Dear North Tama Community Stakeholders,

I am a 1993 North Tama graduate who grew up in Traer. I still have ties in the community, therefore I do my best to stay connected and kept informed of my hometown. In recent years my interests in the Traer community and school district has been heightened due to my own involvement in my current community as a member of the Saydel Community School District School Board, in the Des Moines metro. I want to commend the North Tama Community in passing as long over due school bond to build a new high school and make much needed updates to the North Tama campus. This isn’t an easy task, but one that is needed in today’s world to ensure safety and efficient learning facilities for North Tama students, staff and faculty. As education cuts become more prevalent in our State, school districts will continue to see a decline of their buildings with little to no assistance from our State to make needed updates.

Today I read the recent decision by the North Tama County Board of Education to appoint Ashton Wilson to the District 7 seat. In my opinion I feel this deserves closer scrutiny. While Wilson’s community involvement and willingness to serve are commendable, the board appears to have overlooked the candidate whose background most directly aligns with the responsibilities of guiding a school district: Dr. Jason Knittel.

School boards are ultimately responsible for making decisions that affect curriculum, instruction, staff support, and long-term educational outcomes. In this case, the candidate with nearly three decades of teaching experience and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction was passed over. Dr. Knittel has spent 28 years working directly in classrooms and currently serves as head of the social studies department at Waterloo East High School. That level of professional experience provides insight into how policies impact teachers, students, and learning outcomes in ways that few others can match.

Ironically, one of the primary concerns raised by both candidates–and acknowledged by board members–was teacher retention. Retaining educators requires understanding the challenges teachers face, the professional supports they need, and the policies that influence whether they stay or leave. Dr. Knittel’s career in education would have allowed the board to benefit from firsthand knowledge of these issues. His perspective could have helped craft policies that not only recruit teachers but also keep them in North Tama long term.

Additionally, Dr. Knittel emphasized the importance of challenging students academically. At a time when districts across the country are working to improve academic rigor and student preparedness, having a curriculum expert on the board would have strengthened discussions about instructional quality, program development, and long-term academic planning.

Wilson’s ties to the community, her volunteer work, and her role as a parent are valuable perspectives. However, those viewpoints are already common on many school boards. What is far less common–and far more valuable–is deep expertise in education policy and classroom practice. Dr. Knittel would have provided that unique and highly relevant perspective.

In the end, the board chose familiarity and community connections over specialized educational expertise. While Wilson may serve the district well, the decision suggests a missed opportunity to add a voice with extensive professional knowledge of teaching, curriculum, and school systems. For a district facing issues such as teacher retention and academic expectations, that expertise could have been exactly what the board needed most.

In closing I would strongly suggest the North Tama Community, including those without children attending the school and former students begin paying closer attention to what is happening within the district. You MUST attend school board meetings. Ask the hard questions no one wants to ask and seek transparency. Your board members should be seen within the school building during school hours. Not visiting their own children’s classrooms, but speaking to the kids and teachers they normally do not visit with. A school board member must be willing to listen to EVERY stakeholder within the community with an open mind and then move forward with the best interest of the students and staff. You can’t make decisions on what feels comfortable to you or what you think your next door neighbor or best friend wants to see happen. You must think outside the box to make great changes that will benefit the district and community. North Tama is the heart of the Traer community and the communities it serves. If you cannot sustain and grow your school district by retaining teachers, families and students, the school district will only become smaller and ultimately dissolve. As that happens, so does the City of Traer.

Tricia Detje Zeis, Des Moines

1993 North Tama Alum

Saydel Community School District School Board Director