This is the third in a series of profiles of primary-election candidates for North Kitsap School Board.

POULSBO — Glen Robbins is a product of the North Kitsap School District.

He attended Wolfle Elementary School, graduated from North Kitsap High School in 1972, then went on to college and a career as an educator and administrator in the North Kitsap School District.

He lives on the same property on which he grew up, just outside Port Gamble. And now he’s running for the District 4 position on the North Kitsap School Board.

“I’m running for the school board because, No. 1, I have a strong belief in public education and its important role in educating our youth and keeping our country strong,” Robbins said.

Robbins recently retired from a 39-year career in education, during which he served as a teacher, principal and administrator.

He was principal at Poulsbo Elementary School and Breidablik Elementary School, and most recently worked as an interim assistant director in the safety and emergency preparation department. He is a board member for the North Kitsap Schools Foundation.

“I look forward to the opportunity to give back to my community in an area that I have a strong passion for: education of our youth.”

Robbins, 60, is president of the Sons of Norway Lodge in Poulsbo. He is one of three candidates for the District 4 position on the school board. The others are Loretta Byrnes, an independent consultant on program design and performance management; and Scott Henden, an electrical contractor seeking a second term.

The two top vote-getters in the Aug. 4 primary will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. School board members serve four-year terms and are not paid.

Robbins has a bachelor of arts in education, with a specialization in elementary education, from Central Washington University. He earned his master’s degree in computers in school from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He earned his principal certification from Seattle Pacific University.

Robbins has a few goals for the school district.

“When I look at how I’ve been a school leader before, as an administrator and a teacher, I look at the instructional piece,” Robbins said. “I certainly want to make sure that we have strong programs — kindergarten through high school — making sure that we have opportunities for kids to advance. So, a strong AP (Advanced Placement) program at the high school, but also a career and technical educational (program) that goes along with that.”

Robbins said he’s “a proponent” of staff development.

“We need to support our staff members and teachers and para-educators with training to meet the different goals and objectives,” Robbins said.

He added, “Most importantly, I want to listen to the stakeholders: our families, our students, our community members, our business leaders and, of course, our school employees (to) work together to build a world-class school district for our kids.”

Here’s what he had to say about some issues.

Common Core: “A set of standards is a good thing,” Robbins said. “Forty-one states have embraced Common Core.

“Right now, there’s a lot of debate around Common Core, but I think the idea that we have a set of standards nationwide is beneficial to our students.”

Robbins said having nationwide standards is especially good for children in military families who may have to move between states.

“Whether they’re a perfect set of standards, we don’t know that,” Robbins said. “Through assessments we will be using throughout the nation, I think we can pull together and really fine-tune the standards.”

Testing: Robbins said state-mandated testing is something that “always has existed” in one form or another and, though important, he doesn’t want to overtest.

“I think we need a balance,” he said. “I think instruction is first and foremost, and using assessments is an important tool in driving our instruction, and then assessing overall student performance and instruction and how we’re doing, are we hitting the targets.”

He added that schools shouldn’t have to spend the whole time assessing, and should give teachers the “time to do their art and teaching.”

District and teen suicide prevention: “Suicide is such a tragic, tragic thing,” Robbins said. “A district can’t prevent that alone. Suicide is a societal responsibility. We need to work together — the schools, community leaders, faith communities, parents, families — … to make sure our schools support our kids emotionally and provide safe environments for our kids to learn and flourish.”

Robbins said the school district needs to provide a safe environment where students can feel safe to approach an adult with problems and/or for help. He’d like to see a collaborative effort with kids in anti-bullying educational programs.

On how he stands apart from other candidates: “I think … the board benefits from having a variety of lenses,” Robbins said. “There’s business people, in the past there’s been medical personnel, business leaders …  I look through the lenses as an educator, not only as a teacher but as an administrator. I understand how kids learn, I understand how teachers can do the best job in their classroom.

“As a product of North Kitsap schools, I feel that I was very successful, so I want to be able to use that education lens that I carry and use that to be able to support the district and our kids and our families.”

On relations with Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish governments: “I really appreciate the fact that we are working together with the Tribes and the school district, working together to meet the needs of kids,” Robbins said.

He said the newly passed legislation requiring Washington school districts to teach Native American history and culture is exciting.

“I think that sovereignty education, treaty rights education, is important,” Robbins said. “We’re one (school district) of just a couple in the United States with two Tribes in the school district.”

He thinks working closely with the Tribal leaders, and having support personnel from the Tribes in the schools, is an important “bridge” between the district and the Tribes.

“They’re our kids, and we need to provide quality education for them … all of our kids,” Robbins said.