The Emeryville Tattler: School Board 2018 Candidates Questionnaire

Showing posts with label School Board 2018 Candidates Questionnaire. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Susan Donaldson

School Board Election 2018

Candidate Questionnaire

Name the top three problems with EUSD right now and what are your suggestions for how to deal with them?

Lack of stability - Unstable conditions that have lead to a cascade of problems: Low teacher morale, poor student achievement, poor community engagement, declining site maintenance to name a few. The new leadership feels like it has made huge strides in stabilizing the district and hopefully a new board will be another step in the right direction.

Lack of resources - We need to grow, sustain and align our resources to support the needs of our students. Our schools need more money and Emeryville is a community rich with resources. The board should absolutely advocate for, support and execute on fundraising for the our district. There is nothing but opportunity for strengthening the relationships with donors and particularly businesses in our community and I think the board should take the lead on this.

Transparency, Engagement, Focus - What are we doing, where are we trying to go, how are we going to get there? There has been so much confusion over the last few years and everyone involved in the district feels it. Families leave the school, teachers leave, neighbors are confused about how the “Center for Community Life” serves them. We all want clarity and to feel like we can finally move forward together toward a common goal.

How do we know if a school superintendent is doing a good job? Is there any way to measure it? Are there objective components?

I believe we will know if the superintendent is doing a good job by subjective and objective measures. Teacher retention, test scores, growing enrollment - these objective measures are indicative of a superintendent that has created an atmosphere for success. Subjectively I think we will see a positive reflection in the community as well - from parent engagement to student and staff morale.

Would you be willing to consider examining the idea of melding EUSD with Berkeley Unified if they would be amenable to that? Why or why not.

I am always willing to consider an idea however it is my understanding is that this particular idea has been considered and rejected by Berkeley Unified and the community at large.

EUSD has had the worst teacher retention record of any district in the Bay Area for at least four straight years. Former superintendent Rubio said that was a feature of his tenure, not a bug….a sign he was doing his job. Do you agree that was needed and if so, was Superintendent Rubio the right person for the job?

I do not think Rubio was the right Superintendent for us. My impression is that strong teachers left and also that there has been an atmosphere of distrust and contention.

Are you aware of EUSD’s academic ranking among Bay Area districts? Has it been trending up or down?

According to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, we have more lower performing students than the rest of the county. We are consistently ranked lower than other students in the County and State and our performance has trended slightly down from 2016.

Between parents, teachers or the administration (Superintendent, managers); who should play the leading role in general at EUSD and specifically in the formation of policy?

The administration plays the leading role in the formation of policy: As leaders, they must be advocates for their stakeholders, and hear the ideas and concerns of the parents and teachers. The administration and staff work together to implement the policy day to day.

When was the last time you voted? How would you describe your political views?

In the 2016 elections (my ballot wasn't counted in the primary this year due to a mail-in error). I describe my political views as progressive.

How do you feel about School Resource Officers at ECCL?

I am not in support of SROs at ECCL. I agree with Mayor John Bauters that in the United States, we have a problem putting children of color in a pipeline from school to prison and that SROs contribute to this problem.

Have you ever attended a school board meeting in Emeryville? PTO meeting? Met with district administration? What involvement have you had with the school? How familiar are you with its management?

I have been a very involved parent since my daughter began school in Kindergarten at Anna Yates in 2013. I have been an active member of the PTO since then and became the Vice President and Secretary, serving for the past 3 years. I have attended many board meetings as a representative of the PTO and also as a concerned parent. I frequently meet with administration and teachers and would say that I am very familiar with the management of the school.

How much money do you plan to spend on your campaign? Do you plan to fundraise?

I plan on raising and spending under $2000 for my campaign.

What is your first goal (or goals) when you take office?

Work with the school’s new leadership to refine the long-term vision of the district and set a clear path for helping our students achieve their highest potential.

Foster a functional, cooperative, board that ensures a positive climate and encourages the best from staff.

Fundraise in order to grow and sustain resources to meet the needs of the students, teachers and community.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Ken Bukowski

School Board Election 2018

Candidate Questionnaire

Ken Bukowski
Retired Businessman

email: ken.bukowski@gmail.com

Name the top three problems with EUSD right now and what are your suggestions for how to deal with them?

