The North Harrison Classroom Teacher's Association and Community Coalition recently sent a questionnaire to all candidates running for school board that was to be returned by March 5th. I answered all 27 questions honestly. As I explained in one of my answers, I did not wish the teachers' union to endorse my candidacy, nor was I willing to accept any money for my campaign from the coalition because I believe it is not in the best interest of the taxpayers. If elected to the board, I will have to bargain future contracts, and I believe that is a conflict of interest. I do want the teachers and the community to vote for me...if they think I am the best candidate!!!
I was interviewed by the committee on March 16, 2010. Those present included: Dan Haskell (union president), Greg Rupp (former union president), Carla Long, Jeff Reed, Anna Book, Chris Fisher, Lorna Wenning and Bob Scott. All but one of these members work for North Harrison.
Here are my answers to the questionnaire...
1. What are your reasons for wanting to be elected to the School Board?
I care about our community and especially the children. Serving on the school board is a way I can give back to my community.
2. What elected positions have you held in the past and when?
I was elected 3 times to three year terms on our community youth baseball board. I served 8 years from 1997 to 2005 and was elected president of North Harrison Cal Ripken Baseball Inc. for 8 consecutive years. In 2006 I was elected to the North Harrison School Board at-large.
3. Why do you think you are well-qualified to be on the School Board?
I have proven abilities in making sound decisions in the private sector through owning and operating my business successfully for 27 years.
In the public sector, I have proven myself serving on and leading the North Harrison Cal Ripken Baseball Board. I, along with 8 other members, transformed the youth league by incorporating, creating by-laws, policies and rules that are in place today. I have overseen many facility improvements and volunteered countless hours on field maintenance, running tourneys and many other duties. I will put the time in to get the job done right.
While serving the public on the North Harrison Community School Board I have continued working hard by keeping informed to make the best decisions for our children, taxpayers and community. I have attended the Indiana School Board Fall Conference yearly and others when possible. I listen to information given to me, ask questions and research on my own. I understand the purpose of all school funds, where the money comes from and what it is to be used for.
I believe in the common sense approach. Good decisions are made by looking at the facts past and present to come up with answers that are best for the future. I am a good listener. I am not afraid to stand alone in something that I believe is right. These are some of the qualities that make me a well-qualified candidate for school board.
4. Describe the job of a school board member.
To be an effective school board member they must realize they have no individual power. It is the individual board member’s responsibility to make informed decisions. The decision should always be made on what is best for the children and the community. They should attend all school board meetings and be accessible to the community to voice their concerns. They should be willing to attend Indiana School Board seminars when possible to keep updated on important issues.
5. Describe the job of the superintendent.
The superintendent is the chief administrator of the board. He or she is in charge of the everyday decisions that come with running the school. The superintendent has a long list of responsibilities but the top on my list is to keep the school financially sound and to have in place the tools necessary to evaluate performance of personnel. He or she should make recommendations to the board and provide the information need to make important decisions.
6. Describe what you feel are the 3 biggest strengths of the NH schools:
There are many strengths at N. H. schools. Here are my top 3. We have many quality educators on staff, much of the community activities involve N. H. schools, and many people that are raised in the community come back to serve the children.
7. Describe what you feel are the 3 biggest weaknesses of the NH schools:
My top 3 weaknesses are our assessed value per A.D.M is near the bottom in the state, the few weak teachers that need to find another profession and a union that uses deception to try to mislead the teachers and community.
8. Do standardized tests adequately demonstrate what students know and are able to do? _____YES _____NO Comments...
Most students yes and some students no.
9. For what purpose(s) should standardized tests be used?
It is one tool to measure a group or individual’s knowledge and could be in part a way to measure how well a teacher teaches.
10. What items would you add or subtract from our current curriculum and why?
As an individual board member I do not have any power to make these decisions, however my opinion would be to add a second foreign language in the high school and dual credit classes. This takes General Fund money and I don’t see this happening anytime soon. It is also important to me to keep elementary class sizes at 25 students or less. The superintendent makes the recommendation to add or subtract curriculum and I would look at the facts and make my decision.
11. Please comment on your position regarding the Charter Schools and Vouchers.
Parents should have the right to choose what is best for their children. I have no problem letting the money follow the child or think we should be afraid of the competition it may create.
12. Where should the district spend more or less money?
With the crisis in the state budget I think we may have only one option and that is to spend less. Our superintendent has to make that recommendation.
13. What is your knowledge/position on the recent changes and drastic funding cuts made by the Department of Education?
The General Fund is the fund the cuts have been made in. The amount we get in this fund has always been determined by the state and not the school board or superintendent. The General Fund is now tied nearly 100% to revenues of the state which in return is tied to how the economy is doing in the state. Education is 50% of the states budget and when a crisis comes, like the one we are in now, it is to be expected that there will be less money to give. North Harrison’s deduction this year so far is nearly $600,000.00 and could be more before the year is over.
