What are your highest priorities for the Board? What will you do
about them?
My introductory campaign cards (which I have been liberally handing out for the past
four years) specifically identify five issues vital to improving our school system; these
issues are: accountability***, fiscal responsibility***, neighborhood schools***,
community involvement, and before/after school programs. Mayor WILLIAMS' staff is
presently addressing the unstarred issues with the Superintendent; therefore I will
illuminate the starred issues:
ACCOUNTABILITY is vital to education. The 7 priorities of the Dept of Education
advocate the testing of students at the completion of 3rd grade for reading skills and
then the initiating of support services at this time; it also advocates the testing for
math skills at the completion of 8th grade. There are two homilies which contradict this
philosophy: "a stitch in time saves nine" and "if you take care of the
little problems, they don't evolve into major catastrophes". Our school system needs
to have proficiency standards for advancement to each grade; we also need to recognize
advancement for prepared students and erase the current (preached) policy of six
years/first grade, seven years/second grade, etc. (Recognizing achievement would be a
positive incentive for our students.) We need to give some thought to the semester
programming of our schools vice the present yearly programming system. If we were to
initiate a semester school entry program, our children would be starting school in January
and September; and if it were necessary to retain/advance a child, the resulting action
would simply be a half-year correction. I would like to see a summer school curriculum
established that offers enrichment programs in addition to providing academic assistance
in the three R's. AND we need to reexamine our over-all curriculum; the arts, music,
science, and daily physical education are critical areas for every child's daily education
development.
Our teachers are expected to pass the National Teacher's Examination---this test
monitors English and math proficiency---it does not validate the teaching ability of the
tested nor his/her subject matter proficiency. Many potential excellent teachers fail this
test because there were NO academic achievement standards as they progressed through our
school systems nation-wide. This test does not measure LOVE OF LEARNING/CHILDREN which is
the key to any achievement environment. Also, this test doesn't measure patience; many
teachers who have had difficulties in learning themselves are willing to travel that extra
mile to assist their students.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY - Are we asking more of our teachers than we ask of ourselves?
The most important persons in our school system are our teachers; our teachers are our
children's direct link to learning. And yet, this vital link to our children's futures is
continually under-paid, under-appreciated, and usually forgotten. The majority of our
teachers are women; it appears that even in teaching there are glass ceilings for women.
The men we need in our classrooms are accelerated to administrative positions past women
with identical credentials. Would these vital father substitutes climb for these
administrative positions if teachers' salaries were equivalent to administrators? How many
secretary and clerk positions have been eliminated to enable more administrative positions
to be created? What percentage of a guidance counselor's time is spent performing
clerical/secretary functions (to make up for the lack of clerks/secretaries)? I believe
our system is administratively over-populated and under-represented in the clerical and
secretary fields. This is FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY!
In the years I taught, I spent hundreds of dollars on school supplies. I knew that
attractive, informative bulletin boards silently teach. Did my visiting parents ever
comment on them? As a track coach I adhered to county policy requiring physicals. One
parent came in to thank me because the family doctor had discovered early curvature of the
spine that was correctable; did the parent put her gratitude in writing so that this
commendation could be included in my permanent record? I organized/chaperoned student
trips to Connecticut (girls' volleyball camp), New York City, Harper's Ferry, Hershey
Park, Bertchesgarden, Hershey Park, Busch Gardens, and Washington, D.C. With the exception
of the latter, all of the other trips were taken on Saturdays and weekends; how many
letters of thank you were remitted? Was I fiscally responsible in how I chose to spend my
time and my money or did I live up to the words of John F. KENNEDY "Think not of what
your country can do for you, Think of what you can do for your country"? Daily our
teachers do the same as I did and yet how do we respond to our children's educators?
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (Neighborhood Schools) - ". . .it takes a village to raise
up a child. . ."; therefore ALL schools should have community involvement programs.
Our children learn from our example as we learn to view life at a different angle from
them. (I.e., my neighbor's three year-old daughter told her father that she didn't want to
fly to California because she wasn't ready to meet God in the clouds yet!) The principal
should be the catalyst who implements/controls the community involvement; the principal
needs to establish/maintain the guidelines in which parents/family are an integrated
segment of the education community. Some of this involvement could include before/after
school programs in the activity room and/or on the playground. There also must be a
"quiet" room with disciplinary options for those children who are struggling
with accepted behavioral concepts. (And possibly, evening programs for parents/children.)
