10/05/2022
At-Large Candidates for RESC School Board, 2022
Jim Dubeansky
Jesus Jimenez
Beverly Osborne
1.Why are you running for school board? What are your goals and what do you hope to accomplish as a board member?
2.Where do you see Randolph Eastern School Corporation in 5 years? How will you contribute toward making this happen?
3.What particular issue at Randolph Eastern School Corporation motivates you to serve? Please elaborate.
4.What do you think the corporation’s greatest needs are? What are the corporation’s greatest strengths?
5.What would you like the community to know about you? Is there anything else you would like to share?
Mr. Jim Dubeansky
1.I’m running for school board because I want to be a voice for our students and educators in our school system. Some of my goals and what I hope to accomplish is to build our faculty and staff, bring back programs and build the programs that we currently have for the students. I would like to work with the teachers and listen to their concerns, thoughts and ideas.
2. In 5 years, I see Randolph Eastern growing in student enrollment and no shortages in staff. More classrooms added to the school to accommodate these programs and growing enrollment. The KISS TV program will be thriving and growing. We will have more programs and classes for these students, give them opportunities to grow and further themselves. I will work hard for these students, voice my thoughts and concerns. Work with the school anyway I can to help get funding for these programs.
3. Issues in the school system are building space, wasted space. Rooms that could be used for classrooms and land that is available to us to use. I’ve been told that some classes are being held out in the hallway. Let’s take what we have provided to the school and build it up. Look into some grants to help build our school without a property tax increase and I will work with the school to help research for these to make this possible. We have the foundation of a great school, let’s continue to build to make it even better.
4. What our greatest needs are more building space. With the new housing being built the hope is to see the enrollment grow and we need to be able to accommodate this growth.
Corporations greatest strengths is we have a great teaching staff and we need to continue to support our teachers and bring more teachers in. Seeing past students come back to be a part of the Randolph Eastern School Corporation speaks volumes about our school and I would like to see and be a part of this, as we take this school into an amazing direction of growth and pride.
5. I was born and raised right here in Union City. I’m a graduate of Randolph Eastern School corporation, class of 1983. My children went to Randolph Eastern School and now my grandchildren attend. I take great pride in my community and enjoy being involved and giving back.I own and operate a business right here in Union City, I’m active with Stateline Heritage Days and the Parade Chairman. I’m also a member of the Lion’s Club, holding the President seat for the club for the 2022-2023 year and bringing in our mascot Gus the lion to our UC club. I would appreciate your vote this coming fall. Having been a student of Randolph Eastern school, my children attending the school system and now my grandkids, I want to be a voice for not only them but for the rest of the students. We have a great school. I would like to be a part of its growth and help put Randolph Eastern Schools on the map as the best school district in the state. We have an amazing teaching staff, let’s build and make it even better!
Mr. Jesus Jimenez
Why are you running for school board? What are your goals and what do you hope to accomplish as a board member?
As I reflect on where I am in life – living a great career, well-respected by my peers, and blessed with a wonderful support system from my wife and 4-year-old daughter – I need to remember that I wasn’t always so blessed.
Growing up in difficult circumstances, I often struggled to find confidence in myself and to overcome the barriers that WE ALL face. I didn’t always realize this, but certain people never gave up on me and inspired me to overcome adversity to pursue my dreams. As I see children around town, many don’t immediately realize that they, too, can reach their dreams if they learn the importance of working hard and being resilient.
I’ve reached a point in life where it is my turn to try and inspire others. As the landscape changes around Union City, I think it is more important than ever to empower ALL students to aim high and believe that, “With hard work and perseverance, you CAN reach your dreams.”
Unfortunately, some people see the diverse and changing landscape negatively, and a big reason for that is that there is so much division around the country that has led to a distrust that simply has no basis. I’ve learned in life that if we can take a few minutes to listen to the other side with an open mind, we will see that we really aren’t so different. We may not agree on everything, but that’s OK. We can still learn to respect others and appreciate the positives in each other’s cultures – so long as those opposing opinions don’t interfere with the liberty of others.
