GILLETTE, Wyo. — Election season is well underway and County 17 has sent a list of questions to each candidate who has filed to run for office in contested races.
These questions are designed to give our readers a better understanding of the people behind the names on the ballot. All candidate responses submitted to County 17 are republished as they are received. County 17 solely made minor edits to the responses, for clarity. Minor edits may include correcting punctuation, capitalization or spelling.
Below, get to know Lira Williamson, who is running for election to the Campbell County School District Board of Trustees:
- Please introduce yourself and describe your educational and employment
history. Please include your name and hometown along with highlights of your
past involvement in the Campbell County community.
Hello, I am Lira Williamson. I was born in the former USSR. I am a mother of one. I have a bachelor’s degree in business and I am a stay-at-home mom, but, previously, I was employed in international sales.
2. What prompted your decision to run for school board?
We must protect our children. Politically motivated agendas have no place in our education system. No sexually explicit books, no Critical Race Theory and no teaching of dozens of genders. Return to the basics
What do you have to offer the community as a board member?
I know the warning signs of what is happening since I’ve personally lived through it. I will bring that unique perspective.
What do you believe your role is as a board member?
To bring my personal experience of the tactics currently being set into motion so we can prevent it from getting a grip. Education must be just that, education. No opinions interjected such as CRT, gender studies or sexualization of children.
3. How do you propose Campbell County School District attract and retain quality
educators and other staff, given employee shortages?
Reduce unnecessary waste such as unneeded renovations to buildings, cut bloated administrative positions and redistribute those funds to teachers so they earn appropriate wages. Maintain adequate teacher-to-student ratios so our teachers can perform their jobs effectively.
How can board members help provide an environment in which employees can thrive?
Simple: keep politics out of education so the only focus is education.
4. What does a successful school district look like?
A successful school district is transparent, focuses on education not personal or political agendas and creates a high percentage of graduates.
5. What does the school district administration do well?
I currently do not have a position on this question.
6. How has education impacted your life?
I have been able to travel to multiple countries and learn multiple languages.
7. What advice would you offer parents of school-aged children to empower
students in their learning?
I would advise less interaction with social media, gaming, and being glued to mobile phones.
8. What lessons did our school district community learn from the COVID-19
pandemic?
I believe from other parents that had children in school that online learning is easily manipulated. Children do not take it seriously. We know the covid mask mandates and isolation at home increased depression as well.
How will you help the school district’s efforts to recover the academic
losses associated with the pandemic?
Losses are very hard to recover. If we focus on the basics we will have a solid footing to begin to recover.
9. Should the school board promote more community involvement? If so, how? If
not, why not?
Yes, transparency and involvement from the community is essential.
10. Is there anything else voters should know about you and your perspective?
I want our children to be children and develop naturally without unnecessary agendas that could confuse them or hamper their development.
