Dr.

Jack Raley-Bossier Parish School Board District 1

Q. How long have you served on the Bossier Parish School Board, and what made you
decide to run?
A. Seven years. Eight years ago my wife, Gloria and I sat talking about the educational needs
of our community. How District 1 was always an “after-thought”. Being an educator,
counselor, and wife, she challenged me to stop talking and start doing something to change the
situation. After much thought and prayer, I did just that.

Q. Why do you think you are qualified to serve on the Bossier Parish School Board?
A. My education: Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) from Mississippi State University, Masters of
Education from Centenary College of Louisiana, Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana Tech. I hold
professional positions including School Board Past President and Vice-President, Assistant
Professor of Computer Science, Bossier Parish Community College, Instructor/Graduate
Assistant, MSU, Senior Graduate Research Assistant/PREPS (the Program for Research and
Evaluation of Public Schools), MSU College of Education, Vice-President Doctoral Students
Association, MSU, College of Education, Special Education Teacher Bossier/Webster Schools.
I was a teacher at Haughton High School, and I have over 20 years of business and industry
experience. I’ve received the Excellence Award in Leadership, Teaching, and Learning,
National Institute for Staff and Organization Development, Phi Theta Kappa Outstanding
Faculty Scholar, Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant from MSU. I have past membership
in Phi Delta Kappa, the Learning Disabilities Association, LA Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, Louisiana Association for Executives, U.S. Distance Learning
Association, and the American Association of Community Colleges. My vast business and
educational experiences give me an extremely broad base of knowledge and understanding that
a good and valuable board member should have to do an effective job.

Q. The Bossier Parish School Board recently considered a tax increase to help cushion
against cuts in state funding. Did you support the tax increase? Do you support cutting
spending? Do you support a combination of the tax increase and cutting spending?
A. No, I do not support a tax increase. I did look carefully at our financial condition and
believed that we needed to look for other ways to stay within our budget. At a time in this
country when the federal government has lost all sense of self-regulation and fiscal
responsibility, I personally do not with to see the property tax rolled forward. Sadly, with those
in power, Washington’s irrational spending sprees followed by more and more loans from
China, the State of Louisiana is losing control of our own tax monies. Many citizens do not
realize that over 88% of our budget goes for salaries and benefits. A mere 12% is left to pay for
all other costs from gasoline for our buses, to paying utility bills to maintaining our facilities.
Hopefully, we can continue to have one of the few remaining school systems with reserves.

Q. Recently, the Bossier Parish School Board announced the addition of several new
positions to the school system, including Graduation Coaches, Behavior Coaches, and
Response for Intervention Coaches. What is your position on these added positions?
A. As so often happens in education, those of us on the front lines have very little control over
Federal and State mandates. If you want to know who is creating more and more positions, do
research and you’ll find that it’s our State Superintendent, Paul Pastorek, his backers, the BESE
Board, and the State Legislature. I am opposed to creating positions that are not necessary
during economic hard times. Several times during my tenure on the School Board, I have
successfully fought off the administration’s attempts to create unnecessary positions for their
cronies.
Q. What do you believe is the role of a School Board member?
A. By law, we as a School Board are responsible for two areas. First, hiring, firing, and
evaluating of the Superintendent. Next, policy. We establish, interpret, and enforce policy.
We are prohibited by law from interfering with the administrative side. This is the
responsibility of the Superintendent.

Q. What are your specific plans to increase openness and transparency in the operations of
the Bossier Parish School Board?
A. I am not afraid to speak my mind and voice my opinion. I am and will always be available
to my constituents via email and phone anytime they need me.

Q. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the Bossier Parish School
System?
A. The constant budget cuts and unfunded mandates by the State of Louisiana. The
Department of Education (DOE) and other entities in the State of Louisiana are attempting to
take control of our local schools by placing unrealistic goals and objectives on all our students.
Examples of how the state is taking over local control of education are High School Redesign
and Charter Schools. The Career Diploma is an excellent idea, but not the way the DOE has
designed it.

Q. If re-elected to the School Board, what will be your top priority in your next term?
A. My top three priorities are: in District 1, we have always had an overcrowding problem. I
have been successful in obtaining additional wings and buildings to help alleviate present
overcrowding to a degree, but new and additional facilities are desperately needed for
expansion. Second, reducing and refining expenditures are needed to maintain a healthy budget
and make better use of taxpayers’ monies. Third, increase employee pay and benefits to attract
and keep highly qualified personnel.

