Holtzmann
Krista Holtzmann kicked off her campaign for Douglas County School Board with a barbecue in Parker’s Stonegate Park July 9.
Holtzmann, 48, describes herself as a child advocate who has spent her life advocating for her own children and others.
She has an undergraduate degree in child development as well as a law degree from the University of Missouri. Holtzmann worked as an assistant state’s attorney and a child abuse prosecutor in Iowa before moving to Colorado 17 years ago.
Holtzmann, a Parker resident, has worked part-time at the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, which advocates legally for “Colorado’s abused, neglected and at-risk children.” She has also served as a preschool teacher in recent years.
She has two sons. Both attended Douglas County schools and now attend the University of Denver.
Holtzmann will be running for the District G seat. District G is currently held by Board of Education President Meghann Silverthorn, who is term-limited and will not be running again. The district includes the areas in and around Parker.
Why did you decide to run?
When my kids went to college and it was time to move to my next step in life, it just seemed like a natural progression. I have put so much time into getting to know this district that these are the kids I want to advocate for. I’ve advocated for a lot of different kids over the course of my career, but the 67,000 students in Douglas County seem like they need an advocate and I would really like to be that person. Hopefully the community will think that too. Ultimately this is a volunteer position, but for me, it will be full-time employment. I plan for this to be my full-time occupation.
What are the most important issues facing the school district?
We have a budget and capital needs crisis in this district and that has to be addressed. I think we need to make sure we’re meeting the needs of very student. We’re all different and some of us have special needs that others don’t, and it’s our job as a district to make sure we’re meeting the needs of those kids. I think we can do better in that area. And in terms of teachers, I think we can also do better. We need to remember that research has consistently shown that the teachers are the most important school-based factor in student achievement.
The board has been divided in recent years. How would you help bridge that divide?
I think the most important thing we can do is to always focus on how everything we do affects the students in the classroom. If we are all sitting at a table and we are focusing on the same ultimate goal, we’re going to have different ways of getting to that goal, but I just feel like we can do better. We can have a common goal and we can put that first.
Would you be supportive of a bond or mill levy to bring more funding to the district?
I would definitely support both. I have supported all of the others we have tried to get through, so this time will be no different.
What else do you want people to know about you?
I would just want them to know this is what I do. I’m a child advocate. I look at the 67,000 students in the county and I think I can help them.
