Thursday, October 31, 2013

Wayzata school board candidates: student and teacher accountability

Question 3. During the most recent session, the Minnesota Legislature removed the requirement that high school students pass a minimum skills test (known as the GRAD test) in order to graduate, and removed the requirement that teachers pass a basic skills test in order to become licensed. In light of these changes, what can local school districts including Wayzata do to ensure the high academic outcomes and teaching standards that residents have come to expect?

Derek Diesen

Local control is the only way to ensure success. I must admit this is the first I have heard of this GRAD and teacher basic skills test requirement being removed. However, if the school board sets the curriculum and then measures it's success we will be able to continue to ensure high academic outcomes.

Sarah Johansen

Wayzata has always had more rigorous requirements for graduation than required by the state. With the implementation of our Q Comp program several years ago, continuous improvement and further education for our teachers is required for them to receive any increase in their compensation. I feel very strongly that we must ensure that every student who attends Wayzata Public Schools is supported in reaching their fullest potential and graduates ready for college or the career of their choice. It is essential that the Board and administration work together to continuously evaluate our educational program and develop and use measures that work for Wayzata and our deepest commitment to excellence.

David Lloyd

The District is very engaged in wanting success for our students. We hire many experienced teachers. I'm confident at this point in our human resources process. Neither of the issues you note in this question are a priority in my view.

Chris McCullough

I believe that there are probably already too many tests given to our students. That said, I do believe that having a minimum skills test in order to graduate and to teach, should be required. We are fortunate in the Wayzata School District to have great teachers who have traditionally passed these tests, and we are also fortunate that the great education our children receive, coupled with the tremendous support most children get from their families and the broader community, have allowed our students to exceed these minimum requirements. It will be important for families and our community to continue to demand high standards for all, and as we continue to attract the “best and brightest” students and teachers to our District, we must continue to strive for excellence for each and every student.

Bill Pritchard

The District is facing steady and continuous growth, and I believe it is fortunate we have a highly dedicated base of educators, staff, volunteers and administrators. I respect the honest, dedicated, ethical and efforts of these individuals, and believe they are truly committed to ensuring all students receive the best quality and excellence of education possible. The District’s top priority is and should remain foremost its students.

Ted Victor

Wayzata demands excellence in their hiring process. They offer support to their teachers in several ways. Teachers that are probationary must achieve before earning tenure. Teachers have peer group mentors that monitor and assist when needed to achieve excellence. The district provides required staff development for all teachers to maintain a teaching license. Our department chairs, principals, curriculum specialists, superintendent, and board of education have their fingers on the heartbeat so as to provide what ever is necessary to create the best education for all students. With all these support systems in place excellence in teaching will remain in the district.

I’m confident that our high school graduates do not need to take a GRAD test. Approximately ninety percent of our students are attending post secondary education.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Wayzata school board candidates: curriculum

Question 2. In apparent contradiction with state statutes (123B.09) the Wayzata School Board has delegated full authority for curriculum matters to the Superintendent. He, in turn, has delegated this authority to the curriculum and teaching staff. Curriculum issues presented to the school board (such as integrated math, state standards, International Baccalaureate, and Common Core curriculum) are directed to non-elected curriculum and building staff, without action or discussion by the board. Do you think this is appropriate? Why or why not?

Derek Diesen

The number one reason I became involved was because of curriculum. A few years ago my son was diagnosed with dyslexia and we really struggled to get him the help he needed. His teachers at Sunset Hill were amazing and worked hard with, and for Andy. The problem was the district didn’t have the systems in place to identify his issues soon enough and support his different style of learning. I feel like I have a responsibility to other families to share what we learned and help guide changes so other children and their families don’t go through what we did. I believe it is the duty of the school board to set the curriculum and evaluate its success.

Sarah Johansen

It is my understanding that a sub-committee of the board meets at least monthly with the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning (Dr. Jill Johnson) and most often, the Superintendent to discuss curricular issues and the full board receives this information at the work sessions. Each curricular area goes through an exhaustive 3 year process of evaluation, recommendation and implementation about every 6 years. All findings and recommendations are presented to and voted on by the board. I believe that it is the job of the school board to work in partnership with the administration to provide accountability and support for the education of our students. If elected I will work hard to learn as much as I can about the process and challenge our District to ensure that we continue to meet or exceed our requirements.

