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?
| Increase academic achievement to prepare students to be successful in higher education and career development beyond high school. Increase engagement, involvement and knowledge of the under represented populations in the decision making and policy making areas thereby enabling them to make informed decisions surrounding their child's education. I have skills and experience engaging a variety of families through my position as a Family Services Manager at Alexandria Head Start. Outreach Worker at Northern Virginia Community College engaging young mothers to access college. Parent Education Facilitator at SCAN. Former Board member on Project Discovery. Have volunteered with variety of organizations and city agencies to facilitate broader communication. |
2. What are your two top critiques of the system and how do you intend to address them?
| Critiques of the system. Change and innovations not fully explained as it happens and not enough support to maintain sustainable results. Allow for careful re-evaluation of processes before problems occur by those directly effected by the change. The system has to improve on how it communicates to parents and families when they are not literate in their own language. We communicate on-line for much of our communications and there are still a noticeable number of families who do not have access to internet or computers in homes. This fact keeps them out of the information loop. We should increase access to computers in our communities. Evening hours at schools and other facilities to allow access and classes on more regular basis when possible. More collaborations with individuals and organizations that may be able to assist in this effort. Align ourselves with community organizations that have already established relationships with families. |
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?
| We have SOL's, PAL's, CRI, SRI and other testing instruments. We must do a better job in assisting families in what these tests are for and how we use them to gather data to develop prescriptive plans for our children's success. Some of these tools do not take into consideration special needs or ELL. They mostly look at your typically developing student population. Unfortunately testing will not stop and we must teach our children to think critically, to analyze and problem solve no matter what the testing tool is. If we do this more successfully they will be able to tackle material and do well even when the test requirements change each year. |
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?
| Superintendents and school boards should work in partnership. Understand that the Superintendent is employed by the Board. The Superintendent should not be dictating policy and procedure to be rubber stamped by the Board. They both must remember they are working for the best outcome for all our children, families and staff that are a part of our system. The Board and Superintendent has a responsibility to represent and advocate for all our children and families not just the ones who seem to voice their opinions and desires the loudest. |
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?
| D. It hurts me to say this but this is based on discrepancies that exists in how communications is carried out in our different subgroups. If I don't have computer access and may be illiterate in my own language, I may not get the same communication. We need more transparency because we are not always privy to information in a timely manner. The system is attempting to get more use out of the FACE centers in recent months, but this is a cumulative grade not just what has happened in recent months. Again more information to civic associations, churches, community organizations and institutions would help in re-establishing trust in our system. |
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?
| My priority would be to ensure that parents first choice is their neighborhood school. We must also recognize that demographics in this city is changing and unstable due to all the development and redevelopment that is occurring. I have gone through the redistricting of schools and it is not an easy task. We may have to look at temporary trailer space as we make long range plans for construction of additional schools. Careful, wholistic decision making is imperative We cannot afford to make decisions in isolation of city-wide changes that are happening. Decisions must be fair and equitable and no one segment should bear the brunt or carry the full load of whatever sacrifices that are made. |
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 believe Alexandria is making progress but it has not been consistent in closing achievement gap across all subgroups. We have some bright spots that give the impression that we don't have some serious problems to address. We have not dealt with the high numbers of suspensions in our system in the minority populations. We didn't hear of expulsions, now we hear children have been recommended for expulsion. These actions have direct impact on achievement levels, you can't learn or get instruction if you are not in the classroom. |
8. One of the board’s major responsibilities is budgeting. How do you restrain costs and still provide what students need?
| We don't want any of students needs to go unaddressed because of costs. We must be better stewards of our funds and resources and do careful monitoring and prioritizing in all areas leading to direct services for children in classrooms to ensure that students and teachers get what is required for success. |
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?
| Very basic, we have to show that our schools are safe, our teachers and support staff are qualified and committed and that the students in our schools are academically excelling consistently. |
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?
| We should not go below state requirements of 40%, but we should ensure that all teachers are rated fairly and equitably. We must realize that if a teacher has talented and gifted students they may come already understanding their potential vs the teacher who has more challenging students who may not yet have realized their full potential. The number of students in the class also has a bearing on student outcomes. |
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.
| Special needs parents are just as passionate about their children succeeding in our schools as other populations. We must do better job in respecting their knowledge of their chllidren and incorporating their input into the I>E>P> planning process. We should understand how these identification tags are perceived in different minority populations We must ensure proper supports and resources are available that provide for success in mainstream settings. |
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?
| By including and inviting them into the schools for events and programs. ACPS to connect more to day care facilities and home care providers. Have communications go out to civic and community organizations to keep them informed as to how we are dealing with and making progress in our many challenges. |
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?
| The change in GED and adult education process. Not backed up with sufficient data to make the change that was done. Data was not transparent. Process flawed created distrust in decision making process. |