Where do you see Randolph Eastern School Corporation in 5 years? How will you contribute toward making this happen?
There is no reason why the Randolph Eastern School Corporation can’t be a model corporation in East Central Indiana. While some people may see diversity in a negative way, I know from my own personal experience that there are wonderful things in each and every culture. When we embrace the differences and novelties that people of diverse backgrounds offer and learn to work together, that’s how we grow and evolve. In my life, I have been blessed with a wide range of experiences. I went from a Catholic high school in Chicago to a liberal arts college – two completely different experiences that both had great perspective to offer.
There are hundreds of bilingual families in Union City, and being bilingual is a very valuable skill that opens doors. I’ve seen too many people who scoff at someone for speaking Spanish, but in college, I saw people from all over the United States who wanted to learn the language or just get to know the culture. If we can learn to embrace this diversity and everything it offers, we can build a school corporation that stands out and serves as a model for others that don’t have the same rich diversity.
What particular issue at Randolph Eastern School Corporation motivates you to serve? Please elaborate.
Union City has a very high Hispanic population, but currently, there is no Hispanic representation on the board. I believe that all students should have the same opportunity, but I have come to learn in life that seeing diversity represented in such positions does make a difference. When students don’t see anyone who looks like them represented in these positions, it is hard for them envision themselves in a successful position, therefore, deflates their aspirations to work hard toward those dreams.
I spent nine years as a high school sports reporter in Richmond, and vividly remember the first time I interviewed a Hispanic student-athlete. He was surprised to see someone who looked like him in the position of sports reporter. Many Hispanic students had only known their parents to work in factories or farms therefore gave up on their education at an early age. I learned then that it IS important to demonstrate diverse representation to help empower others. I’ve come across too many students who don’t believe they can ever reach a dream career like I did. The more I meet people and they see me now working at Miami University and our local Catholic church, coaching my daughter’s T-ball team, and volunteering in planning our upcoming Hispanic festival, the more I embrace the opportunities I have to inspire these students, so that they can see that yes, their dreams can come true. Being on this board would give me that opportunity to represent the Hispanic community while staying true to the values Randolph Eastern School Corporation represents.
What do you think the corporation’s greatest needs are? What are the corporation’s greatest strengths?
I have only lived in Union City since 2015, but I made my first trip in 2010 as a student intern for the Richmond newspaper. I have seen how close-knit the community is and how passionate people are for Union City. I believe the current board members and administrative staff truly love Union City and have the best intentions for the students. That is when a community is its strongest, when everyone is selfless and puts the best interest of others ahead of their own. I think we’ve got a great foundation with Superintendent Aaron Black, the current administration, and teachers who love and care about the students, but we have to do what’s necessary to have the whole community buy in. We need everyone to value education and what it does for students. We need everyone to trust that the administration truly has the students’ best interests at heart, and we need to find that common ground that brings us together and work toward a common goal: our children’s future.
What would you like the community to know about you? Is there anything else you would like to share?
I work as the assistant director of digital content at Miami University’s Advancement Department, which is a big title for a writer. I also work at the Jay and Randolph Catholic Pastorate as the coordinator of religious education and Hispanic outreach. Most recently, I have been involved in the community in helping plan and perform at the Union City Fiesta Arts and Cultural Festival. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Earlham College and minored in journalism. I credit my four years at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, my high school in Chicago, as the most instrumental time in my life, and I see my Catholic faith as a big
reason for why I am who I am. I was born in Chicago to Mexican parents from the town of Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico and have a love of the culture – but it hasn’t always been easy for me to embrace that.
I am more than willing to share the stories of my life experiences and how they have shaped me – there are endless stories that stand out to me, so I’ll share one that stands out to me as relevant to the area:
A few months ago, I met an older Hispanic man who grew up in Randolph County. He shared that his daughter was disappointed that he never taught her how to speak Spanish. His justification, sadly, was “when we spoke Spanish we got our butts kicked.”
