Yocom joins Gilpin School Board

Lynn Volkens

04/24/2008 - Jerry Yocom, Gilpin School’s newest Board of Education member, was sworn into office on April 21^st. Yocom said he’d been considering getting more involved in the community and had decided, with his own children in Gilpin’s Montessori elementary program, the School Board was the way to go. He thinks the Board should consistently reach out to the community, not just parents and students, but also by talking to teachers. It’s very important, he said, to have trust in the superintendent. Board members need to be sure the superintendent implements what they’ve decided and isn’t undermining the Board. “The superintendent also needs to have trust in me and that I’ll support him,” said Yocom.

  Yocom said his chief goal will be staying focused on the welfare of the students and providing the resources needed, without spending beyond the budget, to provide a great education and turn out great students. He aims to maintain a civil and professional relationship with his Board colleagues, noting it’s nice but not necessary to gain friends there. Common sense and his ability to “disagree agreeably” are what he brings to the Board, he said. He described his decision making process, “I don’t make “knee-jerk” decisions, but will put off a decision to give it considerate thought and check with resources such as professional associates, family and others.” Noting that Gilpin is a small community and the actions of one group may affect everyone, Yocom said the key to achieving good relationships with other governmental agencies is to occasionally attend their meetings so that other officials may ask questions about the school district. He offered to be involved in legislative activity “as much as I can be.”

  Extracurricular and curricular activities need to be balanced but curricular needs come first, he said, but admitted that extracurricular activities kept him going through high school. The best way to monitor growth and other goals is to monitor internal things, he said, be more engaged with the teachers, make parent-teacher conferences more in-depth, and have administrators be more aware. Periodic review and self-assessment is his recommendation for keeping the Board on target.

  Yocom’s background is in law enforcement.