1. Lack of Transparency. The district does not share its problems with the community. They’re supposed to have live stream capability as part of ECCL. They could use the city council chambers to facilitate transparency. I would create a bi-monthly live program to openly discuss the issues and problems with the schools. I've seen this in other communities and I think it could work here. Parents could use the live stream and call in their questions. The school needs to gave a name which people would associate with a learning institution. I would ask students to participate in a name contest, with a prize for the winning selection.

2. Lack of Advisory Committees to provide input for the board. I would establish a parent/teacher advisory committee to review board agendas and make recommendations to the board. As it exists now, the community generally interacts in a reactive way because the district doesn’t accommodate pro-active participation enough.

3. Teacher Retention. I would immediately identify one school site, the former middle school Ralph Hawley on 61st Street, for affordable teacher housing and take advantage of state grant funds for this purpose.

How do we know if a school superintendent is doing a good job? Is there any way to measure it? Are there objective components?

How well a superintendent is doing is most importantly determined by parents and citizens. My before mentioned open discussions in the first question about the schools would reveal the answer. We could consider creating an anonymous survey of the teachers every six months with responses only to the board. The results of test scores are what’s objective.

Would you be willing to consider examining the idea of melding EUSD with Berkeley Unified if they would be amenable to that? Why or why not.

Yes, but something like that deserves careful consideration, and acceptance of the concept by the community. I would ask a consultant to prepare an analysis of the number of programs and services available in neighboring school districts. The analysis would evaluate the benefit of having a separate district, as well as a process and procedure of how it could be accomplished. I am not an advocate for merging with another school district but it needs to examined.

EUSD has had the worst teacher retention record of any district in the Bay Area for at least four straight years. Former superintendent Rubio said that was a feature of his tenure, not a bug…. a sign he was doing his job. Do you agree that was needed and if so, was Superintendent Rubio the right person for the job?

I don't understand the question. Teacher retention is one of the biggest problems at Emery (see my first answer above).

Are you aware of EUSD’s academic ranking among Bay Area districts? Has it been trending up or down?

I don't have the latest information.

Between parents, teachers or the administration (Superintendent, managers); who should play the leading role in general at EUSD and specifically in the formation of policy?

The board is supposed to be responsible for setting policy but it usually doesn't end up being that way. However, changes in policy usually requires research. The staff does the research and provides the information for the board to decide. Most staffs provide information which supports their desired direction which doesn't leave a board member with many other choices, especially if other board members will jump to support the superintendent’s desired direction. That is where the role of an advisory board is so important. If a board member has a different direction it could be considered political. The ability to be a leader often depends on how well the staff provides on-going info to the board, and whether there is full disclosure. Many times the state is determining policies. It also depends on the issue and the cost of the matter, and whether personnel are involved in the decision, and potential liability. Then there is the question of law; having an objective legal counsel often plays a major role.

When was the last time you voted? How would you describe your political views?

I vote in every election. I am a registered Democrat.

How do you feel about School Resource Officers at ECCL?

When I was on the Emeryville city council, we provided a school resource officer and it was very successful. The EPD is not like other police departments. They have a high level of community support. I don't know how many immigrant families have kids in our school. The lack of being familiar often leads to unwarranted suspicion which can create other serious problems. SRO’s can be helpful in this regard. Because of past success we had with our SRO at Emery, I would not just dismiss the idea, the way council member John Bauters has.

Have you ever attended a school board meeting in Emeryville? PTO meeting? Met with district administration? What involvement have you had with the school? How familiar are you with its management?

I have attended many school board meetings. I was responsible for the meetings being recorded and getting the city to pay for and broadcast the meetings. I have met with many school administrators and past board members. I helped start the Emeryville Child Development Center and while on the city council, made sure it was properly funded and remained a city priority.

