Minneapolis Public Schools
School Board Candidate (at-large)
DFL Achievement Gap Committee Candidate Questionnaire
Response to Question 1 -
1. The Minneapolis Public Schools have
struggled for some time to raise the achievement of low-income students
and students of color.
1a. What in your opinion are the most important factors in raising student achievement?
A. Fiscal responsibility, behavior policy, and strong teacher demand.1b. What measures should the school board take to improve student outcomes?
B. _Require _high grade point average for (all) students, first athletes, and make students attend out-of-school time programming to complete make up assignments.1c. If the school board follows your suggestions, how soon would you expect to see significant results?
C. The first year the program is put into place.Response to Question 2 -
2. Some people are concerned that focusing on academic achievement for low-income students means that insufficient attention is being paid to the needs of average and high performing students. How do you respond to that concern?
A. I believe all students must be served, and it can be accomplished with hard work collaboration and partnerships.
Response to Question 3 -
3. It has been suggested that certain provisions of the teacher’s contract prevent the administration from staffing the schools adequately to meet the needs of students. Please comment on your opinion of the current teacher’s contract.
A. The contract is very important, and I believe it must be completed before the 2010-11 school year begins. I believe administrators must work hard within the contract rules to put teachers to work.
I believe both sides must compromise a little if we are going to save our kids, and accomplish the work we must focus on.
Response to Question 4 -
4. One idea to improve student outcomes is to spend more time on task. That might mean a longer school day or a longer school year. Do you favor increasing learning time for students, and if so, how would you like to see that happen?
A. Yes, I favor extended learning time for our MPS students. In addition, I am in favor of state-of-the-art after school programming. This includes involving our universities and surrounding college to create a massive well coordinated tutoring program that _helps_ all students achieve.Response to Question 5 -
5. Early childhood education is often offered as an important strategy for addressing the achievement gap.
5a. What are your views on investing in early childhood education?
A. I believe we must invest in our city early childhood education system. MPS must give our early childhood development and education system our strongest support.
5b. How can there be better alignment between pre-k programs and the K-12 system?
B. MPS can increase alignment between the two programs by having trainings, meetings and conferences that communicate and design seamless reform affecting both programs.Response to Question 6 -
6. Some people suggest we need more flexible or innovative models of delivering education.
6a. Do you favor or oppose charter schools?
A. Yes, I do favor charter schools as long as they maintain our MPS goals and objectives.6b. What should the relationship be between the charter schools and MPS?
B. The relationship should be one that has the same accountability for grades, behavior, and college readiness performance. Their achievement numbers should be added to the MPS achievement numbers.6c. Do you favor or oppose self-governed (teacher-led) schools?
C. I do not thoroughly understand Self Governance Schools primarily because the concept is so new.I am very anxious to learn what the achievement statistics will reveal, the impact and results of the newly designed system.
Response to Question 7 -
7. A group of Northside residents have formed a Northside Achievement Zone, aiming to replicate some of the outcomes experienced by the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York.
7a.How should the School Board respond?
A. I believe the response of MPS should be to listen to all proposals, however use caution in proceeding forward.
7b. Is it appropriate for the School Board to make special efforts or investments in a particular portion of the city?
B. Yes, if that portion of the city demands the investment.Response to Question 8 -
8. With 65% students of color, the Minneapolis Public Schools face significant challenges with regard to integration. Some people prioritize integration efforts, while others argue that that it is more important to improve the quality of schools in low income neighborhoods. What is your opinion on this? Do you favor efforts to increase integration in the city schools? If yes, what steps would you take to make that happen?
A. I am for integration if it can be accomplished by not harming kids. I am not in favor of removing kids from their communities just to balance the color barrier. Integration has been, and always will be a concern in our city because we have a strong “have” and” have not” demographics.
However, we can address this issue by balancing out the curriculum across the board for all schools.
Response to Question 9 -
9. Improving governance of our public schools is a big topic of discussion.
9a. What in your opinion are the main governance challenges for public education?
A. Further exploring and determining how to appropriately spend money within all zones.
9b. Are there different governance models that you believe are worth exploring
B. No. The MPS history reveals we have tried so many different models it has delayed our progress from advancing our district’s system.9c. The Governor recommended that the Minneapolis and St. Paul school district be managed by the cities’ mayors. What is your opinion of this recommendation?
C. My opinion of this recommendation is one that leads me to think our Governor needs a lot of help.When our Governor had the opportunity to sign on the dotted line _RACE TO THE TOP_ and failed to do so, it left me to believe our Governor knew very little about education. Therefore it did not surprise me to read his recommendation.
Response to Question 10 -
10. Your role in the school board
10a. How do you define the role of a school board member?
A. The role of the School Board member is to assist the Superintendent with solving a great deal of decision-making policies, communicating with Board members, staff, parents, and community members keeping all informed and involved, and to prepare all MPS students to become college ready.10b. How much time each week do you expect to spend on school related matters?
B. I expect to spend a great deal of time on school related matters, because our problems are great.It is going to take a great deal of work to strategize effect change.
10c. If elected, how many terms do you plan to serve?
C. I can not say how many terms I plan to serve, that is all in the hands of the Lord. With His strength I pledge to serve honestly and diligently.Response to Question 11 -
11. Finally, what does success in the Minneapolis Public Schools look like to you.
A. Success in the Minneapolis Public Schools looks like this:1. Students smiling and happy as they walk across their graduation stage knowing the MPS has served them well.
2. Classrooms filled with hard working American students striving and focused upon going to college and or serving their community/country with honor.
3. With a balanced curriculum and strong teacher leadership the smiles of self confidence are bouncing off the walls…and the achievement gap is a thing of the past.
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