Planning (with the community's needs assessed) could identify the programs beneficial for
our students' educational growth. Positive growth in reading could be anchored in
after-school illustrating/writing class etc. When we continually recognize the positive in
our children, they strive for more positive recognition. Our school board/educators need
to identify discipline problems and enforce established, positive, corrective measures;
suspension/expulsion are negative responses to problems and may possibly cement future
failures. Could community involvement assist in reducing these problems by knowing one
another (which may cause us to care for one another more)?
What is the role of parents in the DCPS at both the individual school and city-wide
(SIC)? Should Local School Restructuring Teams be continued and if so, how can they be
made more effective?
The role of parents in the DCPS is vital at both the individual school and city-wide
but often this role dependent upon the catalytic response of the administrators.
I have listened to several parents and they indicate that the Local School
Restructuring Team is ineffective; this program appears to be selective in innovation and
therefore usually the children with non-involved parents are out in the cold. I believe
the actual KEYS for academic improvement are summer enrichment programs/mandatory academic
assistance programs.
What is your view of the facilities planning process now underway?
I do NOT have all of the facts, but I ask the following questions?
- When is the status reviewed. . .daily, weekly, and/or monthly? Who are the accountable
links at all levels?
- Is there a policy-development calendar coded with policy-development idea-links by
school?
- Are daily implement progress readily available to those concerned? Who is accountable
for these reports?
- Are awards given for programs ahead of schedule? Are punitive damages imposed for
tardiness?
What has been your personal involvement with DC Public Schools? Have your children been
enrolled and for how long? Why are you interested in this position?
I taught science Kgn-6th in the DC school system (1968-1972). In '79, my daughter and I
accepted sponsorship of a Vietnamese mother/daughter; we became a family (and I shouldered
total financial accountability with the exception of any medical expenses). Our family
later wanted to relocate to a Chinese community; Huong entered the DC school system in the
5th grade and graduated from Wilson Senior High. I was asked to intervene as her parent
representative in several instances; I attended the school activities she was involved in.
I collected thousands of dollars in register tapes from Giant/Safeway and presented
them to Cooke Elementary (as the Post #5 American Legion Auxiliary
representative/initiator of the project) and Noyes Elementary School.
I have lived in the DC area since 1968. I hacked (drove cab) summers in PG and DC. When
I relocated to DC, I became active in community projects. I joined the Metropolis View
Citizens' Association, wrote articles for their newsletter, actively participated at the
monthly meetings, wrote letters of complaint (when asked), and was a Delegate for MVCA to
the DC Civic Assn. I became a member of ENP ("Empowering Neighborhood People"
sponsored by John Hopkins University) which was a neighborhood program that included
Saturday presentations and weekly meetings.
When my ANC asked for volunteers to participate in a car wash program to pay for an
Honor Roll youth outing to "Hallowscream" at Adventure World; I responded in the
affirmative. I made the signs and worked both days of all four week-ends involved; I was
also one of the four chaperones on the bus trip. (The ANC drove her own vehicle.)
When Ward 5 residents were protesting the trash receiving areas in our communities; I
demonstrated at the council meeting.
Now I am involved in the McMillan Filtration site discussions. The federal government
has relinquished control of this 25-acre parcel of land at Michigan/North Capitol Streets,
N.W. The community is working to decide what is in their best interests for the use of
this site. The next meeting is scheduled for Trinity College's O'Connor Auditorium on
28Oct00 @ 0930 hours.
I believe the Board needs my innovative, creative, and positive operating attitude
coupled with my ability to pictorially present facts in clear, concise decipherable
format. I have resided in the D.C. area since '68; my past includes 3 years military
service (as a cryptographer/teletypist) and school attendance in AZ, CA, NV, Orleáns
(France), PA, and WY. My introductory business cards further illustrate clarity and
conciseness; these cards also exemplify my service commitment with the vital school board
information recorded on the backside. My campaign hats, badges, and posters further
demonstrate my problem recognition skills, my innovative response to problem solutions,
and my ability to communicate those solutions clearly. My campaign expenses as of this
submission are less than $300; I am an inexpensive problem solver who is committed to two
concepts:
- Higher education should be a right of ALL citizens. In my father's day (He was a
head-sawyer born 1896.), education was publicly funded through the 8th grade; high school
and above was privately funded. Our nation's present commitment to education should be
extended to lifetime education for all.
- God commands that we tithe; our government should NOT take a penny more. Unfortunately,
our past leaders have spiraled us into "debtor nation" status. Are our
children/grandchildren being forced into "scholastic debtor status"? A
well-educated/reading, debt-free citizenry is vital to a positive, responsive government.
