The following was passed along by Kristin Meyer who attended the Northside candidates forum. Kristin asked the candidates about their position on supporting TAG services/support during ongoing budgetary shortfalls, and summarizes below the responses from each candidate. She reports that there was also a statement related to how the TAG program has already taken cuts and that, therefore, it seemed unable to adequately meet the needs of TAG students
Bill Clingan: Said that the erosion of TAG services/support is a big
problem for the district and he related this to the much bigger overall problem of how the revenue caps impact the budget for the MMSD (and all WI schools). He noted that he was the person to author the amendment to re-instate TAG positions during the last budget cut process. He stated his support for the idea that all students need to be challenged in the classroom. He said that what he really loses sleep over is the $2.4 million in cuts that have been made to Special Needs students. Again, he tied this to the revenue caps issue.
Lawrie Kozba: Stated that because of financial constraints/budget shortfalls, the district is being forced to provide for the "average" student and those at the low and high ends are forgotten about. She stated that there must be better management by the board of the budget we have, to make the most of what we do have so we can continue to support students (she had a strong message throughout the evening of needing better management and holding the school administration, particularly Art Rainwater, accountable). She said the district often talks about district scores or performances,
rather than individual groups of students or school performance, because that is more "comfortable". By that I took her to mean that it looks better to look at the district as a whole. She also mentioned sports and fine arts programs specifically as being an area that has also been cut.
Carol Carstensen: She also agreed this was an important issue. She gave some background on the change in delivery of TAG services from pull-out at the elementary level, to a now centralized model with support coming from downtown to the schools. She thought this was an improvement in theory, but clearly stated that they (TAG staff) do not have the resources to do all they should. She also made a statement of how all students should be challenged every day - with an emphasis on how this should be challenge within the classroom rather than having students pulled out.
Larry Winkler: He stated that more students should be in the TAG program and taking AP classes. He said students should be more prepared so they are able to take AP classes, and that there are not enough AP classes being offered. He noted that parents are making up for what they feel their children are not receiving at school, and that the district needs to ensure enough challenge for students.
Kristin also sent along this summary of the evening's debate:
The forum was set up with 3 questions they all answered, then each candidate got to ask his/her opponent a question and then had a chance to respond. Finally questions were taken from the audience - we wrote them down and they were read to the candidates.
The 3 questions related to: 1) the "city-school district relationship" and how to promote collaboration
2) "parental involvement" - particularly of low-income or parents of color
3) "changing and developing district policy" - the threat of elimination of the Equity Policy and how to get meaningful public input in district decision making
Summary of candidate responses/positions:
Bill Clingan:
* Said the district and city were attached at the hip and noted mobility (the 6000 moves of students during each school year) as an example of a city/district issue.
* Referenced his history as PTO president at Midvale/Lincoln - that he understands how to do outreach to parents that may not be easily included in dialogue
* Felt that the Equity Policy had been formulated long ago and that now the district (in practice) was already beyond what it says. He felt it should be back in committee for public input. Said the schools belong to the community.
* Clear supporter of a new school on Leopold site. Discussed class size, not size of the school as what is most relevant to learning. Felt that the district was pursuing a plan that the parents in this community want/need. Critical of Lawrie's support for keeping North and Eastside schools open (because it is what those communities want) but then opposing the Leopold school (which its parents clearly want)
* He accepts PAC money from Teacher's Union
* He was in support of maintaining the LGBTQ coordinator
* Repeatedly brought up issue of revenue caps and how substantially they impact the services the district can provide
Lawrie Kobza:
* Consistent message that the school board is not holding the administration (part. Art Rainwater) accountable - in terms of his evaluation, making sure the administration is doing what the board asks, that they are in charge of overseeing district policies.
* Repeated many times need for stronger management on the school board related to fiscal responsibility. She says she has a vision for the board and the management skills to carry it out.
* Sees herself as a strong, independent voice for the board. No PAC money. Supported by Ruth Robarts (in the front row with a Kobza pin on)
* Supporter of neighborhood schools - Opposed to any Mega-schools, including the proposed school on Leopold site. Open to real need of another neighborhood school on the West side
* Feels there is a lack of real parental input and accessibility to the school board for decision making
* Discussed concerns of administrative support/leadership for situation at East High School.
* Supportive of LGBTQ position
Carol Carstensen:
* Sees herself as a voice for parents/schools that don't always have access. An independent voice, common sense and level headed leader.
