Hutchins looking toward the future

Culpeper native and longtime educator Elizabeth Hutchins, 53, wants to continue her work for the students of Culpeper County.

Hutchins, the incumbent for Culpeper County School Board’s Cedar Mountain District, is vying for her third term.

She will face challenger Richard Goff during the Nov. 3 election.

This will be the second time Hutchins and Goff will meet at the polls. In 2005 Hutchins won with 65 percent of the vote.

Here’s what Hutchins had to say during a recent interview with the Star-Exponent.

CSE: Tell us about yourself and why you’re running for School Board office.

Hutchins: “I’m a former teacher in Culpeper County. I’m a native of Culpeper County. I care about the kids and everything I’ve done in my life has been centered around children in the county and for their benefit and improvement. I have enjoyed the last eight years and I think we’ve made a lot of progress in Culpeper in our educational system and I’d like to continue to work on that.”

CSE: What are some of your priorities for Culpeper County Public Schools?

Hutchins: “I think that we have to really work on technology for our
students. I think that is going to help us in many ways. First of all, it’s going to better prepare them for the workforce. But it should also help us financially as far as delivering instruction — not necessarily requiring as many teachers. Using Virtual High School and long distance learning will allow us to provide opportunities for our kids that we don’t have the funding for to provide locally. And you might have opportunities for one or two kids interested in something that we can’t afford to have a teacher for, so access that at distance. I think we need to continue to work to provide comparable compensation for our staff with surrounding counties, and that’s always been something that I’ve worked for. Again, with the economy, we’re not the only ones in that boat, but I think we need to continue to do what we can for our staff.”

“We need to bring the kids that are obviously struggling up to par with everyone else. We need to provide that attention whether we need to add more staff, provide more training for the staff or whatever it is that we need to do.”

CSE: What are your thoughts on renovating Culpeper County High School?

Hutchins: “I want people to understand that our goal is not to recreate Eastern View. The building is a good building. It’s structurally sound. It’s just like if you took an old house, you would have to replace the electric, the plumbing, heating and cooling. That’s what that building needs. For instance, some of the heatilators (they don’t do that anymore) underneath each window, we can’t get parts for those. If it weren’t for our maintenance staff being able to Band-aid it together, it would have collapsed a long time ago. We have half of our county in an excellent new building and the other half deserves the same. Not that it has to be rebuilt, not that we change the footprint, not that we gut the school and start over. But it certainly should be up to par in air quality, which it is not because the systems don’t work properly to give what is now considered standard air quality in the classrooms. And the electrical system in there doesn’t support current standards and needs on technology. (CCHS Principal) Mr. (Jeff) Dietz tried to use a classroom to put in additional computers to provide for those students but the electrical system wouldn’t support it.

CSE: What are your overall thoughts of the school division?

Hutchins: “I think it’s a good school division. I went through it. My children went through it. I taught in it. I think the kids get an excellent education. I think that the only way to keep that excellent education is to keep moving forward. We have to keep looking at what’s out there, whether it’s technology or what programs are needed. We’ve got to be pushing forward for our children because our children deserve that.”

CSE: What do you think about the Standards of Learning tests and the No Child Left Behind Act?

Hutchins: “If they’re going to require it, they ought to fund it. Plain and simple. If you’re going to dictate what we’re going to be able to do in our classrooms and put standards on our teachers, standards on instruction then by golly come up with the funds for it. The localities across the nation are left holding the bag while Congress sits up there and says this is the way it ought to be. Well give us the money to do it the way it ought to be. I’m not opposed to standards, but they’ve got to be realistic, they’ve got to be attainable. I think the 100 percent graduation rate for the No Child Left Behind is unreasonable. You’re never going to have that. It’s not that we shouldn’t strive for it, but I don’t think schools should be penalized when the time comes because they don’t reach it. I think we have to realize we’re not manufacturing washing machines or cars, every child comes from a different setting with different genes and different abilities and not every child is going to make it. I’d love to see it but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I don’t think it’s realistic. The requirements that we put on our children and on our staff create unnecessary stress.

