Casey Martin (Buena Vista School District, District 1, Colorado, candidate 2023)

Casey Martin (Democratic Party) ran for election to Buena Vista School District, District 1 in Colorado on November 7, 2023.^[1]

Elections

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Casey Martin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Martin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a spouse to a school nurse, father of three BV Schools students, son of a retired public school teacher and a lawyer practicing in the Arkansas and Roaring Fork River Valleys. Our family began visiting Buena Vista in the late 1990s, and after several years of ski bumming and hospitality work in Aspen, my wife and I returned to the Midwest to earn graduate degrees, begin our careers and start our family. During that time we found ourselves spending almost every long weekend and vacation on the road to BV and back - 11hrs each way from Kansas City. Father's Day weekend of 2018 we moved to BV and that fall enrolled our kids at Avery Parsons Elementary School. We've had an excellent experience with BV Schools, and I look forward to the opportunity to help make them even better.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I will be a champion for public education as the backbone of our community's success.
• Our teachers, staff and administrators are our most valuable resource. We have to make sure we can hire and retain the best people possible.
• It's all about the kids and preparing them for productive citizenship.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public education, voting rights and elections, energy and civil rights.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

To be a thoughtful and reasonable steward of our most precious public asset - public schools.

Who are your constituents?

The voters, administrators, teachers, staff and students of the Buena Vista School District.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

We have to be competitive with surrounding districts with regard to pay, benefits and working conditions for teachers and staff. Opening the lines of communication with existing teachers and staff will help us retain talent and recruit the next great educator for our kiddos.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

A classroom with a manageable number of students for the educator. A classroom led by a professional educator with the education and experience necessary to challenge students to become the best versions of themselves. It doesn't always have to be "fun," but it should always be interesting.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

I do not pretend to be an expert on good teaching. I'll leave it to our administrators and professional educators to determine best practices in the classroom.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

We should partner with Colorado Mountain College and/or enhance our involvement with Western Colorado University to give high school students greater opportunity to experience college level classes and vocational/technical training.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

We first need to evaluate the allocation of current resources through the budgeting process. Where there are shortfalls, and there will be shortfalls, we must advocate at the state level for full funding under the established formula. While grant funding is also a great way to fund special programs, it cannot be relied upon to support teacher/staff salaries. Accordingly, if there are still shortfalls, or we determine that additional funding is necessary to support our teachers, staff or capital projects, we may be forced to ask the voters for additional tax revenue. Nobody likes to pay more taxes, but if there's a cause worth supporting, it's public education.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

School safety is about much more than the protection of students and staff from mass shootings. It's about creating an environment where students, teachers and staff are also safe from bullying, harassment and substance abuse. Emphasizing a culture of mutual respect, empathy and common purpose - something BV does a great job with - will help foster a safe learning environment. We must also continue to improve systems that help school leaders identify students experiencing mental health issues, abuse, neglect or substance abuse, and have the resources available to get them the help they need.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

An increased emphasis on having mental health counselors available in schools for students, faculty and staff. Addressing the mental health needs of the school system proactively can only improve educational outcomes, behavioral outcomes and retention of our faculty and staff.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

An ability to empathize and seek consensus. As a lawyer, I'm forced to understand all sides of every issue my clients may be facing in order to provide the best advice and counsel. It is almost never an "all-or-nothing" game, so we have to find middle ground where all interested parties can come away feeling heard, understood and considered in the final result. I will bring this same skill to the Board of Education to help my colleagues reach consensus on the important topics before them.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Planning for legacy is a fools errand. If you do the work, treat people with respect and provide a rational basis for decisions made, the rest should take care of itself.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Sugaree - Jerry Garcia Band

What is your favorite book? Why?

A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway. There's a scene that takes place in Austria during winter and his description of backcountry skiing in the Alps stole my imagination - I think of it every time I slap skins on the bottom of my boards.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I'm terrible at telling jokes. I prefer to get laughs by telling self-deprecating stories like the one that happened just last week whem I spilled half of a Nalgene on my pants before boarding a flight to Kansas City - the men's bathroom near Gate 31 at DIA surely got a laugh out of the guy aiming the hand dryer at his nether regions.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Indiana Jones

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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[1] ↑ Submitted to Ballotpedia's candidate survey in 2023.