Debra Bartelt

Bartelt brings a passion for science
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As a newcomer to politics, Debra Bartelt said she will run a nonpartisan campaign for Fairbanks North Star Borough school board Seat D, focusing on issues, not individuals.

"It's what's right, not who's right," she said.

Bartelt is a microbiologist who has been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a stay-at-home mom.She said she has the time and energy to devote to a school board seat if she wins in the Oct. 4 municipal election.

"As a scientist, I am trained to gather information, be impartial and weigh heavily my decision," she said.

Since moving to Fairbanks four years ago, she has been vice president of Woodriver Elementary Parent Teacher Association and chairwoman or co-chairwoman of the science fair.She said she has a passion for K-12 science outreach and strives to involve more students in the sciences.
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Bartelt, who faces incumbent Anna Huntington-Kriska and Dae Miles, believes combating the drop-out rate requires keeping students engaged in school while including strong parental support and involvement.
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"I tell my daughter her job is to go to school," Bartelt said.

Bartelt has personal experience with many types of school systems.Her father was in the foreign service, which meant her primary and high school education included a Lutheran school in Texas, public school in California, a Department of Defense school in the Philippines, school in Thailand and college in Virginia and New Orleans.She said Fairbanks is filled with an array of learning options and charter schools that should be enough to meet the needs of all children in the district.

Bartelt is especially interested in reviewing and possibly expanding math and science curricula and keeping students' interests in those areas.As a scientist, she also believes she can be an asset to the board in keeping the debate between intelligent design and evolution separate and clear-cut, should the debate reach that far.

Bartelt said the state retirement debt is one issue that will take up much of the board's time in the next few years, but that the problem should mostly be addressed on the state level.She worries about the effect not coming up with a viable solution will have on teachers in the district.

"The ability to attract quality teachers will be problematic," she said.

Bartelt is also concerned with the safety of schools and the health and wellness of students.

Bartelt said she is not running for the board as a reactionary response.She has few negative things to say about the current board or its actions.But she wanted to take a proactive approach and bring more issues to the table.She said if elected to the board, she will strive to make herself accessible to the public, primarily through her Web site where the public can post issues.

"I want to extend my reach beyond my child and her school," she said.