Grant writer and planner wants change

LaVonne Garvey wants to serve on the Juneau School Board because people want a change, she said.

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Garvey is among three candidates running for two open seats on the School Board in Tuesday's election. Terms on the seven-member panel are three years.

Garvey, a grant writer and planner for a Native housing authority, said that since her candidacy was certified, she's heard from residents who think that the School Board and the city don't have a cohesive relationship.

There has been friction in recent years over plans to renovate Juneau-Douglas High School and build a second high school at Dimond Park in the Mendenhall Valley.

LaVonne Garvey

Age: 44

Family in Juneau: Husband, John, and children, Lexi and Brett, who are students at Juneau-Douglas High School. Son Kolt is at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Occupation: Grant writer and planner for the Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority.

Education: Associate's of science degree from Rogue Community College in Oregon.

"They can't seem to come together, and I guess they feel that if there was a change in board members or the candidates' thoughts that that might be something they can work at," Garvey said.

The district's report of annual yearly progress, as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and the state-mandated report card to the public also show a need for improvement, she said.

"So it says change is necessary. Change is never easy. Some don't want to change," she said.

Garvey said she offers aggressiveness, creativity and problem-solving ability to the School Board.

"I work well with others. And I love kids. Really, that's what it boils down to," she said.

Garvey said she has lived in Southeast Alaska all her life and in Juneau for two years. She's on the board of the Boys and Girls Club here. She directed an Indian studies program in Petersburg, and has sat on parent committees for Indian studies and teen centers in Petersburg and Craig.

Like the other two School Board candidates, Garvey supports the bond measure to build a high school at Dimond Park.

"I think a large part of it is the single fact that a lot of the issues and problems and concerns we have as a community in the education of kids boils down to overcrowding in one school," Garvey said.

Garvey hopes that having two smaller high schools will reduce the dropout rate and alleviate social problems such as racism.

JDHS was roiled by racial incidents last school year, and Natives in particular said it was a longtime problem that they had experienced.

Teachers in smaller schools will be able to keep an eye out for harassment better than in a large, crowded school, Garvey said.

But Garvey also said that reducing class sizes is important, and she recognized that that takes more operating funds. The School Board and community need to aggressively lobby for more state funds for schools, she said.

Garvey said there isn't an easy solution to racism in the schools. High schools have cliques of all sorts, including ethnic groupings.

"Everybody has a group that they want to belong to. Every kid wants to belong. That's why gangs do so well," she said. "The key here is not to make it an issue. To kids, issues are negative. Let's make it an education."

Garvey suggested a cultural diversity classroom in which students can learn about each other.

"A lot of what we call a racial issue is a lack of knowledge," she said.

She also suggested adding hallway monitors and getting parents more involved with the school.

"I think parents need to spend more time at the school with their kids. I think you'd be surprised that the kid at school is not the same kid that comes home," she said.