CHARLESTON, W.Va – With election season closing in, longtime Kanawha County Schools employee Lisa Otey is making a run for the county board of education.
Otey spent 35 years in the Kanawha County school system in several roles.
“I started as a preschool teacher. I was a kindergarten teacher, a librarian, a technician, a reading interventionist, and then the last six years of my career I was a reading specialist,” she said.
The experiences gained as a reading interventionist are a big part of why Otey believes she has what it takes to make an impact on the school board. She worked with students at every level in the county and picked up a deeper understanding of the county’s inner workings.
“I was able to serve all students. I served families. I served teachers and staff individually, and I learned a lot about the school system and some of the things that they may need or not need to be successful in the future,” she said.
After working with students and families directly, Otey thinks that experience gives her a different perspective that is needed on the board. She says that while she believes the current board is doing a good job, she can bring an important new voice.
“I can see through the eyes of the students because I worked with them individually. I can see through the eyes of the families that I worked with in meetings and emails and phone calls. I can also see through the eyes of the teachers and staff because I worked with those people as well,” she said.
One of the issues that Otey focuses on is the current debate over school choice. She says while she wants families to have the freedom to choose where to send their children to school, it is also important to make sure public schools receive the proper support.
“Where we have to figure out the answers is we have to make sure that the funding for public schools are also in place. It’s not my kids. It’s not your kids. These are all our kids, and we need to ensure that every single child in West Virginia has an opportunity for the best education possible,” she said.
Otey is running for the seat currently held by Mike Arbogast, who was recently appointed following the resignation of two-term member Tracy White.