In the past I was not allowed to attend PTO meetings, the past president wouldn't allow it. The schools don’t have committee meetings. I was directly responsible for the creation of the City/School Committee along with my colleague on the council, Nora Davis. I have known every school superintendent since Dr Carona, many years ago. I was the only candidate who attended the recent school board retreat. I recently met the new superintendent informally but have not met with her privately. I am very familiar and concerned about the future of EUSD. They are not carrying out the vision for ECCL. The project eliminated many components for the schools to make money. The student capacity was reduced and that could jeopardize its economic future. The city council bailed out EUSD to keep the district alive but the respect for that action seems to have disappeared.

How much money do you plan to spend on your campaign? Do you plan to fundraise?

Almost nothing, I can't afford the $900 the county charges for a ballot statement. That’s a cost I think the district should cover (the way the city does for council candidates). I filed this year to make sure we had an election and to forward yet another attempt to make the city/school partnership work. I have not looked for monetary contributions.

What is your first goal (or goals) when you take office?

To get the district to pay for campaign statements before another election happens. To ascertain the financial status of the district and learn what is necessary for the school to be solvent. I will immediately explore new teacher housing at the Ralph Hawley site. To have another board retreat with the new board. It almost seemed foolish to have the retreat right before an election when you know you will have new board members coming on. To listen to parent/teacher concerns and set up an advisory board if feasible.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Sarah Nguyen

School Board Election 2018

Candidate Questionnaire

Sarah Nguyen
Teacher/Mother

Web: www.facebook.com/sarah4schools

Email: sarah4emeryvilleschools@gmail.com

Name the top three problems with EUSD right now and what are your suggestions for how to deal with them?

I’m concerned about teacher recruitment and retention, about low and stagnant test scores, and about student and family perceptions around physical, mental, and emotional safety at both Anna Yates and Emery HS.

How do we know if a school superintendent is doing a good job? Is there any way to measure it? Are there objective components?

There are a range of ways, too many to list here, to measure a school superintendent’s success. In my experiences as a teacher and an instructional reform facilitator, I can describe objective and subjective components I’ve seen in the work of successful superintendents. In my observations, people who excel in this role are informed about not only about the conditions within their own district but about best practices and challenges found in education as a whole. They identify and strive to build on their own strengths through ongoing professional collaboration and development. They are aware of, and actively working to make progress on, their areas for growth. They hold an equity lens and ask their community to do the same. They have respect for all educators in their district as well as students and families, and have the capacity to make choices that are best for the district as a whole even when these choices may be unpopular to some. They make informed, public commitments to policies, facilities, programs, and resources that are in the best interest of the entire community and they seek to be held accountable to their commitments.

Would you be willing to consider examining the idea of melding EUSD with Berkeley Unified if they would be amenable to that? Why or why not.

I am aware that there is significant history and opinion on this topic. In the past it may have been an option that was mutually beneficial for both districts and communities. From the data I’ve seen and the conversations I’ve had, it does not appear as if this is a potential solution for the challenges currently facing the district. Emery Unified has access, and the opportunity to gain access, to resources and support for improvement. Maintaining an independent identity is a benefit for EUSD and for the city of Emeryville, and I am ready to do the long-term work it will take for all community members to feel pride in, and ownership of, their schools.

Whether or not it was necessary to take action that led to such a high rate of teacher turnover in such a short time is a Human Relations issue and not one on which I will speculate as a candidate. As both a classroom teacher and a teacher on special assignment serving in the role of instructional reform facilitator, I have participated in the teacher evaluation process in a variety of school settings and can speak to my own experiences with retention. In my observation, two things tend to be present in schools or districts with low rates of turnover or retention. One is a clearly-articulated, mutually-agreed upon teacher evaluation process. The other is coaching, support, and professional development for teachers with identified areas for improvement. If I am elected, it is a priority of mine to bring systems such as these to Emery Unified if they are not already in place.

Are you aware of EUSD’s academic ranking among Bay Area districts? Has it been trending up or down?

Student performance on standardized assessments such as the now-defunct STAR and the current CAASP tests are incomprehensibly low and seemingly stagnant in the big picture. That being said, we can see statistically notable progress over time among some subgroups. As a former instructional reform facilitator with a strong background in educational data analysis, I have six years of experience with reading, understanding, interpreting, and analyzing data such as this. I have a proven track record of using data not only from large-scale standardized tests such as STAR, CELDT, and CAASP but also local and anecdotal assessments at the school, grade, or even classroom level to develop and implement instructional and behavioral action plans that lead to greater success for students across the grade levels. I do not yet understand all the factors contributing to Emery’s data profile, and I look forward to learning more from teachers, administrators, students, and families. The fact that there is progress evident for some students is an indication that progress for all students is possible.

