BRISTOL, Va. – Career educator John Iskra hadn’t planned to run for the city School Board, but now finds himself in a five-person race.
Iskra, 45, is seeking one of three seats in the May 4 election. Others include Randy Alvis, incumbent Eric Clark, Beth Rhinehart and incumbent Randy White.
“I was asked to run by several different people. I’ve spent my entire life in education on one level or another,” Iskra said. “I think I’m qualified, I think I could do a good job and I believe as citizens we have the duties to serve our communities – especially when asked. And I believe education can have a great influence beyond this community.”
He first considered running in February, after reading a Bristol Herald Courier article that no candidates had qualified at that time.
Iskra has taught and coached at Emory & Henry College for the past six years and currently chairs the math department. An avid runner, he previously coached the school’s cross-country team for three seasons.
Prior to that, he taught one year at Emory University in Georgia.
He also previously taught in public schools, including kindergarten and middle schools in Oregon. He moved to this region a few years ago to earn his doctorate degree in math from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
“I just loved this part of the country. So as soon as a tenure-track position came open, I came,” he said. “That sealed the deal because I just like everybody. Everybody I’ve met here is so nice.”
Iskra moved in Bristol so his children could eventually enroll in the academically challenging International Baccalaureate program that is now being phased out by school officials, due to low participation and high costs.
“I did speak on IB at the [School Board] meeting, but I’m not motivated by a single issue,” Iskra said. “I know everybody has severe budget shortfalls. If possible, I would like to see IB back, but if it’s not financially possible, then it’s not financially possible.”
Iskra said he hopes everyone who serves on the board makes decisions with the best interests of children in mind.
“We’ve been very happy with the education our children are getting,” he said.
The candidate is a Detroit native who graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in math. He later moved to Oregon and got his teaching certificate from the University of Oregon.
His wife, who is from Oregon, is director of the Abingdon Main Street program. The couple’s children attend Virginia Middle School and Washington-Lee Elementary.
dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532
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