Q. Are there areas in the Bossier Parish School System which you believe could be better
served by privatization?
A. No, from the research and evidence I’ve obtained, I believe that our students would be best
served by local supervision and with employees who also come from our community. With
privatization, should an issue occur, the board has no control over the situation and cannot
discipline, sanction, or dismiss the employee who has violated board policy.
Q. What specific measures have you taken as a School Board member to provide greater
protection for Bossier Parish school children?
A. As the Transportation Committee Chairman, I encouraged the increased use of cameras on
school buses. As a result, all buses now have cameras, which act as both a deterrent, and as
evidence if an offense does take place. I was also a proponent to expand the number of Sheriff
Reserve Officers (SRO) on school campuses. An extremely valuable tool 24/7 is the use of
camera systems throughout the schools. Substitute teachers now complete a three hour training
session. Potential subs must have background checks, thorough documentation, must be
fingerprinted and apply at each school they plan to sub in. We have a direct link into the FBI
and State fingerprint databases which results in a quick turnaround time as opposed to the old
system that took two weeks or more for results.

Q. What areas of wasteful spending in the School Board budget have you observed as a
School Board member, and what specific measures have you taken as a School Board
member to address these areas of waste?
A. Eighty-eight percent of our budget goes for salaries and benefits. This only leaves 12% for
operating and maintaining our facilities. Unfunded mandates from the State of Louisiana places
a hardship on our budget. Careful analysis of our budget has always helped to maintain a
surplus while other school districts statewide have red ink and large debts. Sadly, the state
because of poor and inadequate management is slowly draining our surplus.

Q. Are there any additional areas of concern in the Bossier School System budget you would
like to see addressed?
A. Retirement and insurance costs are sky-rocketing plus the recently passed Federal Health
care legislation looms over our budget. The Legislators and the State need to follow through
with their promise to pay for National Board Certification, instead of having the local school
district absorb this cost at $5,000 per person.

Q. What is your political party affiliation?

A. Republican

Q. With what part of your party’s platform do you most agree, and with what part do you
most disagree?
A. My wife and I grew up in the south where the Democrat Party was the only party. My wife
taught Civics and said she could no longer stand in front of her students and tell them to support
the party that best met their political beliefs when she and I had not. So around 35 years ago, we
did just that. Many of our family members were shocked. I consider myself a Reagan
conservative. I believe in a balanced budget, allowing communities and individuals to have
more sayso over their day to day lives, and the free enterprise system where individuals can
succeed or fail based on their efforts. As a Christian, I believe that we should be conscious of
our neighbor’s needs, especially the widows and children. I also believe that if an adult is
physically and mentally able to work then he or she should. I believe in a hand up, not a hand
out. This principle is at the very heart of why I went into education and why I chose to run for
the School Board. When so-called members of the Republican Party can’t be distinguished
from their Democratic counterparts, I strongly disagree and question the sincerity of the party’s
direction and platform.

Q. What is the primary source of funding for your campaign?

A. A grassroots campaign. All expenses were paid by me. I do not take campaign
contributions. My wife and I prepared, typed, folded, stuffed, and mailed out all of my
campaign information. With very few exceptions where individuals asked for signs, my wife,
sons, and I put out the signs. We also plan to remove them October 3 after church.

Q. Would your current job allow you the time to attend SB meetings?
A. Yes. I have been fortunate that meetings have been after work hours. I am extremely proud
of my attendance record.

Q. What is the extent of your knowledge of the LA Open Meetings Law and the LA Public
Records Act?
A. Very familiar. Having served as President and Vice-President, I am extremely
knowledgeable of these laws and others that apply to School Board meetings and to individual
members. I have learned from experience, research, and direct personal interpretations of our
legal staff.

Q. Do you agree or disagree with reported concerns that the Bossier Parish School System
transfer policy is inconsistent and inequitable, and what specifically have you done to
address these reported inequities in the student transfer policy?
A. Being under a Federal Consent Decree for the past 42 years, there is very little latitude as to
what we can and cannot do without the Justice Department’s approval. In other words, our
hands are tied by the Federal Government. I personally believe we follow the guidelines
although my heart often disagrees with the Federal Government.

Q. As you know there was controversy surrounding the appointment of D.C. Machen to
Superintendent of Schools. For whom did you vote to replace the former Superintendent
and why?

A. By popular demand of my constituents, I voted for Scott Smith.