Student-Led Englewood School District Candidate Forum 

Candidates choose a piece of paper to see who answers first.

Introduction of the moderators by the school district superintendent

Moderator introduction:
Good afternoon, and welcome to our student-led Englewood School District candidate forum. We are here to talk about the state of our schools and to hear directly from the candidates who hope to shape the future of education in our community.

We as students know that making real progress in schools is not easy. As members of the Englewood school community, we believe the first step is identifying the issues that most affect our ability to learn and thrive.

These issues often look very different depending on perspective. For parents, it may be safety and transparency. For educators, it may be resources and support. But for students, the daily realities of school feel much more personal.

 The things that weigh on us include MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, SCHOOL SAFETY, FAIR AND RELEVANT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, THE USE OF AI AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM, OUR PATHS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE CONTINUED TEACHER SHORTAGE.

Today, we will focus on these challenges and give each candidate a chance to share their thoughts on how they would address them.

Now, we have drawn names for the order in which candidates will introduce themselves… and Steve Leflar will go first. You each have two minutes.

Candidates give a brief introduction (2 minutes each – 10 minutes)
Candidate: Erica Elvove

Candidate: Steven Leflar

Candidate: Tiffany Kapler

Candidate: Janée McConnell

Candidate: Anna Whistler

Moderators asks 5 questions (30 minutes)

 Thank you all for being here today. Let’s get into our questions!

Questions from student panel:

1. In recent years, student mental health has become a national concern. What steps would you take to ensure students have access to meaningful mental health support and safe spaces in our schools?
2. Technology, especially artificial intelligence, is changing the way we learn and how teachers teach. How should our district approach the use of AI and new technologies in classrooms while keeping learning fair, safe, and effective?
3. Students continue to worry about safety — from bullying to school violence. What are your ideas for keeping students safe both physically and emotionally, without making schools feel like prisons?
4. Teacher shortages continue to impact our classrooms, with fewer qualified teachers and limited substitutes. What concrete steps will you take to recruit and retain passionate teachers in our district?
5.  Finally, students want to graduate prepared for the future, whether that’s college, trade school, or the workforce. How would you ensure our graduation requirements set us up for real-world success and equity across all student groups?

 Now we will take questions from the audience here and online. If you are watching live, we direct you to the email link for our adviser, Karla Shotts. It is below the video you are watching now. You are welcome to submit questions.

 Please remember, because this is a student-led forum focused on the needs of students, we ask that you keep questions centered on student experiences and concerns.

Moderator takes questions from the audience (20 minutes).

Wrap up:
Thank you all for coming today, and to everyone who participated in this forum.

If you would like to know more about each candidate, here is the link:

https://www.englewoodschools.net/who-we-are/board-of-education/elections/candidate-info

Election Day is November 4th. We encourage everyone to get out and vote.

Have a great day!