P.A.G.E.’s School Board Candidate Interviews: Ray Knoff (Zone 4)

October 31, 2023

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(Pocatello for Accountable Government Entities, October 30, 2023)

Candidate questionnaires were emailed to the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 Board of Trustee candidates for ZONE 3 and ZONE 4 on 10/03/23 inviting participation. We will post these responses as they are received. Note: Please note, due to an email error, Mr. Knoff did not receive our initial email which is what delayed his response

RAY KNOFF – School District 25 Trustee Candidate – ZONE 4

QUESTIONS FOR POCATELLO-CHUBBUCK SCHOOL DISTRICT 25 CANDIDATES

1. What experiences and/or skills do you have that contribute toward you being the best candidate for this position?

I have earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees in Technology Education from the University of Idaho, in Moscow. After finishing my education I served for 10 years as a district-level administrator (Technology Coordinator) for two public school districts in Oregon where I designed, built and maintained their wide-area computer networks and phone systems. In addition, I have accumulated enough college credits to potentially secure teaching certification in Idaho for Industrial Arts, Technology Education, Mathematics, Physics and Biology.

2. How do you plan to learn about and then best represent the interests of your Zone?

For over a year I have been considering running for the school board. Consequently, I have been been attending actual school board meetings, watching videos of prior school board meetings, and doing a lot of research regarding the operation of the school district. In particular I have examined the past and current budgets of the school district, and I have read the School Board Policy Manual and all other documents regarding the operation of the SD25 School Board of Trustees which are posted at the district’s website. I have also been talking to teachers and many residents of School District 25 to learn about their concerns and questions regarding the operation of the school district. I have also been reading books and articles regarding current educational theory and practices.

If elected I plan to devote a considerable amount of time working to learn more about the operation of the school district and the concerns of the teachers. I plan to talk with all the district-level administrators of the school district and the superintendent. I also plan to visit all the schools and to talk with the teachers and their building administrators (principals, et cetera) to learn about their concerns and to seek their advice.

Since I earned two degrees in Technology Education and gained vocational certification serving as a District Technology Coordinator, I plan to do my best to learn more concerning the district’s PV Tech (Pocatello Valley Technology) program. I will be a strong advocate for Career Technical Education (CTE). Since I also studied engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, I also plan to learn as much as possible about the district’s efforts to improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in School District 25.

3. Identify an issue within the district that needs improvement and how do you intend to address that issue?

I believe we have very talented teachers in our school district. Therefore, I also believe we have a very good potential to improve the school district’s performance on the Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT). I would like to establish a dialogue with the district’s elementary teachers and their principals to gain their advice and feedback in this area. I will be a strong advocate to improve reading comprehension and mathematics skills at all grade levels including the elementary, secondary and Career Technical Education (CTE) divisions of the school district.

4. Open – for your comments or message to voters.

The most important challenge in education is to prepare young people to be happy, successful adults who find careers that are emotionally and financially satisfying. For some students the goal is a college degree. Many other students will find satisfying, well-paying jobs from the various vocational courses which are taught at the ISU College of Technology, and elsewhere. It is vital to nurture every young person as a unique individual, and to help them pursue their individual talents and dreams for a fulfilling life. If elected I will do my best to serve, nurture and protect the children of our community. I would be honored to receive your vote.