* Strong supporter of school/city partnerships - cited many examples from her tenure
* Has hosted listening sessions, trainings, goes to schools freq. to gather input from parents/teachers
* Proud of her role in district goal to reduce achievement gap (3 priorities 1)reading by grade level by 3rd grade 2) 94% attendance 3) Algebra and Geometry taken by 10th grade)
* Vocal in opposition to state revenue caps - said she will fight for
adequate funding
* Takes no PAC money
* Supports LGBTQ position
* Made statement that she will not support any cuts in the budget - we have cut enough
Larry Winkler:
* Sees many problems with board - wants simpler solutions, currently sees a lack of solutions being offered up, and a lack of planning for known budget problems. Tired of the "dog and pny" show he often sees at Board meetings.
* Sees our schools as being in decline and that there must be ways to find more solutions
* Hopeful that through simplifying there can be money found in existing budget to mainatin services
* Talked about need to help low income families specifically to be connected to school and in planning and collaboration with the city
* He said he "kind of" supports revenue caps. He feels there is to little way for the public to have input into the budget process/decisions, and at least revenue caps hold schools accountable to some degree.
* Very research based - formal in his decision making process. Wants more public accountability
* Not familiar with role of LGBTQ position
* No PAC money
On March 1, 2005, the Northside Planning Council held an excellent, well run and informative school board candidates' forum at Warner Park in Madison, WI. Candidates for Seat 6 (Bill Clingan - incumbant and Lawrie Kobza) and Seat 7 (Carol Carstensen - incumbant and Larry Winkler) answered a wide variety of questions on many topics.
Following are videoclips from that forum. The format for the forum following opening statements by the candidates was in three parts: 1) 3 questions developed by the Northside Planning Council, 2) each candidate asked their opponent a question, and 3) written questions submitted from the floor.
I. Opening Statements Candidates' Opening Statements
II. Part 1: Questions developed by Northside Planning Council
A. Question 1 - City-School District Relationship: What is already being done to promote collaboration between the city and the school district and what creative suggestions do you have to further it? Candidates' Answers to Question 1: City-School Relationship
B. Question 2 - Parental Involvement: What would you do, as a School Board member, to insure that the District is getting direct feedback from parents of color and low-income parents? How would you overcome the barriers that keep them from participating? Candidates' Answers to Question 2: Parental Involvement
C. Question 3 - Changing & Developing District Policy: The District almost succeeded in eliminating or changing its current Equity Policy without substantial public dialogue. What measures would you implement to insure accountability, transparency, and meaningful public input into future District decision-making? Candidates' Answers to Question 3: Changing & Developing District Policy
III. Candidates Ask Their Opponents A Question
A. Bill Clingan asks Lawrie Kobza about her position on building a second school to total 1100 K-5 students at Leopold Elementary School. Lawrie Kobza asks Bill Clingan why, as Chair of the Human Resources Committee, Superintendent Rainwater has not developed meassurable goals approved by the School Board since 2002. She noted that the Human Resources Committee has met only once since Mr. Clingan became chair. Clingan and Kobza Ask Each Other a Question - Leopold and Superintendent Goals
B. Carol Carstensen and Larry Winkler ask each other questions. Ms. Carstensen asked Mr. Winkler about a previous statement he made regarding revenue caps and Mr. Winkler asked Ms. Carstensen what she was most proud of during her 15 years as a school board members. Carol Carstensen and Larry Winkler Question Each Other
IV. Candidates Asked to Say How they Differ from Their Opponent Candidates statements about how they differ from each other in qualifications for the job.
The Madison School District's Administration will release their proposed budget reductions (reductions in the increase - see these posts) Thursday afternoon (unless it leaks earlier). There will be an afternoon press conference (apparently 2:30p.m.). We'll link to the district's site once the information is posted. Roger Price previewed the 2005/2006 budget recently (video/audio along with slides).
Lee Sensenbrenner on Tuesday night's northside candidate forum ("Forum ignites sparks").
The 3/2/05 CapTimes includes an excellent op ed piece by Ruth Robarts detailing her concerns about creating a large K-5 elementary school. http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/opinion//index.php?ntid=30501
Ruth Robarts: Better to rethink new school now than regret decision later
By Ruth Robarts
March 2, 2005
On March 28, the Madison School Board will cast the final vote on the proposed referendum for $14.5 million to build a second school on the Leopold Elementary School site.
The proposed "paired" school would open in September 2007 and house up to 550 kindergarten through second-grade students and another 550 third- through fifth-grade students. If the Leopold community's current population mix holds, a school of 1,100 or more would include 275 (25 percent) students for whom English is a second language and 121 (11 percent) with special educational needs. Over half of the students would come from low-income homes.
Unlike other Madison paired schools that are on different sites, Leopold's buildings would be on the same grounds and physically linked in an L shape. Students from both schools would share lunch rooms and playground facilities. Students would have separate entrances, but share buses to and from school.
