Name: Frances Klein
Age: 37
Occupation: I currently work as the Education Director for Resilient Youth in Community, known here in town as RYC.
Where are you from? How long have you lived in Ketchikan?
I’m a third generation Ketchikan resident. I was born and raised here, and graduated from Kayhi in 2007. I went away to college, and worked as a teacher down south, first in California and then in Indiana. In 2023 my husband, son, and I moved back to Ketchikan to be closer to family.
What is your community involvement, past and present?
I’m an active member of the Ketchikan community. I’ve been a coach for a variety of youth sports and activities, and I’m currently the coach for the Kayhi DDF team. I am an active and present fan at all of the soccer, baseball, basketball, and other various activities my son participates in. I love attending community events like the Monthly Grind, as well as performances by the Ketchikan Community Band, Kayhi Drama Kings, and First City Players. As Education Director for RYC, I work with at-risk youth in Ketchikan to help them achieve educational success. My family and I support arts, radio, and other causes in Ketchikan.
Have you previously run for public office? When and what office?
This is my first time running for office!
Why are you running for school board?
I’ve worked as an educator for 15 years, and as I closely followed last year’s budget crisis and subsequent layoffs, I continually felt as though the voice that was missing from the conversation was that of educators. Unfortunately, I was one of the teachers laid off from my position (as a teacher at Kayhi), but it did open me up to run for school board and bring an educator’s voice into that conversation.
What are your top priorities if elected?
My first priority is contributing to the process already started by our new superintendent to stabilize the school district’s budget. I would like to do that by seeking more stable health care options for district employees. As part of that process, I would also like to see the district move toward restoring CTE programming for middle and high school students.
The district has struggled in recent years to maintain a balanced budget. What do you think needs to change going forward, if anything?
One major change that needs to happen is to move toward a fixed rate health care provider. Having inconsistent and unpredictable costs from health care does not allow for planning for a fixed budget.
After recent consolidation and cuts, what measures can or should be taken to support staff and students in these changes?
I think one way that school board members can provide concrete support for staff and students is to show up. Current members of the school board have modeled that ethos in excellent ways, by showing up to help pack up and move closed schools, showing up to sell tickets at the Senior Carnival, and being present and helpful at other events. Cuts to staffing obviously means less people present to help, and having school board members arrive and help out is a small but tangible offer of support.
What is your position on technology use in the classroom? Should the district develop policies fully or partially restricting cell phone use in schools?
I am in full support of working with the superintendent and Ketchikan educators to develop policies restricting cell phone use in classrooms. Over the course of my career as a teacher, I have seen how the prevalence of cell phone use in classrooms negatively impacts students. I would be very supportive in seeking and implementing advice from Ketchikan teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators on how to most effectively implement policies restricting cell phone use.
What is your position on use of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, in Ketchikan schools?
All of the current educational research on the impact of AI in classrooms indicates that students suffer from AI exposure, both on educational and mental health fronts. The mission of KGBSD is to “foster an educational culture of academic excellence, meaningful connections, and nurturing environments.” What we know of AI is that it allows students to opt-out of critical thinking, which does not foster academic excellence. AI gives students the option to “talk” to a computer, rather than to their peers or a trusted adult, which does not provide students with meaningful connections, and separates them from a nurturing environment. AI is counter to the mission of our district, and has no place in our schools.
How do you plan to handle public criticism or pressure from the community?
As I mentioned, this is my first time running for public office. However, my family has a history of serving Ketchikan in a variety of public offices. My grandfather, Bill Moran Sr., was mayor of Ketchikan for a period of time. My aunt, Agnes Moran, has served Ketchikan both as a member of the Borough Assembly and as director of W.I.S.H. Both my grandfather and aunt modeled for me the thick skin required to hold public office in a small town. I will also add that one of the wonderful things about Ketchikan is the ability that all of our community members have to share their opinions with elected officials. In the past I have regularly reached out to city council, school board, and borough assembly members, and if elected I would hope to hear from Ketchikan residents about their concerns.
How can the district best support students in their post-secondary goals?
One major goal our community wants for kids is to learn the kinds of skills that will allow them to stay in our community and be successful long term. That means offering coursework and opportunities related to career and technical education and trades. The best move for our district will be to seek ways to restore or supplement CTE coursework, while getting meaningful feedback from community employers on what kinds of skills they would like to see Ketchikan students build.
