Karen A. Graf - District A

1. What are your top two priorities for the school board and what skills do you bring to the board to help you achieve them?

1. Achievement gap – I would want to assess the critical needs for various subgroups, evaluate the performance of programs, make well-researched decisions towards student-centered solutions, and lastly, engage parents as partners in their child’s educational goals. 2. Teacher retention/professional development – I would want to contribute to providing resources and fostering an environment that supports teachers in developing professionally and maintaining job satisfaction throughout their careers. I want to serve on the school board because I believe that ACPS has the potential to be a benchmark public school system and a source of pride and value for Alexandria. At the same, time, something has been missing in the effort to consistently realize this potential. I believe what is missing can be summarized with what I call the “three P’s” – performance, process, persistence – explained in greater detail in question #4. If we rigorously apply these “three P’s” to the education life cycle – from decision-making to implementation, to measurement – we will establish a foundation for sustained success for the administration, teachers, students, and the community. Coming from a family of public school teachers, I have a deeply ingrained understanding of the challenges and potential of public education. And, as a professional in a technical field that requires a disciplined, process-oriented approach, I have the experience and focus to ensure effective execution of the “three P’s”. As a school board member, I will distinguish myself through the following characteristics: • Commitment: As a mother of three, I have a vested interest in successful Alexandria schools. And, as a child of two public school teachers, I have a firm belief in the value of public education. I will work tirelessly to help Alexandria schools reach their potential. • Involvement: As an active PTA member, I have contributed more than 750 volunteer hours per year toward field trips, assemblies and events. I have also led a book room initiative project to manage more than 60,000 books to supplement classroom reading programs. • Competence: Ten years experience in technical communications, knowledge management, and general management with a Fortune 500 firm in the Silicon Valley as well as fast-paced start-ups. • Mission: I actively seek a well-rounded understanding of the issues by soliciting input from stakeholders: teaching professionals, parents, and citizens of Alexandria.

2. What are your two top critiques of the system and how do you intend to address them?

1. Lack of process for decision making and implementation 2. Excess spending and poor planning for interventions to close the achievement gap My focus is an immediate and significant shift in three fundamental aspects of the decision-making process. Without addressing these, I don't think we can make sustainable improvements or interventions on any specific issue. 1) Performance measurement. Too often, performance is being interpreted through the filter of the administrative agenda. We need to rigorously and transparently evaluate which programs are working and which are not. There can be no more decision-making without accountability. 2) Process: we need to establish – and adhere to – a fact-driven approach for choosing which programs we pursue, and a disciplined methodology for implementation. No more throwing things against the wall and seeing what sticks. 3) Persistence. After making well-informed program decisions, we need to support our teachers, administrators, and students in making our programs work. No more "flavor of the year" decision-making and no more mistaking activity for progress.

3. Parents want to understand how Alexandria measures the success of its schools. They also want to know if they are sending their child to a good school. What measures of achievement are now being used? Are they adequate or are additional metrics needed?

Yes, parents want to know if a school is good or failing. They deserve to know. Performance evaluation requires transparent and consistent metrics. ACPS has plenty of data – I don’t believe that they have mastered how to use it. There are so many tests and evaluation tools, that it is shocking that there is enough instruction time left in the year. I want to help ACPS develop a clear vision and philosophy for what we believe success looks like and what can measure that success. Cora Kelly has been touted as an example of a school that has shown strides on the SOL. They use data to reduce the intervention model down to the individual student. It is a student-focused solution. We should attempt to replicate that instead of spending more money on new products. Also, with the changing benchmarks and measurements through various products and programs, how do we really know what the students needs? After making well-informed decisions about programs, we need to be persistent in our implementation efforts to achieve success. I want to start working on a vision the focus on improvement and uses best practices across the district to ensure success and be fiscally responsible.

4. One of the school board’s major responsibilities is overseeing and managing the superintendent. What do you believe is the right relationship between the school board and the superintendent?

The school board is accountable to the citizens of the city of Alexandria. The superintendent is accountable to the board. This is the basic and simple relationship. Complexities come into play when the school board has to talk about confidential or sensitive information. However, I believe that the board should have a process for discussing and gaining consensus on how the community will be engaged either in fact finding, decision making, or implementation, as appropriate for each circumstance. With meaningful community engagement, transitions will be smoother and success rates for new programs will rise.

