Amanda Smallcomb, (Liz Macias, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Amanda Smallcomb is one of the nine candidates who is running for a seat on the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education this election season.
Smallcomb has been a resident of Kearney for 29 years and has lived in Nebraska her entire life.
She said her husband is a third generation Kearney High School graduate and their two children, a fifth and seventh graders, attend Kearney Public Schools, (KPS).
Smallcomb said many of her family members have been educators but said she decided to pursue a career in healthcare. Then eight years ago she chose to be a full-time stay at home mother to ensure that their children had a parent at home to raise them.
As time has gone on, Smallcomb said she has become increasingly involved in the school system.
She said this year she made the decision to step up and run for a position on the board, “I am pretty passionate about making things happen for students in the school system.”
Speaking of her qualifications, Smallcomb said she worked for 20 years as caregiver, behavior support coordinator and nurse in a facility for adults and children with disabilities and learned more about advocating for others.
The work provided her with several skillsets, patience, compassion, creative thinking, problem-solving, finding solutions to issues and the importance of communication.
Smallcomb said she currently serves on two committees for human rights for facilities that have adults living with disabilities.
“I’ve always loved rolling up my sleeves and attacking special projects and I feel like I can be an effective leader…I really thrive on accountability,” said Smallcomb.
Regarding her activities with KPS, Smallcomb said she has been involved in Little Ways, volunteering for reading groups and field trips and later joined the Parent Advisory Committee, (PAC).
Smallcomb said she has been president of the PAC for the three years she has been a member.
She also joined CLASS Act, a community-based volunteer organization established in 2005 whose goal has been to support Kearney Public Schools academics, technology, athletics, fine arts, and safety issues district wide, per their website.
Smallcomb has been a member of Class Act for three years, as well.
“I just love seeing all the things we can do for our students and teachers,” she said, “but it makes you realize how many things are not covered in the (district) budget that teachers are asking for.”
CLASS Act usually has around $100,000 to give back to teachers that come from generous Kearney community donations.
Smallcomb also serves as the CLASS Act representative on the Kearney Public Schools Foundation board. “Philanthropy has an important role to play in public education, and the KPS Foundation is here to help grow resources and dreams,” the foundation’s website states.
Additionally, Smallcomb has been a member of the superintendent committee, where they receive updates about the district and events or items that are upcoming.
When asked about key issues facing KPS, Smallcomb started by saying that the academics of the district are, “knocking it out of the park,” and cited the U.S. News and World Report that seven KPS schools were ranked among the 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School.
“That just peaks volumes to what our student and teachers are accomplishing daily,” said Smallcomb.
Smallcomb said she wants to encourage stability rather than change.
It was noted that teachers across the nation have been leaving the profession at an increased rate and Smallcomb said she wants to be “boots on the ground,” and meet with staff and to experience what they are experience.
Smallcomb cited information provided during one of the superintendent committee meetings, which included a 10-year survey of teachers in the county.
The survey indicated that the percentage of teachers who feel like their communities treat them as professionals has dropped from 77 percent in 2011 to 46 percent in 2022.
Also, the percentage of teachers who marked ‘very satisfied’ with their job has dropped to 12 percent recently, the number at its height was 64 percent in 2008.
The biggest factors the teachers reported were not having autonomy in their classrooms, the view in the public eye, class size, behaviors, non-teaching tasks and lack of mental health breaks.
Smallcomb said when one takes a look that everything that has happened in the last several years, including legislation that has been passed and the results of the COVID-19 pandemic, “its not hard to see why all those things are happening,” regarding how teachers are feeling.
Smallcomb added that the district needs to be, “constantly vigilant,” when it comes to safety and security.
Speaking to the school board, she said it has undergone changes recently and public interest and critique has also shifted. Smallcomb spoke again of moving to a place of strength and stability.
“Public education has become a battleground,” Smallcomb said, “We just need to be united and protect this institution that we all love so much.”
When asked how she would make her decisions as a board member, if elected, Smallcomb said it would include a comprehensive review of who a decision will impact and said the highest priority is the student experience and their education.
At the same time, Smallcomb said you have to be sensitive to parental views and concerns and that teachers and staff are heard in their opinions and are included in these decisions.
“We also have to be accountable to the public, that is where our funding is coming from, you have to be responsible for the budget,” Smallcomb said.
In closing, Smallcomb said she would be honored to have the opportunity to work more for Kearney Public Schools and that she is proud of the work that the teachers and students do.
“They deserve the best,” Smallcomb said.
Editor’s Note: Amanda Smallcomb appeared on 1340 KGFW and this article was written using information provided during that interview. The full interview can be found here.