“A doctor doesn’t cure 100 percent of his patients, and a lawyer doesn’t win 100 percent of his cases. So why would you expect a teacher in a classroom with a kid at the secondary level for an hour and a half every day under block scheduling for half a year that those kids, every single one of them, will perform.

“You just can’t standardize education because everybody is unique, learns differently and in different ways and is going to achieve at different levels.”

CSE: If elected, what would you change about the school system?

Hutchins: “I’d like to continue to work to improve. I’d like to see us continue to get the best staff and the best teachers we can to provide for our children. I’d like for us to look economically for the best opportunities and improving classes. I would really like to see an alternative (education) program at the elementary level. We’ve talked about that for a long time. We need it desperately, but we don’t have the funding for it. The earlier you catch those children, the better chance they have for succeeding. I think if we provided that at the elementary level, I think we’d see a lot fewer suspensions and discipline issues. It would be a dedicated staff member to work with those children during the day to get to the root of the problem early. When you catch them in middle school, it’s too late.”

CSE: If the money’s not there, how do you give raises and retain teachers?

Hutchins: “I think for the next two years we’re not going to have to worry about that. The economy has taken care of that. Nobody’s hiring. You might have a school system hiring five or 10 people, but not like Loudoun (County) when they were hiring 500 at a time. People are glad to have their jobs. They are not leaving and I think for right now that protects us from a mass exodus — not that it couldn’t happen again. It will happen again if we do not have additional funding. But the community needs to show that they value education and that comes in paying and retaining high quality people. Having been on the board, I’ve heard many times that we don’t compete with Fauquier, Prince William and Loudoun. And I know we do because that’s where our teachers go. They are certainly not going to Orange and Madison, who pay for the most part, less than we pay. There are a lot of people in Culpeper that don’t want to believe that we’re a part of Northern Virginia, but we’re a part of Northern Virginia. We have to be competitive to keep our quality people.”

CSE: Do you think the School Board should consider bringing back activity buses for after school student athletes?

Hutchins: “Not at this time. The last time when (CCPS Finance Director) Jeff (Shomo) did an evaluation of the activity buses, we had like two or three kids riding. So it was not worth it in gas and to paying the driver. You just can’t keep that up. If there was a need and the parents want it and it’s financially viable, absolutely. If the parents want them and if there are enough kids that use them we should provide that service. Right now, it’s just not warranted.”

CSE: What sets you apart from your challenger? Why should people vote for you?

Hutchins: “Educational experience in the classroom. My experience on the board. My dedication to children. I’m passionate about education and I always have been. It’s the only thing that I wanted to do. I have the experience to continue to provide for the board and I want to help (CCPS Superintendent) Dr. (Bobbi) Johnson and the staff get rolling and acclimated.”

Candidate profile schedule
Tuesday: Profile, School Board - West Fairfax (John Cerio vs. Bob Houck)
Wednesday: Uncontested School Board (George Dasher, Leanne Jenkins)
Thursday: BOS - Stevensburg (Dewayne Payne vs. Bill Chase vs. Gardiner Mulford)
Friday: Uncontested BOS, (Brad Rosenberger, Larry Aylor)
Saturday: Va. District 30 (Ed Scott vs. Matt Carson)
Sunday, Oct. 18:  Attorney general (Steve Shannon vs. Ken Cuccinelli)
Monday, Oct. 19: Lieutenant governor (Jody Wagner vs. Bill Bolling)
Tuesday, Oct. 20:  Governor (Creigh Deeds vs. Bob McDonnell)
Wednesday, Oct. 21: Endorsements for School Board
Thursday, Oct. 22: Endorsements
for Board of Supervisors
Friday, Oct. 23: Endorsement
for Va. District 30
Saturday, Oct. 24: Endorsements for lieutenant governor, attorney general
Sunday, Oct. 25: Endorsement for governor
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day