Ed Chavez Jr.
My name is Ed Chavez Jr. I’m the son of Edward sr. and the late Dora Chavez of Helper. I’m the seventh child of eight children and all of us have attended school here in Carbon County. I have lived in Carbon County all my life and I have not left Carbon County to find employment outside of the area. I have been married to Jerry Willson of Wellington for 29 years, we have three children Eddie III, Victoria and Jericka all have attended or are currently attending Carbon County schools.
Jerry and I are Co-owners of Choice’s Inc. (It provides community supports for people with disabilities). Jerry and I have been foster parents to over 150 children, I have worked for the Carbon County Sheriff’s office for the past 21 years and I have 11 plus years with the Wellington City Council, Chairman of the Carbon County Democratic Committee, Co-Chairman of the Carbon County Safety Committee and a hunter education instructor for the State of Utah for over 24 years. I am a past president of the Price and Utah Jaycee’s. I’ve been involved in the Carbon High School alumni band for the past five homecoming games.
As your school board member my goals are to keep the citizens and various city councils informed of information concerning them. I will listen to every citizen and take their concerns to the school board. I will seek funding to bring our school security from a department of one officer to a department of three or four officers to help increase the safety in our schools. I will visit each school in the district every month. I will fight to support the students wants and needs and I will listen to the concerns of the teachers and the employees of the district. And I will do my best to keep the parents of special needs children informed in any changes in their child education.
If there is only one thing that I have learned as a Wellington City councilman is that I am only have one vote out of four other members, but I have learned to make my voice heard. And that can make a big difference.
Ruby Cordova
My name is Ruby Cordova and I am running for school board member of region five, caring for families and children has always been a passion of mine. I am a real coal miner’s daughter. I was born in Dragerton which is now East Carbon City. My parents showed by example and taught me the meaning of learning and the rewards that can be garnered by the willingness to learn something from every situation whether it is good or bad. I received all of my schooling in the Carbon School District and I am a product of East Carbon High, Class of 1969.
My passion has always been in teaching whether it was as a teachers aide, classroom manager or instructing new drivers on how to drive a school bus. To be able to see the light turn on in a childs eyes when they grasp the concept that was being taught. Watching the satisfaction come over a person learning to drive a school bus when they have passed all required steps to get behind the wheel. Then getting thanks in later years for what you had taught them, because of the impact it had on their lives, this is the type of reward that will not tarnish or get old.
Through the last 28 years in working with the educational system, I have been able to garner a lot of experience in the establishment of different programs, for the benefit of the safety of children of Utah, on our school buses. Just to name a few of the programs: the Utah driver instructor for school bus drivers training. In 2000 we had our first class graduate from our training program, and continues presently. I also had the opportunity to establish a state wide consortium for special educators and transportation, which also continues today. The establishment of the State School Bus Road-E-O for special education bus drivers. Through our state school bus road-e-o we have had four National Winners. I have had the honor to be a presenter at the National Conference for Transportation of Students with Disabilities, and also the National Association for Pupil Transportation.
My passion for learning, and teaching has never died. My ability to converse, read and write in both Spanish and English gives me a unique expertise to talk to parents of both English and Spanish speakers to present their view. I still work with young people whether its on an individual basis, training of new bus drivers, or in my Defensive Driving class, where many of the students are still young in age or at heart. As you can see my passion has not died and that is why I know I would make a good school board member.
Wayne Woodward
I’m a lifelong resident of Carbon County and a Carbon High School and College of Eastern Utah graduate. My wife Leslie and I have 7 children ages 10 to 25 all of which have either been or are being educated in Carbon County schools. My father was a teacher in the Carbon School District for many years.
I have participated with many local government, community and school organizations including; Wellington City planning and zoning commission, Price City Community Progress Committee, board member of the Nine Mile Coalition, board member and President of the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, President of the Castle Heights Elementary School Community Council, Chairman of the Carbon School District Foundation and many other Carbon School District committees. My wife and I have worked with local school, government, law enforcement and businesses since 1990 because of our involvement with the annual Graduation Spectacular activity.
I believe that everyone that may be affected by a district decision, from personnel to programs to policy, has the right to participate in the process. I recognize that the decision process needs to be timely but it should not be rushed nor should it be come as an ‘out of the blue’ announcement which catches those affected off guard and without an opportunity to be heard. School funding and administration are very complex. Individual school issues are never isolated. What is decided with one issue will affect many other programs and policies. This is the very heart of the need to consistently communicate with each school community.