Between parents, teachers or the administration (Superintendent, managers); who should play the leading role in general at EUSD and specifically in the formation of policy?

In my twenty-three years of school-based experience, I’ve generally seen school Boards guide big-picture decisions around facilities, programs, and policy with the input of stakeholders and the buy-in of the community. From that point forward the Superintendent, in collaboration with site administrators and input from teachers, is best responsible for the implementation and monitoring of these decisions. Student and family voice must be solicited and heard as part of this process. In the end, however, the professional educators, as guided by the Superintendent, must be given the opportunity to act in their areas of expertise and subsequently be held accountable for their actions.

When was the last time you voted? How would you describe your political views?

The last time I voted was in the June, 2018 primary election and I have voted consistently since registering to vote at the age of 18. I would describe myself as ideologically liberal, fiscally moderate, and a proponent of communication and compromise among those with differing views whenever possible.

How do you feel about School Resource Officers at ECCL?

I am strongly opposed to this initiative.

Have you ever attended a school board meeting in Emeryville? PTO meeting? Met with district administration? What involvement have you had with the school? How familiar are you with its management?

I began attending school board meetings in Emeryville last spring while in the process of deciding whether or not to become a candidate, and have attended consistently since that time whenever meetings were held. At these meetings I’ve had the opportunity to meet Dr. Scott and to become familiar with Ms. Carter, Ms. Scruggs Smith, and Ms. Goode. I am in the process of seeking meetings with the site administrators, and I look forward to hearing what they are looking for in a Board member so I can best serve their needs if I am elected. I am attending my first PTO meeting on October 9, and I look forward to connecting with more families in this new way. As a teacher myself, it is unfortunately not possible for me to be involved with the school while it is in session. So, I’ve worked to maximize the information I can get outside of school hours by consulting with teachers at the K-8 and high school levels as well as some families and community members.

How much money do you plan to spend on your campaign? Do you plan to fundraise?

My campaign budget is quite small, and my fundraising efforts have been minimal. Despite this, I’ve been lucky to receive the generous support of a number of community members here in Emeryville, among other donors.

What is your first goal (or goals) when you take office?

My first goal upon taking office, if I am elected, will be to learn all I can about the work that has come before. I need to develop a deep understanding of the historical issues, decisions, and outcomes affecting the district at all levels, from the Board and the Superintendent to the site administrators and down to work being done in the classrooms and with community organizations. I believe that all previous efforts are worthy to be studied, regardless of the outcome, as they’ve each been a factor in the current conditions we’re experiencing and can yield valuable insight into next steps for change and growth.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Katy Brown

School Board Election 2018

Candidate Questionnaire

Name the top three problems with EUSD right now and what are your suggestions for how to deal with them?

1- Attracting and retaining excellent teachers - working at Emery has to be a great job, which means competitive compensation, providing the resources teachers need to do their jobs, and effective leadership.

2- Funding - we can't rely on the state to provide us everything we need. We should develop a fundraising plan that looks outside the student body and their families to support our schools.

3- Student success - I would like to see more career training and community focus, rather than looking only at test scores. I think we should look for ways to partner with businesses in our community to offer internships and other training opportunities to students nearing graduation.

How do we know if a school superintendent is doing a good job? Is there any way to measure it? Are there objective components?

A superintendent's job can look different depending on the needs of the district. As with any job, clear goals and expectations need to be set by the board, and the superintendent needs to be given regular feedback on their progress toward goals, areas that need further development, and areas of success. All good performance goals are written to be measurable and objective. The school's overall health (academic, instructional, financial, etc) reflects whether the superintendent's performance goals are in line with the district's needs and whether the superintendent is performing at an acceptable level. There are many examples of guidelines for evaluating superintendent performance from organizations like The American Association of School Administrators.

Would you be willing to consider examining the idea of melding EUSD with Berkeley Unified if they would be amenable to that? Why or why not.