5. Superintendent Sherman stated that, “Our community and students deserve candor and a complete picture when it comes to looking at school and division performance.” On a scale of A to F, how would you grade the school administration on communication, transparency, and candor? If you give a grade less than A, what changes to improve the situation would you recommend?

C- The superintendent’s vision for the district has been ambitious, but has not seemed to gain the results intended. I agree with many of the superintendent’s goals. However, I feel that in many cases the achievement of those goals has been hindered by a lack of process and an undisciplined approach to successful execution. Moreover, I feel that the strategy has shifted too much in response to whatever is the newest, highest profile, or most pressing challenge. You can’t build if you are always fighting fires. People want to rally behind a vision that will enable Alexandria schools to achieve their rich potential. Parents want to believe that they are enrolling their children in a school system – all thirteen years of it – that will position them for success in whatever path they choose post-graduation. Teaching professionals want to believe that they are working in an environment that values their contributions and will invest in their development throughout their careers. The community wants to believe that there is a school system in place that will add value for their homes, businesses, and overall living experience. There is a path forward; I know this to be true. But, it is one that will require a fundamental change in approach. We need to reassess, reestablish, and openly articulate our core vision. Then we must outline – with collaborative input from parents, teachers, administrators, and the community – a practical strategy for attaining this vision. Then we must execute this strategy through data-driven decision making, open collaboration with stakeholders, and a consistent focus on the expressed goal.

6. Because of big enrollment increases in recent years, Alexandria’s elementary schools are bursting at the seams. But these enrollment increases appear to be limiting elementary school choice. How would you address the capacity challenges facing the schools and their effects on parental choice?

Strong communities build strong schools. We need to advocate for good city planning models as Alexandria decides to pursue new development in Potomac Yards and on the West End. Not only do we want to make sure space is reserved for schools, but also that schools are community- centered and contribute to open space in neighborhoods. The core issue is that there was not a disciplined process for evaluating population growth. Over five years ago, the city and school board hired a consulting company to evaluate the population growth. They found that the elementary schools would be filled by this time. But it was so far-fetched, even five years ago, that the baby boom from early 2000 would result in such an influx. Again, there was an attempt at process, but there was a failure to show good leadership. Now, more growth is projected. People say that the economy has contributed to this trend. But I also believe that people want to live in the city of Alexandria, are taking pride in their neighborhoods, and want their children to go to great schools in their communities. This is the good news. The bad news is that Alexandria has not kept up with the growth, nor has the city and schools given maintenance attention to the existing buildings. I would propose working closely with the city to plan expansions on buildings that can be modified, to slate improvements on older buildings to ensure a safe environment for students, and to set aside land in areas that are undergoing new development. This next board may have to work through multiple projects across the city, but I would want to make sure these are fiscally responsible and timely projects. Additionally, we may need to look creatively at other types of real estate to see if they can be modified to address a school’s needs in the short-term.

7. Superintendent Sherman said in October 2011that “eliminating academic achievement differences among race, income, disability and language subgroups must be the highest priority.” This, he said, is “an educational and moral imperative.” Schools across America are struggling to close this achievement gap. Do you believe that Alexandria has been making progress in closing its achievement gaps? If so, what are the best examples? Where and in what areas do we need to do more?

I agree with the premise that it is a high priority. The achievement gap is a major focus of our community. I am about results. What is the best first step in achieving good results? Performance analysis. We do have to analyze the reasons for the gap and develop a disciplined approach to solving subgroup learning issues, like ELL or special education. Also, our district should look to develop early education programs by partnering with local preschools or continuing to grow ACPS Pre-K programs. So, where are we making impact? It is hard to tell where we are making strides due to changing programs, varying measurement tests, new state tests, and turnover in teachers and principals. Comparing tests scores for the years before, doesn’t tell a positive story. Looking for positive programs, at the high school level, there has been some work on helping ELL students by developing the International Academy. Other successes can be found when looking at student retention rate, attendance rates, and the academic achievement or improvement levels. This program is still new and the data continues to come in showing that it does have impact. The overarching theme is that we have not developed a coherent and consistent strategy for lessening the achievement gap over the past five years. I would want to start by defining the needs per student and look to direct support those needs through programs and dedicated teaching and support staff.

