News Flash
With elections for the Kirkwood School District Board of Education just one month away, we have taken a pause to reassess our respective campaigns with several other contenders running for KSD school board. We recently met with Matt Losse and Jeff Mintzlaff and shared our perspectives on education and the future of our District, and discovered that we were all running on very similar platforms. After thoughtful consideration, recognizing our shared goals and objectives, we have decided to withdraw from the race and place our combined support and efforts behind Matt's and Jeff's election campaigns. We will continue to stay engaged in the workings of KSD and consider the opportunity to run next year. To those who have lended their support to our campaigns, we thank you for your trust and confidence. We know you will find Jeff and Matt similarly deserving of your vote. If we want to make a change in the District, we must unite, spread the word, and get out the vote on April 5th.
Background
Senior Project Manager
Since 2015 I have successfully executed 15 large and complex school projects throughout Missouri. Our company's customer base is exclusively K-12 Schools.
Skill Set
Being in charge of a multi-million dollar school project can be challenging and stressful, but I have always gotten the job done on time and under budget. It requires negotiation, cooperation, team building, and the ability to see trouble ahead and pull together the resources to avoid it.
Traveling around the USA
I traveled extensively in the 1990s and 2000s having been assigned to many industrial construction projects around the NE, SE, and Midwest areas of the country. These were paper mills, chemical plants, pharmaceutical plants, (and my favorite) food plants. I could fit all my belongings into my 1985 GMC Jimmy back then.
Approach to Work
I am a person who gets in there, gets the job done, and solves problems if they arise. When there is a problem, I get to the true root cause and put work arounds in place until the fix can be permanently made. Too many times things gets bogged down in committee, or people might just do what they think is right without consulting the experts. That's where I come in. I listen to feedback from others. I set a schedule, assign resources, utilize subject matter experts effectively, and make things happen.
Why Run?
I've always been civic minded, being an Eagle Scout when I was younger and knowing today that I can bring a new skill set and perspective to the Kirkwood Board. I'm tailor made to fulfil this Board policy: The Board recognizes that many residents of the district may be specially qualified to assist and advise the district because of their training, experience or personal characteristics, and the Board encourages them to take an active part in school affairs.
Main Picture
The main picture on my website of the man shaking hands with the service men and women is my Grandfather, P.Y. Chong. On VJ Day, August 15th 1945, he gave out free steak dinners to all in uniform at his restaurant in Honolulu.
Meet the Candidate
About Me
I have lived in Des Peres since 1999 with my wife of 26 years, Dyan. We have two children. I was born in Ohio and went to a public school there. I have a degree from the University of Cincinnati in Construction Management. My wife is from Kirkwood and went to Westchester, NKMS, and KHS.
Board Issues I think are Important
Prop R
There is still a ways to go with the spending of this bond. With the increases in inflation and supply chain issues, the real costs for construction have gone up significant amounts since Prop R was passed. Will there be enough money to do what was promised? Who is figuring all this out?
Substitute Teacher Pay
In some districts in Missouri, substitute teachers make less than McDonalds workers. Lets make sure Kirkwood substitute teachers are paid fairly.
Critical Race Theory
Whether it is the 1619 Project or CRT, I'm 100% against it as it is based in socialism. It is about equity, not racial equality, and would only make the racial divide worse. Similar to what is going on in Rockwood, a deep dive needs to occur and if found I will be vigilant to stop it. I believe that people should not discriminate against others, period.
Masking and Air Quality
CO2 levels rise when classrooms are full, especially after recess (to 2000-2300 ppm). The ideal range for a classroom is around 750 - 900 ppm. (For reference, clean air outside runs about 390 - 440 ppm). High CO2 levels cause inattentiveness and reduce mental awareness. Let's make sure any long range facility improvement plans include equipment to assist in reductions in CO2.
So we can't talk science without mentioning masks. Masks were shown in a recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA, to cause CO2 levels in children to rise to 13,000 ppm or more. That's not good. I'll advocate for good science to do the right thing.
Representation and Final Words
In our community everyone is supposed to have an equal say. The School Board is a non-partisan position, but sadly occasionally radical influencers have made in-roads into our education system. By using good old common sense, I would work with the professionals at Kirkwood to keep the kids first, followed by the teachers and support staff.
If I'm elected, I would be someone who brings a completely different approach (in a good way) to the Board. Currently the pieces and staff are in place (and have been) to provide a fine education for all students. This is a big school district and sometimes things don't go the way you think they should. Rest assured, I'm tenacious at rooting out problems and solving them quickly. Although I'd only be 1 of 7 people I'm not shy about "making it happen".