And most important, I am computer literate with typing/office skills. I have the
ability to peruse/study official documents and concisely present their information. Three
examples:
- In the school year of '83-'84, while teaching eighth grade social studies at G. Gardner
SHUGART, I was given a 22-page summary of the high school curriculum options that I was to
present to my students. I was given a two-week option for presentation to guide the
students and their parents in preparing for their high school years. I condensed the
information onto two forms; one form was the seven period day at Oxon Hill High School and
the other form was for the six period day at the other high school with parent signatures
on the lower right hand corner of the paper. The forms had vertical columns for 9th, 10th,
11th & 12th grades; horizontally the 5/4 required subjects were listed first followed
by open spaces for filling in the 1/2 or 2/3 elective options (art, choir, foreign
language, home economics, industrial arts, and etc.). My form took one classroom period
for presentation. Guidance counselors county-wide now register students by a form similar
to my original form. (Dr. Robert N. WEIDNER advised me to copyright my work.)
- Using public records in '91, I graphed employee salaries for Prince George's County
Schools '78-'91; the chart showed that many support service personnel (clerks,
secretaries, etc.) had been eliminated while the administrative staff had been increased.
The county had thirteen superintendents (performing the work of four) whose salaries
totaled $1,160,903 education dollars. Parris GLENDENING had Annapolis Senate bill S-903
introduced which would have given the Superintendent a $45,000 annual increase with a
10-year contract ($150,000 + $45,000 = $195,000); fortunately the Annapolis Senate tabled
the legislation. Homily: "One picture is worth a thousand words."
- Also, as a VAMC library volunteer I was asked to finish installing the spool-locks on
the microfilms that two other men had been working on; I soon learned that I would be
installing and reinstalling all of the spool-locks---the original workers did NOT
understand the mechanics of the installation; presently I am cataloging and organizing the
inventory for these 8,000 spools.
In conclusion, I am able to recognize problems and suggest positive, possible
solutions. Fifty percent of problem solution is recognizing the problem; has our present
school board been unable to pinpoint the problems? Therefore, I have been/am a positive
force for our schools?
How can you avoid the acrimonious relationships between board members, and between the
School Board, Superintendent, Mayor and Council that have prevented a concerted effort to
bring to our children's schools all of the resources needed to provide the high quality of
public education our children need and our city needs for them?
The Board Members will be working with Mayor WILLIAMS and Superintendent VANCE. The
appointed Members should be sophisticated in specific fields; the elected Board will be
responding to the desideratums of the students/their caretakers, the principals/staffs,
and public in their Districts. We will be a team. My goal: surpassing Iowa's #1
educational status. District 3's known needs will be charted by importance with
anticipated implementation dates before I enter office. Meetings (School Board, team, and
neighborhood), office hours, school visits, reading/study hours, etc. will be scheduled. I
will be locatable between the hours of 0800 'til 2200 Monday through Friday.
Hopefully I will be supplied with District #3's lists of community members, city
officials, and other stake holders; if not, I will secure them. Periodic communications
via e-mail, fax, post, and/or telephone calls to these individuals informing them of our
goals/needs should kindle interest. Should I learn that some one has a special interest in
a specific aspect (I will maintain a personal information file), I will delegate the
necessary tasks to him/her and asked to be periodically updated while I am in office. When
I leave office, the program will be on-going unless changed by the new administration.
As a team member:
- Understand Mayor WILLIAMS' and Superintendent VANCE's education goals (in writing and
their time/frame goals), so that I may serve as my district's liaison with them.
- Attend scheduled meetings (team/board/PTA), but also have scheduled/unscheduled school
visitations; note the positive actions of individuals,
- Establish set public office hours (for students and/or caregivers), but also have
scheduled reading/study hours to peruse records; I expect homework . . . and
My foremost priority: charting District 3's needs by importance with implementation
dates. I will have requested this information on 08Nov00 by e-mail with a 30-day response
time from District 3's 44 principals.
In conclusion, I believe my team membership and the team's focusing on my five issues:
accountability, fiscal responsibility, neighborhood schools, community involvement, and
before/after school programs will provide the high quality of public education our
children need and our city needs for them. And I want Washington, D.C. to pass #1 Iowa in
education acheivement*; I would also want them to be well rounded, an acheivable goal, due
to the excess of opportunities which abound in our culturally rich environment.
*Science and Engineering Indicators, National Science Board, 1996. |