8. One of the board’s major responsibilities is budgeting. How do you restrain costs and still provide what students need?

Above all, I would like a chance to review the operational, Title I, grant, special project, carryover and capital improvement budgets against the needs of each school. It is not enough to look at the numbers in the budget; you have to know the programs and the unique needs and cultures of the schools. Then, I believe you have to question whether or not we are serving our students well with the programs or staff allocated. A needs assessment should be done, so we do not subtract programs that are working or keep those that are not working. Many programs in the district are underfunded or not given the resources to succeed. My hope is that we can find ways to fund programs, both financially and with human resources, in order to ensure success. Without having each school’s individual needs assessment and budget requirements completed, I cannot say conclusively what I would keep or cut. My gut tells me that we should see through large projects we have funded, like the new curriculum and the original balanced reading guidelines that accompanied them. Additionally, I would also like to see a resource management function in order to stop spending money each year on learning products we already have in the district. In an effort to save, I would also like to look closely at the contracts we have with consulting companies and see which are actually contributing to the core vision and making a difference for the students at ACPS.

9. Despite increasing enrollment, there is a perception that some parents continue to question the quality of Alexandria’s public schools and send their children to private school or to a public school elsewhere. Is this perception accurate, and if so, what can and should the school system do, if anything, to convince these families to stay in Alexandria schools?

It is not the job of the board to convince people to attend ACPS schools; it is the job of the board to guide the type of improvements in ACPS that compel people to stay. That said, the board needs to make decisions that are holistic, not only considering the families that are attending, but those that plan to attend. An example of this is the decision to institute an extended day schedule at Jefferson Houston. That school is districted in neighborhoods in which many of the families already are choosing not to send their children there. Are we representing these folks that we are trying to solicit with this type of decision making? While the choice to go to extended day might be state mandated, there are certainly other options that might benefit the general population better and increase the enrollment. After all, we are spending millions of dollars building a new school for 800 students when only 250 students currently attend the school. How can we fill the future school? Those tough decisions might be difficult, but that is the job of the board: to make the best decisions even if they are hard.

10. There is pressure on school systems to develop rigorous teacher evaluation systems. Virginia requires that 40% of a teacher’s evaluation be based on student outcomes. Because the state allows districts some flexibility in determining those outcomes, what makes sense for Alexandria?

This is a very complicated topic and one that has been poorly developed across the United States. The technical and sociological problems stemming from this change in professional practice are huge. Homeroom teachers are not solely impacting a student’s learning day. For example, my child’s homeroom teacher sees him for 45 minutes in the day due to the Success For All and literacy guidelines. He has four teachers everyday: math/science, encore, Success For All, and his homeroom teacher who teaches writing and social studies. So how do you split achievement data among those four teachers? On the state level, how would you adjust performance evaluations against the ever changing SOL test? In fact, what is the best measurement tool to use to track the teacher’s performance? These are the technical issues. The sociological issues relate to the challenges a child faces both in class and outside of class. Is the child in need of special education support? Is the child ELL, and at what stage and what age? What if last week a child’s parents announced a divorce? How about the child that is homeless? You simply have to apply some data points to each possible scenario to explain the teacher’s performance and impact, especially if it means they could lose their job over it. In summary, yes ACPS should begin to move to include the opportunity for pupil achievement data as part of the teacher evaluation process to provide additional indictors of where teachers need more support or training. However, to assert that evaluating teachers based on pupil achievement will lead to improved student learning is a weak argument. So this is not a practice that will improve teacher morale, performance, or student achievement. As a board, we need to advocate student achievement data to show how to gain better results for students and teachers. Lastly, if we put this in place for teachers, I would want to promote doing a similar performance review for all administrators and central office staff. If we are doing implementation well, all of these positions are connected to the student.

11. Despite much effort, many parents of special needs children do not feel satisfied with the services being provided to their children. Indeed, this is evidenced by the fact that parents are often seeking redress in the courts. What do you think the school board can do to address the issues with the system’s efforts to help children with special needs.

