Tim Kinkead is not an issues man.
Instead, he likes to focus on the system.
“We have a few levers as board members,” the Bainbridge Island School District 4 Director explained. “We allocate resources, we hire and fire, we provide reviews to administrators and we have a voice and a vision.” In other words, “we set policy,” Kinkead explained.
He’s not about to be pinned down to campaign promises or priorities. As Kinkead understands it, the key to being an effective school board director is learning to pull those levers in a way that maximizes support for teachers and students while navigating the standards set by the federal and state governments.
It’s kind of a vague perspective, but, for Kinkead, it’s the most realistic. Student outcomes are complicated, he said, especially when you look at the kids in the middle of the curve; they’re diverse, and there’s not some magic program or class or approach that will uniformly help them.
“There are no silver bullets in education. You can’t say, ‘What are the four secrets to teaching?’ Instead, you say, ‘What are the high leverage techniques?’ Because they usually work. I think the role in our community is to build a systematic approach to learning.”
Kinkead, who was first appointed to his position in 2010 before winning election in 2011, thinks the biggest accomplishment of his tenure has been the support given to teachers. But that’s also one of his biggest concerns for the future.
“It’s the thing that we always need to be focused on,” he said. “Making sure we can attract new teachers [and] continuing to build the mechanisms on Bainbridge to support teachers.”
Of course, the board’s ability to do so depends entirely on the state’s resolution of the McCleary decision, he said.
“With the uncertainty around state funding, we can’t do long-term planning,” he said. “We can’t have super constructive conversations with our employees — and that’s where the overwhelming majority of our costs are; we’re a labor intensive industry.”
Other big costs facing the school district are related to facility improvements, Kinkead said.
While he will vote to run a capital bond in February — “We have schools where roofs are leaking and there’s standing water … The 100 Building at the high school is a wreck” — Kinkead isn’t sure what will be in it. “We have too many investments we need to make, so there are really tough questions around things like a performing arts facility on the island,” he said. “These are community assets, so we need a lot of community input.”
Kinkead’s opponent for the District 4 seat is Renard Burnett Sr., who could not be reached for comment on his campaign despite repeated attempts by phone and email. He was also a no-show at the recent candidates forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Kitsap.
According to the forms submitted to the Kitsap County Elections Division, Burnett spent 13 years working for Boeing and 20 years working for Prestige Painting and Construction. He attended California State University’s Northridge and Long Beach campuses as well as the University of Phoenix and UCLA Extension, where he recently completed a Business certificate program.
In his candidate statement, Burnett referred to his “ability to see the big picture, understand the real issues” and think critically as his greatest assets. He also mentioned his good communication skills and passion for “communicating with individuals from all walks of life.”
Tim Kinkead
Age: 45
Education: BS in Business Administration from the University of Arizona
Current occupation: Management consultant
Website: None
Fun fact: “I’ve tent camped in over 30 states.”
Ever sought or been appointed to elected office? Yes. Appointed to the position of School Board Director District 4 in 2010 and won election (unopposed) in 2011.
