an online environment so it’s critical that we teach our kids how to manage their ability to learn in this environment.
11. Sumner Newscow: Do you have anything else to add?
Kreifels: I’m so excited about this election and the possibility to make a difference.
