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Gordon Haner

by

Running forWard 11 School Board
in 2023

Running as

Background info

I am a 29-year-old father, husband, and first-generation college graduate that has grown through a life of exposure to a multitude of cultures & environments. I was raised by two loving, blue-collar parents who both devoted 40+ years of their life to the automobile industry. My undergraduate studies are in veterinary technology, and I hold two postgraduate degrees in general management (MSM) and data analytics (MBA). I am an Eagle Scout & former volunteer fireman, with a close regard to the importance of community engagement, enhancement, and devotion. I am currently a business development manager for a CRO based out of New England. My wife Katelyn and I planted our roots here in Manchester back in 2020 so we can build our family. As we we enter our 4th year in the city with our wonderful son, we agree that one major & urgent change is needed to support our city’s growing young family base: enact immediate changes in our schools that will directly impact the educational and social well-being of our most valuable population in Manchester: our students. The future of our great city!

Prior political experience/offices

None-- I am not a politician and don't plan to be one. One of my goals, as your school board member, would be to keep politics OUT of decisions in our schools. Politics polarize ones opinions, and draws them away from the core purpose of bettering our schools: the students.

Current jobI am a Business Development Manager for a New England Based CRO

Time lived in NHGoing on four years.

Education

I am a product of public school, having all 13 years of my grade school being completed in a public setting. With only being 29, my experience with higher education is both recent & relevant. I am able to assimilate with current day issues & speak towards the impact of both effective and ineffective schooling. Currently, I am the co-chair for education for the new England Branch of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (NEBAALAS). My co-chair and I work with a multitude of ages & ethnic backgrounds to ensure continuing education is offered to every person in New England within our field of work. This includes varying aptitudes, varying languages, and more.

Social NetworksFacebook

Why are you running for this office?

When I became a father exactly one year ago, my entire perspective on life changed. My decisions in my daily life became more and more altruistic, with a sense to better the life of my son & his future siblings. Complaining and saying what is wrong is easy to do, and just about anyone can do it. Taking action to identify subject matters & make plans to improve things is what separates words from actions. I want to take action on foundational problems that are found across all schools within MSD: plummeting proficiency scores, overwhelmed teachers & staff, broken communication pathways, and the removal of individualized treatment of our students. These are issues that require discussion, open thought, and bridges among our communities in order to resolve; and quite frankly, cannot be solved simply by throwing hundreds of millions of dollars in tax payer funds at them. Overall, I would aim to bring fiscal responsibility via protection of the tax cap, support MSD teachers & staff into a prospering school district, spreading the notion that “successful students = a successful city,” and ensuring a smooth educational journey through individualism & equality for each student.

What qualifies you as the best candidate for this office?

Manchester is a unicorn– a beautiful unicorn. We are a city that cannot be compared to any other within the state, let alone within New England. Holding public office within this city requires familiarization, entrenchment within the community, and time. I’ve spent the past 3 years connecting with people & organizations across Manchester to gain a varied perspective on hard-hitting issues that are unique to Manchester alone. I believe that, alongside my platform above, I come with a unique toolset: zero special interests & zero ties to the current voting school board. As your board member, each vote would be based on direct dialogue with Ward 11’s constituents & the input of our amazing teachers/administrators at Northwest, Gossler, Parkside, and West. Our current board votes on party lines & special interests, which again places students’ immediate needs to the side.

What are your thoughts on the Manchester School District's relationship to city government?

I would like to see the Alderman-School Board relationship grow, as Alderman are a much-needed viewpoint for the School Board to tackle issues within the district that are impacting city life at large (such as bullying & absence from class). School Board taxing autonomy would take away the only reason for the Alderman & School Board to currently work together. With checks & balances remaining in place, with me as a ‘no’ vote on autonomy, I look to the School Board & Alderman to come up with common sense approaches at a city and school level to tackle day 1 issues within our schools (proficiency scores, district-wide communication, training for teachers & paras, staffing).

What are your thoughts and plans for the number of public schools needed in Manchester (with breakdown of elementary/middle/high schools in that number?)

I am in line and in-favor with the current number of operating schools for the district, especially if we intend to draw back many of the students we have lost over the past decade-plus. However, I worry that there is too much haste in wanting to act on building new infrastructure and not enough time on tackling imperative issues that the district & students are already facing AND will follow regardless of new infrastructure. We also need to ensure each & every student has access to transportation for any school relocations or moves, as a vast population of Manchester relies on travel by foot to get to school. After all: if we don’t resolve core, foundational issues before opening up new schools, all that we will have is a new building(s) with the same issues that are already at hand. A cracked foundation with a skyscraper on it will eventually crumble, while taking the time to address & rebuild a stronger foundation will have the strength to support growth for decades to come.

What are your thoughts/plans on improving grade-level proficiency scores?

There should be immediate action by the school board to have this be the front-and-center issue for the district. Current de-leveling plans will only further widen the gap for at-risk students, students on IEPs, and students excelling in honors & AP classes. Teachers have been vocal that they are feeling the strain of being undertrained for new district wide curriculum, which will even further increase the workload on our teachers & further the gap on proficiencies for students. The current board relies too heavily on single stream 3rd party intervention for updating curriculum. I would aim to have a more diverse number of groups develop plans with the board on how to immediately improve the educational journey of our students, while keeping in mind that supporting the teachers & staff through change is equally important during this process. Finally, I worry that virtual learning platforms are being given too much time in front of students to ultimately fail them. The board should be investing in looking to alternative platforms, as the current platforms have not increased proficiencies at all.