First, we need to recommit ourselves to what we believe the goals of special education should be – not the state or federal required levels of services. ACPS can do better and should raise the bar well above what is mandated by law. Then, I would want to match the resources with the need. Many students in our district go underserved due to poor hiring practice and resource planning. The model of inclusion is an example of how schools need to have training and people in place to make sure classes are running with the proper supports in place. Without the proper staffing, inclusion does not work. Next, I would want to remodel the IEP process to be more transparent and be a channel of support and advocacy for families. Many times parents are fighting their way through the IEP process and end up not getting the services their child needs by law, let alone anything more that would help their child succeed. Additionally, ACPS does not specify exactly who is responsible for the supports in a student’s IEP. So, many times a paraprofessional or aide, without training, is the one left to carry out the supports defined in the IEP. I believe a professionally training staff member should be responsible for that task. This leads to my last point, and possibly the most important one. Teachers and paraprofessionals need consistent and up-to-date training for the various types of special education services offered in our district. We need to make sure they are comfortable in how to support the student in ways that exceed the IEPs expectations so students can be successful.

12. Despite the increase in enrollment, there are families of young children who still have doubts about ACPS and plan on sending their children to private schools or move out of the city. How can ACPS improve its communication to families of younger children?

One way we can reach out to families of younger children is to create partnerships with all of the local preschools. Having been very active with our preschool, I see ways that ACPS could help preschools align their programs to address the skills kids need in Kindergarten. There is also an opportunity to educate those parents through the preschool channels with more than just announcements of Kindergarten enrollment. ACPS can run seminars or produce a monthly flyer on a pre-K topic or Kindergarten topic that is relevant to curriculum or trends in the district. For families that are not in preschool, ACPS needs to do more outreach and this can be by developing more Pre-K programs throughout the city. Most agree that if we can get students in pre-K that they will have more chance of success in Kindergarten and beyond. ACPS needs to continue to define what pre-K looks like, who should be there, and how to reach out to those families.

13. What is the one decision made by the board in the last six years that you disagreed with and how would you have voted differently?

Last February, the board eliminated two weeks of intersession at Samuel Tucker and Mount Vernon Community School without data, community input, or programming alternatives. When I asked Dr. Sherman what data supports this change as being the best for students, he said that there wasn’t data. For many years, intersession has been a part of ACPS and we could have tracked its progress, but didn’t. That is shameful and a poor model for supporting new programs. After some community pushback, they voted to allow one week more of intersession if the community pays for it. Now we are collecting money from only the families that are not on free and reduced lunch for a program that we aren’t sure works. To pay for the extra week we have to collect $40,000 a session. Also, the district had been reducing budget and increasing teacher requirements over the past years for intersession, and wasn’t tracking that impact. I am not committed exclusively to the idea of preserving modified calendar, but I am committed to the idea that we let the community decide how they spend the budget to target the needs of the students. The communities at the two schools did not have the opportunity to develop new ideas, and I fear we will be in the same position this February. And, if I may mention another … I am disappointed in the choice to approve changes in literacy without looking at how much it costs, the impact on the teachers, and whether it targets the interventions needed. Products, like Success for All (SFA), are not targeted intervention models that we could be using to move student literacy in a positive a sustainable direction. This product mortgages other subject areas, does not target ELL students, violates special education inclusion, eliminates free play time in Kindergarten, undermines TAG programs, and uses a progress measurement system that isn’t compatible with common measurements in literacy. Over the past few years, ACPS developed the new curriculum and a balanced guide reading literacy manual. I would like to support the work that was done on this project because it raised the standards, had teacher input, and actively solicited feedback. However, last summer, when it was rolled out to the schools, it was not fully supported. The curriculum did not include the balanced guide reading piece, which was the hallmark of the curriculum and a trend in modern education. Instead, new guidelines were developed and rolled out this September year tightly modeled after SFA. One part of the guidelines requires teachers to produce more than 5 hours of reading curriculum per week, without coaching or additional resources. Having teachers do this across grades and at the different schools in the district feels largely experimental given that we are trying to support our teachers to be successful in reducing the achievement gap. I want to add back balanced guide reading to every subject, including the encores.