14. How will you support school funding and fiscal policies to ensure that your employees’ economic packages (salaries/wages and benefits) are sufficient to attract the best new educators and be competitive with the best school corporations in the state?
We have had many employees take hits in this area but not so much the teachers. Any teacher aid, secretaries and cafeteria employees hired recently have no paid insurance as they did in the past.
I will not support using local property taxes to fund General Fund expenses. If the General Fund can afford a raise I will support it. For the 2008-09 school year when North Harrison’s average teachers‘ salary was ranked 69th out of 300 school corporations in the state Superintendent Dr. Partenheimer offered the teachers, with board support, a 2% raise and over a 5% one time bonus. This was the most the General Fund could afford. In my estimation it would have put the corporation ranking above 30th in the state. Unfortunately the teachers union wanted more and turned the offer down. If General Fund could afford making our teachers the highest paid in the state I could support that. Unfortunately it could not support the 4 year contract signed in 2000 causing a 4 million cash balance in the General Fund into bankruptcy and forcing the school to lay off teachers in 2005.
15. How will you maintain effective communications with local and state teachers associations?
I am always willing to discuss any issue with local or state teachers unions. I am very approachable. Anyone can reach me by all means of communications. I’ll talk face to face about any issue that is legal to do so.
16. What research will you do to be well-educated and familiar with all "sides" of an issue before casting a vote as a Board member?
I base all my decisions on the facts presented to me by the superintendent. I do research on my own if I feel I need more information. If someone would speak at the board meeting I listen. Most decisions are based on what is best for the children and fair to the taxpayers. I will talk to anyone that has any concerns.
17. What training and education should you receive to be an effective school board member?
I have and will continue if elected to attend Indiana School Board Association conferences and seminars. I read information the association sends me. I research information on my own. I will also expect the superintendent to educate and keep me informed on all issues that he wants my support on.
18. In your opinion, who are the top stakeholders in NH Schools?
Children
Taxpayers
Staff
Parents / Guardians
Local Businesses
19. If elected, what will you do to make sure you understand the opinion of school staff?
Again, I am very approachable. I can be contacted by phone, e-mail, mail, and I am glad to talk to any group or person.
20. Will you support policies that ensure fair treatment of all employees? Comments are welcome.
I am unaware of any policy that is unfair to our employees. All policies should be fair to all stakeholders.
21. What should we, as a school community, do to improve school safety and student bahavior?
If there is a problem with school safety, I as a board member want to know exactly what the problem would be. In order to improve safety you have to define what is not safe in our buildings. Student behavior is relative to school safety and there are policies in place to handle these issues. If the policy needs to be looked at to improve safety that is an option. I believe Mr. Davis and Mr. Pitman’s old paddles in their offices need dusted off. Call me old fashioned. I think there should be more parent involvement in our middle and high school on this issue. I would like to see more dog searches on school grounds. The more students that are encourage to participate in extracurricular activities promotes better behavior and grades. The bottom line is to determine areas that need improved, involve parents and figure out ways to discourage bad behavior and encourage good.
22. Please comment on your position regarding formal evaluation of school administrators AND should teachers have input regarding administrator evaluations?
It absolutely needs to be done. This is the superintendent’s responsibility. (see answer #5 ) The board should approve the tool and the evaluation should be done every year. My opinion is a teacher or teachers should have input as long as they will sign their name to it however, the same should apply to all teachers evaluations that parents should have input as long as they sign their name to it too.
23. If the school corporation is faced with making cuts in programs/services due to state mandated financial shortfalls, how would you rank the following?
(on a scale of 1-10: 1= first item recommended, 10 = last item recommended)
_____ Eliminate PE classes
_____ Absorb positions due to retirements/resignations if possible
_____ Eliminate Fine Arts classes {Music, Band, Art}
_____ Reduce the number of instructional aides/secretarial positions
_____ Eliminate Extracurricular activities
_____ Eliminate Sports activities
_____ Eliminate Teaching positions
_____ Eliminate Practical Art classes {Tech. Ed., Home Ec.}
_____ Eliminate Counselors where not required by law
_____ Eliminate Administrative positions
I would have to have all the facts case by case and listen to the superintendent’s recommendation before I would give an answer. If there is unnecessary spending found I can support that. 24. Do you wish to have this coalition endorse your candidacy? I do not wish for the teacher union to endorse my candidacy. If re-elected to the board I do not believe it is in the best interest of the taxpayers to except an endorsement from the teachers union that the school board will have to bargain salary/wages and benefits in the future. I do however want teachers and community members that think I am the best candidate to vote for me. 25. If endorsed, are you willing to apply to form a Political Action Committee? No 26. If endorsed, will you accept contributions from the teachers' association political action committee? No 27. Do you authorize the North Harrison Classroom Teachers Association and Community Coalition to include you name on a slate of school board candidates it endorses? No