I am always willing to consider reasonable and well thought out proposals for improvement, including this one, but from what I know now, I doubt that merging with Berkeley will be in the best interest of our students. As a small district, we have the opportunity and responsibility to create an educational program that best serves the students in our community. Becoming the small "problem" school in the larger context of Berkeley Unified does not seem likely to improve any of the issues we currently face. And from what I understand, Berkeley Unified has rejected this idea, so I would need more information to understand whether this is really a viable option.

High employee turnover is never a great sign, and I believe that people quit bosses, not jobs. I was never able to get to know Superintendent Rubio, because when we tried to schedule a phone call with him to discuss our daughter's experience at the school and our concerns about the ECCL not being ready when school started two years ago, he never returned our calls or emails. This was one of the major factors in our decision to un-enroll our daughter that year. I'm excited to work with and to get to know Dr. Scott as our new superintendent. It will be important for the board to use metrics to evaluate Dr. Scott's performance, and to make those criteria known to her early.

Are you aware of EUSD’s academic ranking among Bay Area districts? Has it been trending up or down?

It's been pretty terrible for a long time. But we live here, and this is our school. Rather than continuing to complain, I am running for School Board to try to make a difference. Academic performance will always suffer when teachers and parents lack the resources and support they need for success.

Between parents, teachers or the administration (Superintendent, managers); who should play the leading role in general at EUSD and specifically in the formation of policy?

Administration exists to support teachers in their jobs and to provide structure and resources, and it is generally administration's role to set policy. They can't do it alone, though: teachers are practitioners, uniquely positioned to know what their students need, and the extent of parent involvement often is the measure of a successful school. It is true that all three have to work together to create real improvements in student success. But none of them can achieve the school's goals unilaterally. Cooperation is the only way toward progress.

When was the last time you voted? How would you describe your political views?

I am a mail-in voter, and I vote in every election. I am generally liberal on social issues and slightly more conservative on fiscal issues (because the money is rarely used how it was promised to be used when we vote), but I am not registered with any political party.

How do you feel about School Resource Officers at ECCL?

I think the police in Emeryville should know our students, should recognize them around town, and should develop positive relationships with our youth. I wish we had police officers who actually walked a beat, so we could all get to know them in a non-confrontational context. I bet a lot fewer negative interactions with police would take place if the police took the time to get to know the citizens they serve outside of their cars. Let's all see each other as people.

Have you ever attended a school board meeting in Emeryville? PTO meeting? Met with district administration? What involvement have you had with the school? How familiar are you with its management?

Yes, I have been to board meetings and PTO meetings again this year since school has started. I have not had the opportunity to meet with district administration at any length, but I will make time to do that whether or not I am elected to the board. My husband and I have volunteered at the school and in our daughter's classroom many, many times throughout the years. A lot has changed in the past two years, so I'm still getting to know the newer teachers and management.

How much money do you plan to spend on your campaign? Do you plan to fundraise?

At this time, I plan to spend less than $2,000 on the campaign. I have received some contributions from local stakeholders, including the Emery Teachers Association, but I do not plan to fundraise. I'm doing this only to try to make a difference at the school, so I don't have any long-term political plans or any need to get to know voters outside of our community.

What is your first goal (or goals) when you take office?
I would like to take a deep dive into the financials. I am a nonprofit tax accountant, so I review and advise on financials and compliance for nonprofit organizations regularly, including several nonprofits within our city borders. I also advise on nonprofit board composition, fiduciary responsibility, governance, policies, and operations. While a public school board is different from a charitable organization, many of those principles hold true. I would like to look at where funding shortfalls are expected and how we can address them without trying to tap the funds of our student and parent community, many of whom qualify as low-income. I would like to understand what goals the board has set for Dr. Scott, and see where I can add value to the district's governance.

