For those that were unable to attend the Candidate Meet & Greet held on September 16th, here are the comments I provided to the community.

Hi, my name is Tracee Baker and I’m excited to be here today to share why I’m running for school board and why I’m asking for your vote.

A little about myself and my family. I am a third generation Nebraskan. I grew up in Elkhorn and my husband and I have lived in Bennington for 16 years. My immediate family lives in Bennington as well.

I love this country. I believe in the principles and values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. I advocate for individual freedoms, personal responsibility, and a free-market economy as essential components of a thriving society. I am committed to preserving these foundational ideals and to promoting Bennington's school board policy 604.11 which directs the school to teach kids to 'become competent, responsible, patriotic, and civil citizens who possess a deep understanding of and respect for both the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Nebraska.'" In fact, if you stop by my booth, I have free pocket Constitutions for anyone who would like one.

Both my husband and I are public school graduates. We have one daughter who has attended Bennington since kindergarten, except for her fifth-grade year in which we chose to homeschool. It was then that I became more involved in my daughter’s education. During the time I was able to be her teacher I enjoyed seeing firsthand her academic successes and helped her through her challenges. And having the role of teacher for that year gave me the utmost respect for educators and how very tough their job is.

When my daughter returned to public school during the 2022-23 school year, and because I had become so involved in her education, I started attending school board meetings and looking at everything that goes into public education. Attending school board meetings has given me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people in our community. Many have shared what they love about Bennington, and some have shared with me the issues that they’ve had. I have also come to understand just how much teachers and even the administrators are told to do. By the state, by the consultants involved in accreditation, and by the legislature.

So, let me talk about my qualifications.

First off, I am a relationship builder. You must build relationships in every aspect of your life. Building good, solid relationships is the cornerstone of being able to have open and honest communication. And this is easy for me to do, because according to Gallup, I am an Includer. An Includer is someone exceptionally talented in accepting others, and they show awareness of those who feel left out. My team members would always tease me that I would be the first person to introduce myself to the newcomer. And why did I do this? Because I want them to feel welcome. I want them to know, I’m here for you. Having strong relationships also makes having disagreements easier, which as board members and working with the community, we are not going to agree all the time, and that is ok. But as board members we do need to listen and to be responsive.

For most of my career I have worked as a Business Analyst, and in the simplest of terms my job is to understand and find solutions to complex problems. These problems often span across several departments. I have learned to work with different groups with different needs with varying thoughts on how to solve the issue. I listen first, then I must ASK the tough QUESTIONS and build consensus and find a solution that will satisfy EVERYONE.

I have experience in project management, and ensuring projects are completed on time and on budget.

I have developed department roadmaps that provided actionable objectives for the company.

I take pride in my organization and communication skills and will bring this to the table.

I have hiring experience, in both management and non-management positions, and was honored to be a part of the community interviews in the spring of 2023 while the district was searching for a new superintendent. And I think our pick hit the mark.

So why am I running?

I want to be the voice of EVERY Bennington resident and school district staff member, because I care. For the next parent who contacts me, I do not want to just direct them to an email, I want to be the person they are emailing! The school board must be the voice of the community and must be accountable to parents.

I promise to focus on the district’s educational philosophy by listening to teachers to ensure the school is providing a supportive environment for the success of ALL students.

I want to help parents play an active role in their student’s education, which ultimately helps the teachers when they have the support of the community.

I will l manage our public funds responsibly by ensuring the decisions made maximize resources for the benefit of all students as well as the community.

And finally, I promise to be accountable to YOU on the critical issues affecting our district. I will do that by holding regular community town hall meetings. While I may be the one up here speaking today, this is not about me, it is about you and every single member of our community.

So please stop by my table, introduce yourself and pick up some more information about me before you leave and thank you all so much for taking the time out of your day to be here!