My duty as a board member is to weigh the pros and cons of this recommendation from the administration. Although I see why current Leopold parents expect great positives from the new building, I believe that these are short-term gains for the school and community and that the negatives of creating an extremely large elementary school may outweigh the short-term advantages.
I am particularly concerned that the short-term relief for overcrowding would be undermined when the building reaches full capacity and houses two schools, each of which is far bigger than any K-2 or 3-5 school today. It is my responsibility to ask whether we have the experience to make such a joint school work and what additional resources would be required to assure student success under such conditions.
In the short term, the proposal meets some, but not all, of the needs of Leopold's current students. It would end the overcrowding. Because it would open at 75 percent of capacity, the students at the school in 2007 would have small classes in an oversized facility. On the other hand, in the interim there must be a plan to control enrollment size through such means as freezing enrollment, sending grades to other schools or changing school boundaries. So far the board has not seen the interim plan.
In the long term, it is difficult to imagine ways in which a very large paired school offers new educational benefits to our children, but easy to list the problems that likely would arise from turning away from our goal of keeping schools small. Madison's standard is consistent with national trends for school size that prefer small over large schools. Research and our experience link smaller schools with higher academic achievement (especially for low-income children), more engagement in school activities by students and families, and less truancy, discipline problems and need for special education services.
The Madison School District has remained true to this standard, even during difficult economic times. Currently, our largest elementary school - after Leopold - is Chavez School. Enrollment there is capped at 650. The biggest paired school is Franklin-Randall at 716 students. Even our largest middle school, Hamilton, has only 705 students. At the middle and high schools, we are working hard to break the schools into "smaller learning communities." Nationally, millions and millions of dollars are going into reducing the size of schools at all grade levels for the sake of improving the academic achievement of low-income and minority students.
I greatly regret that I underestimated the need to focus on the educational dimension of the question before us from the very beginning. I realize that it is late in the game to raise such questions. However, I learned a painful lesson when I did not question or oppose the board's decision to go ahead with construction of Chavez Elementary School, despite our doubts about the general contractor for the project.
The scenario was similar. We had overcrowding problems on the west side and urgently needed a solution. We voted yes to move the project ahead. The result was a poor construction job and a new school that opened and, within a few months, closed again due to serious problems. Despite our good intentions, our rush to resolve one problem created a new problem and disrupted the children, families and staff of seven schools for most of a school year.
Although my thinking disappoints proponents of a new building, I do not believe that I will have fulfilled my responsibilities if I fail to raise the issue. It is possible that the current proposal for a 1,100-student school will prove to be educationally sound. However, it is my goal to avoid creating additional problems for the Leopold community by thoroughly discussing plans before, rather than after, they are implemented.
Ruth Robarts serves on the Madison School Board and chairs the Long Range Planning Committee. E-mail: comments@madison.k12.wi.us
Published: 7:37 AM 3/2/05
The last few days have been rather sad ones for me due to the recent death of Eugene Parks. I have always viewed Mr. Parks as a role model. I admire people who tell you how they feel without being “politically correct.” He was that type of person. He commanded your attention, not because of his “gruff tone” or “edginess” but because of his sincere knowledge of the topic on which he was speaking. Mr. Parks knew what he was talking about.
When I decided to run for Madison School Board, I made a list of people from whom I wanted to get endorsements. Eugene Parks was one of those people. As a made my way through the campaign, our paths finally crossed in a local restaurant. I was very excited to tell him about my candidacy. I exclaimed to him, “Mr. Parks, I’m running for Madison School Board!” He replied, “Why would you go and do a fool thing like that for?” Honestly, I was kind of stunned. Sensing this, he told me of his feelings about the Madison schools. He felt that schools were being set up. They were being asked to do everything but not adequately funded. He also told me that the school board was the only elected position that for every ONE friend you made; you made TEN enemies. Again, Mr. Parks knew what he was talking about.
After winning my election several months later, I was asked to do a radio interview on WORT. After my segment, Mr. Parks was the next guest. Once pleasantries were exchanged, I wished him luck in his interview; he wished me luck on the school board. While I was listening to interview, he told the interviewer how proud he was of me and that I represented young leadership that our community needed. I was very proud of that. He also questioned the priorities in the City of Madison where the community would build swimming pools but not support additional funding of public education (remember last year the School Board cut 10 million dollars from the budget). His comments were very profound.
I know I’ll never be like Eugene Parks. There will never be another Eugene Parks no matter how hard someone tries. Unfortunately, my personality is not like his. I am not as brave as he was to say exactly what was on my mind and tell everyone how I feel. However, every once in a while, the “Eugene Parks” in me comes out but I save it for special occasions and the settings in which media will not be around. The truest way to honor his memory is giving the Madison School Board the type of passion, effort and commitment that he gave to our Madison community. I will miss Eugene Parks.