Monday, October 15, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Brynnda Collins

School Board Election 2018

Candidate Questionnaire

The Tattler presents the 2018 Candidates Questionnaire; School Board edition. Five candidates are running for three seats, making this a very consequential election that will constitute a majority on the five member Board. The order of presentation for this series was chosen randomly. Only one candidate's answers will be posted on a given day but regular Tattler stories might be interspersed in the sequence of candidates and there might be more than a day between candidate postings.
Readers may use the search bar to see the candidate's answers as they are posted by typing in 'School Board 2018 Candidates Questionnaire' or the candidate's name; Katy Brown, Ken Bukowski, Brynnda Collins, Susan Donaldson or Sarah Nguyen.
We thank all the candidates offering their services to the benefit of our school district, the parents and children.
The election is on November 6th.

Brynnda Collins
Emery Unified School District, appointed governing Board member
email: brynnda.collins@emeryusd.org

Name the top three problems with EUSD right now and what are your suggestions for how to deal with them?
As the current Board President, I am not looking at things as if they are problems. I am currently looking at situations in which we need to improve, grow and develop our school district. One, being teacher retention, with the recent choice in new leadership it is the hope that this will be a move in the right direction to retaining not only great teachers but overall quality EUSD staff. Focusing also on improving our test scores, while preparing our youth for college and career readiness. These are not problems but what I would like to see as goals for improvement. We are also reconnecting with the Emeryville stakeholder’s and strengthening community relationships. We are currently reaching out to deepen and strengthen our relationships.

How do we know if a school superintendent is doing a good job?  Is there any way to measure it?  Are there objective components?
There are goals in which the board is charged to set for the superintendent which are used as measurable. These are factors in determining if the superintendent is performing on the level to reach district goals.

Would you be willing to consider examining the idea of melding EUSD with Berkeley Unified if they would be amenable to that?  Why or why not.
No I would not, as a governing board member we are responsible to making sure our district offers equitable and assessable quality education to our Emeryville community.

EUSD has had the worst teacher retention record of any district in the Bay Area for at least four straight years.  Former superintendent Rubio said that was a feature of his tenure, not a bug….a sign he was doing his job.  Do you agree that was needed and if so, was Superintendent Rubio the right person for the job?
I feel that if Rubio was the right person for the job he would still be in position. I am truly not interested in commenting on past superintendents or their what if’s. It’s time to move past from the history of what Emery superintendents have done or did not do, as these conversations take away from focusing on the district’s current possibilities and what our new leadership is capable of doing.

Are you aware of EUSD’s academic ranking among Bay Area districts?  Has it been trending up or down?
As with any other School District in the Bay Area there is always room for improvement. Some grades are trending down, however, at EUSD most are treading up, especially at the Middle School.

Between parents, teachers or the administration (Superintendent, managers), who should play the leading role in general at EUSD and specifically in the formation of policy?
It is the role of the School Board to adopt policies that give the district the direction to set priorities and achieve its goals.

When was the last time you voted?  How would you describe your political views?
I voted in every election including the June 2018 election. My political views will not be discussed as this is a nonpartisan election.

How do you feel about School Resource Officers at ECCL?
From my experience School Resource Officers have been an amazing resource for the EUSD campus in the past. Their presence was not to criminalize our community but was able to build unity. They worked with the students and staff, mentored at risk youth and developed relationships that led students into a law enforcement career. I believe some of these same students would have a totally different perspective and outlook on life if it were not for our SRO.

Have you ever attended a school board meeting in Emeryville? PTO meeting?  Met with district administration?  What involvement have you had with the school?  How familiar are you with its management?
As the current Board President I am charged with running the meetings. I was also the PTO President in 2010 when my daughter was School President. I worked for EUSD for almost 10 years building relationships with student, staff and parents. I am meeting with district administration weekly.

How much money do you plan to spend on your campaign?  Do you plan to fundraise?
I am not planning to spend more than $2,000. I am hoping it’s not about the amount of money I am willing to spend that will win me this election to retain my School Board seat but the work I am willing to do on behalf of the EUSD community. I am not planning to personally fundraise, however, the Emeryville City Council has been kind to hold a fundraiser on behalf of the candidates they are endorsing, me being one of them.

What is your first goal (or goals) when you take office?
As a current Board Trustee my goal is to continue to move EUSD district forward in an innovative and progressive manner.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Susan Donaldson

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Ken Bukowski

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Sarah Nguyen

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Katy Brown

Monday, October 15, 2018

Election 2018: Emery School Board Candidate Brynnda Collins

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