This hit too close to home. When I was in middle school, I started getting bullied for speaking Spanish, and for the next few years, I didn’t want to speak the language anymore. I started ignoring my culture and doing everything I could to fit into American culture – there’s a reason I speak English as properly as I do. I didn’t think about this at the time, but despite doing everything I did, I couldn’t change my skin color. Despite being born in Chicago, I was often asked if I was legally in this country. When I was 14, my best friend and I were randomly searched while walking down the street “because we looked suspicious.” When I got to college, a place that I was promised would be accepting of everyone, I was called racial slurs multiple times. It made me want to leave school and just give up. But those people who believed in me, and others I met along the way, challenged me and encouraged me to keep going.
From age 14-21, I worked my summers at a Mexican grocery store with some wonderful people who spoke mainly Spanish. I realized just how beautiful our Mexican culture was, and I started embracing the best of both cultures – and I want all of our students to be comfortable in their skins while also embracing the diversity in each other. I love baseball, the most American of all sports, just as much as I love mariachi, the most Mexican music there is.
There is a famous quote in the movie “Selena” that says “You have to be more American than the Americans and you have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans,” because unfortunately, sometimes we face discrimination from both sides, and struggle to find our niche. Some people take this to mean a common phrase, “I’m not from here (USA), nor from there (Mexico).”
I beg to differ. I am both from here AND from there – and I love everything about it! And for the students who embrace the diversity, yes, you matter, and yes, you can celebrate your international culture and embrace the American opportunities
Mrs. Beverly Osborne
1. Why are you running for school board? What are your goals, and what do you hope to accomplish as a board member?
As a current school board member, I am inspired by our administrators, teachers, and staff as they continue to collaborate and prioritize our students' educational and emotional needs.
As a goal, I would like to emphasize supporting our ELL students, teachers, and staff by reducing the language/teaching barrier and improving overall test scores within the corporation. We must continuously strive to provide the necessary resources for our students and teachers to prepare them for future success.
2. Where do you see Randolph Eastern School Corporation in 5 years? How will you contribute toward making this happen?
I see Randolph Eastern continuing to make a strong presence known within the State of Indiana and education in general over the next five years. RESC has accomplished remarkable achievements these last few years with growth in our PLTW and STEM programs throughout our K-12 programs. Along with personalizing professional development for our teachers and implementing Leader in Me at the Jr/Sr High School. Our school continues to emphasize shortening the gap among our English Language Learners in academics and giving resources and tools to our teachers and staff to help with this need in our community. As a school board, we must ensure teachers and students have the necessary tools, resources, and supplies to succeed in the classroom and help educate our students daily.
3. What particular issue at Randolph Eastern School Corporation motivates you to serve? Please elaborate.
I feel that continuing to improve and ensure our students are ready for the next chapter in their lives, be it college, vocational school, or to directly enter the workforce and provide for themselves a life beyond high school, is a big reason why I am motivated to serve. I am motivated to ensure our students continue to get the best education RESC can provide them with the dedicated staff and teachers we have.
4. What do you think the corporation's greatest needs are? What are the corporation's greatest strengths
RESC continues to be a leader in forward-thinking in education. We need to continue offering existing and additional college courses, a broader range of agriculture classes, hands-on training for in-demand job trades, creating more support for our English Language Learners, increase parent engagement within the school and community, as well as continuing growing the collaboration between RESC and local businesses. We are better preparing our students for life after graduation.
RESC's greatest strength is the diversity within our small community, the personalized professional development for our teachers and staff, the continued awarding of grants, and additional opportunities to ensure teachers have supplies for their classrooms. Our STEM and PLTW opportunities we currently offer K-12 and the emergence of Vision Corner as an excellent opportunity for students are also great strengths of the corporation.
5. What would you like the community to know about you? Is there anything else you would like to share?
My husband and I were fortunate to have grown up in Union City and graduated from RESC, as well as our three children. RESC helped prepare our children for college and for becoming the adults they are today. Serving the community and students for the past four years as a school board member has been an honor.
