By STEPHANIE FLITTNER
Guest Columnist
If you don’t know me, my name is Stephanie Flittner. I’m a mother of two young children, the current president of the Junior League of Indianapolis, a full-time lawyer for a top local construction firm, and a candidate for Carmel Clay School Board elections that will be decided this November.
As my campaign for this position begins in earnest, I wanted to let you know why I’m doing this – why this election is so important to me, and, perhaps most importantly, why I believe that I am the perfect candidate for this position.
As someone who has served on boards for multi-million-dollar charities, I know how expenditures can add up if an organization’s budgeting is not consistently aligned with its mission’s core values. To elaborate, if there is the option to build something flashy that won’t necessarily improve the day-to-day educational experiences of our children, a responsible member of the school board would represent the needs of this district by diverting those funds into something more beneficial to cultivating the minds of our children: which are, truly, this district’s biggest assets.
When someone without extensive experience in responsibly managing these types of budgets is entrusted with them, there is a much higher probability that they will overlook the small details when faced with large improvement projects. Regardless of how much experience my opponents have with education, they do not come close to my level of experience when it comes to funds management, which means that they are inherently unfit for the office they wish to hold.
As much as school board members should be aware and engaged with educational outcomes, their primary duty is to protect the assets of your community. School districts are not only a major source of a community’s investment in its own future, but they are also a major determinant of future property values and stability.
Furthermore, as a voting tax member of this district, you deserve to know where your tax dollars are spent. You deserve transparency in your local officials, especially when they’re in positions that play pivotal roles in determining the trajectory of this school district’s children, albeit indirectly. As someone who has been accountable to the spending of charities like the Junior League of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Wish and multiple for-profit corporations, I thrive under this kind of scrutiny. Regardless of who wins your vote this November, transparency is something that you should expect, and competency is something you should demand in this district’s candidate for school board.
I know that this election is an important one. That’s the whole reason I’m running. I want to use my skills to both maintain and improve upon the education my children will receive. This is a nonpartisan position because educating a child to creatively solve problems and use their unique perspective to see our world differently from us is not a political issue. I am not running to indoctrinate the children of our district, I am running to educate them.
As such, if you want to have an experienced candidate win this election, you won’t be able to vote straight ticket this November.
And, while I hope that your vote will ultimately be cast in my favor, I want you to do your research and vote your conscience here. Hopefully, I will be able to earn your vote this November, but, if not, I’m thankful that you’ve at least heard me out.
I hope you have a fantastic Labor Day and I hope to see you on the trail!
Learn more about Carmel Clay school board candidate Stephanie Flittner at stephanieflittner.com.
Stephanie has definitely earned my vote! Her experience, fiscal responsibility, and education first focus is going to make her an asset to the Carmel Clay School Board.
I believe there is a fundamental misunderstanding of how our Carmel Clay School Board of Trustees operate. It is impossible for an individual board member to make financial decisions. A quorum is required for the board to conduct business. Once a quorum is constituted, a simple majority of voting Members is required to approve an item of the Board’s business. In this case, the school’s budget and other financial matters that come before the board.
Kara Kollros is the Director of Finance for Carmel Clay Schools. Kara and her team are responsible for the day to day finances. The school board does not micromanage our Superintendent Dr. Beresford, our Associate Superintendent Roger McMichael, Kara Kollross or any of the staff in our Finance department.
I would encourage Stephane Flittner to watch a replay of the presentation by KGR at the School Board Workshop in May.
https://youtu.be/2cOYirxuoew?t=1827
Finally, our greatest asset is not our funds. Our greatest assets are our students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community. It is, you, our people.
Sheldon, I think you may need to work on your reading comprehension skills. I’m not sure where you got the impression that I think I’ll be managing the day to day financial operations of CCS? Instead of intentional misstatements about my understanding of how a board works, perhaps you should write your own piece for the reporter and explain your own experience and qualifications for the CCS Board? I’m sure the readers of the Reporter would love to hear about your Board experience! Personally, I don’t need you mansplain how a board works! Thanks!
Oh my, Stephanie .. it’s really not a good look to pound away in three separate responses illustrating how insulted you feel, rise above such nonsense & resist allowing your buttons to be pushed by such an empty suit.
Politics IS perception & a defensive stance is rarely a winning strategy.
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Stephanie – please internalize the feedback instead of focusing on me personally. Good board governance requires focusing on establishing policies. The school board and the Superintendent will have to work together as “one team”. Much of the fiscal and budgetary policies are established and directs the Superintendent and his designees work so the board can focus on monitoring and approval.
I was a single Father to my 3 children for many years before I married. My children were 4, 5 and 7 when we moved to Carmel. There are teachers who provided winter jacket and hand-me-down clothes to my children. It encouraged and motivated me to work that much harder.
I would like to share these posts to help you and the other candidates. I want our community to know that they are in good hands if I win.
Sheldon started off his statement by saying “I believe” – clearly stating it is a perception and leaving room for discussion.
Stephanie reacted emotionally, posting 3 responses in a row that lacked a demonstration of grace under pressure. As a board member, one will need to have thicker skin and not be so quick to react.
I’d encourage everyone to focus on their own campaigns and not worry about what each other are doing, especially this early in the game.
Stephanie has experience and credentials but her letter is out of touch. She focuses on transparency with CCS finances and spending which are available to anyone with a simple FOIA request, also called an open access request. In my opinion Stephanie is not addressing the concerning issues- declining academics, a lack of transparency with curriculum, and district leadership pushing parents out of schools. I want candidates who will focus on academic excellence while advocating for parents and students.
David – all of the essential financial information is published online.
Starting with the school’s website:
https://www.ccs.k12.in.us/services/budget
The rest, including prior years are available here:
https://www.budgetnotices.in.gov/
I am running to bring people leadership to our community. I want to be a strong advocate for students, parents, and teachers.
Stephanie,
I disagree with your statement that “the primary duty of a school board member is to protect the assets of the community”. This statement, when read in context with your broader commentary suggests that educational outcomes are a secondary concern of yours. I could not disagree more.
As our elected official, School Board Members represent the parents, taxpayers, & students of the community. Their responsibility is to think in terms of “children first.” The most fundamental role of a school is to educate and until that function is adequately addressed, all other goals are inconsequential.
While all elected officials should be fiscally responsible, understanding the thoughts, desires and concerns of local parents, taxpayers, & students should be the paramount concern of school board members. Given the state of public education both in Carmel Indiana and across the country, I would suggest that your priorities are misplaced.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the introduction of gender ideology into the K-12 classroom, and I would like to know if you believe biological males have a place in the girl’s locker room or the playing field. I would also like to know if you support the current emphasis on programs that introduce concepts of social justice, political activism, and the use of collective guilt in our schools. I look forward to information on these topics, in the coming days.