Interview with Outgoing School Board President Jaime Matthews

Jaime Matthews and James Fields pose with awards received at the September 14 CRSD board meeting. Photo courtesy of CRSD.

By Allison Sayer

After six years on the Copper River School District (CRSD) school board and four years as president, Jaime Matthews has chosen not to run for re-election this fall. Both Matthews and James Fields, who has served since 2009 and is not running for re-election, were recognized for their service at the regular September school board meeting.

In a recent phone conversation, school superintendent Thérèse Ashton praised Matthews for how she “helped me get into my role as superintendent,” and Fields for his “good feedback and support for me.” She continued, “Those two have helped me a great deal.”

Matthews’ service to the school district mirrored her childrens’ progress through the school system. “When they’re little, you do spirit tickets and root beer floats and the fun stuff,” she said. 

She was also heavily involved with the Parent Teacher Organization, the digital technology committee, and her local advisory school board. Matthews ran for school board because, “When they got into high school and junior high it was important to me to have the stability of teachers and leadership.” Matthews cites her own children graduating out of the district as her reason for stepping down. 

Matthews says of her time on the board, “It’s been a positive experience. It’s no fun sometimes when you’re dealing with people’s kids and people’s jobs, but still positive. COVID has brought challenges over recent years. We are happy with how we’ve handled it. It is different from some districts, but it’s our superintendent and board listening to our community.” 

Overall, Matthews feels that “the last two or three years our board has really come together. We are efficient, and we can talk through issues. I’m proud of how the board works together.” Matthews also stated that turnover among teachers within the district has gone down, which she feels is important for the students. 

Looking farther back on her time on the school board, Matthews recalled the superintendent search and transition as one of the bigger accomplishments of her tenure. “I’m really big on transparency,” she said, “We had a lot of public meetings and made sure there was a lot of communication.” Once Ashton was hired, Matthews devoted several hours a week to working with her personally. 

Matthews said having a strategic plan in place gave a solid framework for setting goals for schools and the superintendent, and for keeping those goals consistent even in the event of administrative turnover. “I do really compliment the board on bringing together the strategic plan,” she said.

The involvement of student representatives to the school board was another highlight of Matthews’ board experience. She has enjoyed hearing their reports and having the opportunity to ask them what they think about issues the board is considering. “That’s definitely a fun part to keep and encourage.” She also believes that civic involvement should start at a young age and that participation in board meetings is a good opportunity to develop those skills. 

I have noticed in my own coverage of school board meetings that the tone is refreshingly civil and thoughtful. I asked Matthews whether she had any advice about maintaining a positive, student-centered climate within the meetings. 

She has extensive experience with other boards, and commented, “One thing that’s different about the school board is that it’s a very formal protocol. I think if everyone respects the protocol it flows nicely.” Matthews also cites being inviting to parent participation, which has increased with the accessibility of meetings via Zoom, as important to maintaining transparency. 

Matthews hopes the future board will maintain “being positive, being all about the kids and keeping up the transparency.” She also hopes that board members will welcome new perspectives. “I’ve always been that person to say, ‘Don’t say: Because we’ve always done it that way,’” she said, encouraging instead the question: “Is this what’s best for the kids?” 

Matthews observed that the new board candidates, who are running unopposed and will presumably be elected, are longtime residents who “understand and know the community.” She expects, “It will take a little while finding their groove,” because there is a lot to learn. However, she feels quite positive about their future.

Serving on the CRSD school board really is service. In addition to the monthly general school board meetings, every board member is on about three different committees. These committees meet separately to discuss specific contracts or topics. Unlike larger school districts in which board members receive salaries, or even pensions and benefits, CRSD offers board members a stipend of just $75/month. Several board members, including both Matthews and Fields, donate those stipends back to student sports teams or clubs. 

Matthews will continue to volunteer to teach “practical business skills” in the school district, drawing on her own background in business. In these classes, Matthews works with students on resume building and mock interviews. The classes also include practical advice about things like keeping a social media profile appropriate for potential employers to view. 

Matthews would like to encourage more local parents to get involved with volunteering or coaching. “A lot of families that have [historically] been active no longer have kids in school,” she said, “Each parent has their thing that they could bring to the school. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I believe that it’s true.”