As a newly elected member of the Calcasieu Parish School Board for District 8, Eric Tarver is excited and hopeful about starting his first-elected position in January.

Tarver, who graduated from Barbe High School in 2001, McNeese State University in 2006 and now helps run his family’s car business, defeated incumbent Jim Schooler earlier this month. He is one of the youngest members of the board at 31.

Tarver said many people asked him why he wanted to run for school board when he and his wife, Katie Shamburger Tarver, don’t have children yet.

“I tell people, it’s not about that I don’t I have kids,” he said. “It’s about that I care about the parish’s kids. That’s why I ran. Right now there are so many major issues in education such as Common Core and overcrowding in schools. We just can’t afford to screw it up. I wanted to do my part and serve.”

Tarver, who earned 69 percent of the votes in his district, believes voters were ready for a change. He said he is starting the board with a lot of new, fresh ideas and goals. He said he has researched and studied education issues and has developed concrete plans and platforms.

Tarver said one of his major goals right off the bat is to work to improve teacher morale, recruit good teachers and keep them. He said the district needs to be competitive with teacher pay, keep teachers happy and satisfied, and listen to them.

“Right now, I sense a lot of adversarialism between the board, curriculum staff, teachers, principals and parents,” he said. “It’s like everybody is in their own little group fighting each other. And that is doing a number on morale.”

Tarver said another goal he has is to improve school facilities and build new schools when needed. He said the upcoming economic boom is projecting 5,000 new students in Calcasieu Parish over the next five years, and plans must be made for where to put them and also ensure there are enough teachers.

“Even if we can pass bond issues to build schools, if there are no teachers to teach them, then we’re not going to get anywhere,” he said. “The next five to 10 years is such a huge time for our parish.”

Another goal Tarver said he has is to help parents and teachers navigate Common Core. Tarver said he is anti-Common Core and right now the uproar, uncertainty and confusion really concerns him.

“I think most people generally know that CPSB can’t just snap their fingers and do away with Common Core, but we have to do better and do what’s in the best interest of our students,” he said. “I think it’s a complete disaster. Parents aren’t satisfied with it, teachers aren’t satisfied, nobody is satisfied.”

Tarver said he is optimistic that the board, which will have nine new members, will be able to make a lot of positive changes and good decisions. He said the board’s make-up is well-rounded and diverse. He said he thinks his age and business background will be an advantage to the board because it adds to the diversity.

“Right now we have a good range of people,” Tarver said. “We’ve got some incumbents that are pretty solid, some board members with education backgrounds and some that are business-minded. You need different views to think through issues and come up with the best ideas. If everybody has the same opinion, you don’t necessarily get the best output.”

Tarver said he believes a diverse board will give the community the best decision-making body and that is what is most important.

Tarver said he is relieved the campaign is over and is ready for January to get here so he can began to work. He said one thing he is good at is consensus and coalition building, which is what the board needs.

He said he foresees the major challenge to achieving his goals and making progress will be getting not only board members but also the entire community to think about the big picture and to not bicker or be narrow minded.

“Right now we have parent groups that are so mad and so angry at everything and that’s because they and have no confidence in the board members to take care of their kids,” he said. “We have to somehow earn their confidence back so that they are on the team of the board. That way we are all on the same side and can move forward.”By Rick Hickman / American Press