How would you address student equity?

The school board should be investing its time in practices of equality, whereas each student is given the same opportunities & treatments as their peers. The board should ensure that no child gets left behind in the passing/approval of each new initiative, while equally ensuring that policies do not dampen the ability for students to excel & reach their fullest potential. Every single child should have the equal opportunity to take advantage of a quality education. Herein lies my concern with de-leveling based curriculum as well, on the educational side of equality. I do believe that on the social side of equality, the board should be stepping up to work with Alderman to address bullying & absences in the classroom with parents/guardians. Safety should be a key part of MSD’s equality based practices.

What are your thoughts on extra-curricular offerings in Manchester public schools?

Extracurricular & team-based opportunities enhance the student’s feeling of belonging, support, socio-emotional needs, sense of purpose, teamwork, and dedication. This will also expose students to success, failure, and discipline of schedule. When students feel this way, intrinsic motivation kicks in to have a more purposeful lifestyle. Investing in these offerings keeps students engaged, scheduled, and away from outside influences that could put children in harm’s way. Finally, working households look to their school(s) to offer these extracurricular programs in order to fill their child’s day with purposeful activity, while parents put a full day’s worth of work in.

What are your thoughts on per-pupil expenditures/costs per student?

Cost per-pupil is the only metric that has trended upwards– enrollment is down, proficiencies are down, and the overall view of MSD is trending down as well. We need to look at core issues and act on them immediately, ensuring each cent is spent to purposefully trend all MSD educational metrics upwards (proficiencies, enrollment, staffing).

What are your thoughts on attracting and retaining high quality Manchester School District staff?

Better pay for teachers & paras district-wide is a must. Improving the administration-teacher-family communication pathways will return trust among the three parties to create a better sense of belonging. Teachers have been vocal that they are looking to MSD to streamline practices district-wide, to ensure there is no school favoritism among district, teachers, students, and family. With that, we must promote clear communication for teachers, without worry of retribution from coworkers or peers within the district. Safety is a worry for new & tenured teachers alike, especially with students bullying their peers & school staff. Red tape must be cut to ensure anyone responsible for putting social & physical safety at risk is held accountable. Culture, district-wide, must entice teachers to want to be a part of the MSD family and play a part in growing our school district to its full potential!

What are your thoughts on the Manchester School District's relationship with private schools, charter schools and other school districts that have tuition agreements with Manchester?

Private & charter schools are an integral part of school choice, which is a cornerstone for educational freedom here in New Hampshire. However, if a charter or private school receives a single cent of Manchester taxpayer funds, it should go without saying that the school should abide by the same rules & regulations as Manchester public schools. Most notably, access & enrollment should be available/equal to all walks of life here in Manchester, without question.

What are your thoughts on and plans on school safety?

Safety is crucial to every person involved in the educational process in Manchester: students, teachers, administration, parents, and more. Accountability is a key part of growth to a child as they navigate through the most impressionable years of their life. Red tape & hands-off approaches on accountability have done nothing to promote safety in MSD. More should be done to ensure accountability is met, situations should be used as a learning experience, and families should be engaged to continue accountability for actions outside of the classroom as well. With the availability of outside influences in today’s virtual world, both positive and negative, more should be done to ensure that MSD is a reliable source for accountability & positive influence in the life of each person involved in our students’ educational journeys. Finally, the school board should be doing more to address shortcomings of district-wide qualified nursing hires, which will aid in socio-emotional safety in the classroom.

What are your thoughts on and/or plans for addressing remote learning/other uses of technology in local education?

Student educational approaches need to be individualized, which includes analyzing student responses to direct versus virtual learning opportunities. Those who respond well to virtual learning & outperform proficiency expectations should be supported to do so, while students who clearly show a need for more direct learning should be supported as well. I do believe that the school board should be motivated to search for alternative virtual learning platforms, as the current platform has not assisted in raising proficiencies since its introduction 4-5 years ago. Finally, students with an interest in technology should be supported in exploring pathways available to succeed. Success stories coming out of options such as Spark Academy should be amplified, as this may encourage students to head down a similar path, potentially yielding acceptance to regarded trade schools or an Ivy League school as has happened with students in the past.

What are your thoughts on or plans for addressing vocational and career-focused educational initiative?

This will play an integral part in individualizing the student’s educational journey. Students who respond well to technical challenges & hands-on learning should have access to that pathway as their educational journey pushes toward their initial career decisions. Not every student will need or want to pursue a four-year college education, and vocational schools will assist students in embracing alternative pathways to grant them access to relevant jobs. These jobs will lead to financial success & expose students, early on, to the job opportunities right here in Manchester!

What are your thoughts on as well as plans for addressing issues and costs related to Special Education/IEPs?

Students requiring special education support & adherence to IEPs are part of our most vulnerable populations within MSD. As curriculum moves towards a less individualized approach, these students have begun to be left behind more frequently. Between staffing shortages, shortfalls for teacher/para training, and the move towards more condensed classrooms, I do worry how the current path that MSD is heading down may impact these students. I would propose that we prioritize enticing paraprofessional job listings across the district, to alleviate staffing shortcomings. We should scale back de-leveling initiatives in exchange for more thoughtfully leveled courses to ensure that no student is left behind for their individualized proficiencies & needs. District-wide communication policies from administration-to-teacher-to-family should be updated, so students & families moving from school to school can have similar expectations. Finally, more thoughtful & cooperative training (talking with, not talking at) for staff should be prioritized, focusing on supporting the individualized needs of each student.