David Lloyd

I think the real issue is keeping the Board engaged in curriculum issues. This is important so we have the appropriate programs determined at a local level for the students to succeed long term. I'm not comfortable with this arrangement and would want the Board to be more involved in curriculum than you state is currently the case.

Chris McCullough

The School Board, as elected representatives of the District, very clearly should have a strong say in curriculum matters. Based on what I know, there appears to be a good partnership between the School Board and the District Administration pertaining to curriculum matters. To me, assuming that state law does not preclude it, this “partnership” seems like a balanced and sensible approach. The Board, even as a collective, may not have the same level of expertise that the professional educators and administrators in the School District have about curriculum matters. And as I noted above, the School Board, as elected representatives, very clearly should have a strong say in curriculum matters.

Bill Pritchard

I don’t believe the Board has delegated full authority for curriculum and/or personnel matters to the Superintendent, or should it. The seven Board Member mandate is to make and oversees the District’s budget, curriculum, personnel and physical facilities.

I believe that the operation of the District organization is much like a business and as a business, the Superintendent acts much likes its CEO, and is accountable to the Board.

Ted Victor

First, the District has hired a Superintendent and the Superintendent has hired educational professionals to create, develop and implement curriculum per the requirements of the state Department of Education. The Superintendent is responsible to make sure the curriculum is appropriate and meets the state guidelines and it is being correctly and consistently implemented. Any elementary or middle school student that switches district schools should be continuing with the same curriculum in the new school as the student had in his or her previous school.

Second, the Board needs to hold the Superintendent, and the appointed curriculum staff accountable for the consistency of the curriculum. That information should be reported to the Board on a regular basis. Items such as integrated math, state standards, International Baccalaureate, and Common Core curriculum need to be explained to the Board with a recommendation and supporting evidence allowing the Board to make the final decisions. The Board’s job is to acknowledge the recommendations of the experts; teachers and directors of curriculum. The final decision may or may not support the recommendation by the Superintendent.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Wayzata school board candidates: bond referendum

Three seats on the Wayzata School Board are up for election next Tuesday, November 5. Earlier this month, I sent three questions to the nine candidates. Here, in alphabetical order by candidate name, are the responses I received to the first question. As I advised the candidates, I made some minor edits for length and journalistic style.

Question 1: The Wayzata School Board is considering approval of a February referendum to provide bonding (debt) for a new elementary school, additions to the high school, and other infrastructure improvements. If the school board approves the referendum, will you be supportive of it? Why or why not?

Update: The same week that I emailed the questionnaire to the candidates, the Wayzata School Board passed a referendum to ask the voters on February 25, 2014 to approve a $109.65 million dollar bond (debt).

Derek Diesen

I support some of the referendum, for example I believe we need a new elementary school immediately. Elementary schools are the backbone of our community. It’s what brings a neighborhood together. Kids need to attend the school that’s in their own neighborhood. It also takes pressure off transportation and start times.

However, the way the referendum is written, I would vote no. I am against the proposed high school addition. It is already mega-sized and there are better ways to meet the needs of such a large, diverse population of students. Having two schools is an opportunity for Wayzata. Two schools wouldn’t need to compete, they could complement each other. I think we can be fair without being the same.

We have what I refer to as first-class problems. We have a growing population, a highly sought after district and a community that wants what’s best for their kids. My biggest concern is that not all voices are heard when a district gets so large. I feel a responsibility to the voices of kids in special education, junior varsity sports and industrial arts classes.

Sarah Johansen

The school board unanimously approved the referendum on Monday, October 14th and I fully support their decision. In the face of unprecedented growth in our District, we must ensure that we have the resources to meet our growing numbers. The approved plan is the most fiscally responsible decision to address our current and future needs.

David Lloyd

The difficult parts of the referendum are the amount to be borrowed of approximately $109 million and the resulting size of the high school to educate approximately 3900 students. I understand the administration and the committees they appointed feel they have worked hard to analyze and recommend this referendum. There are good people on both sides of this debate. I've enjoyed meeting and communicating with everybody I've encountered in this campaign.

Let's discuss the amount first. The amount of borrowing and the length of time of approximately twenty years in paying back this debt is a concern. We have a culture in our country that we should borrow as long as possible to keep the payment as low as possible. Of course, the longer the term of borrowing, the higher the interest cost. My sense is we have the wealth in the District to shorten the length of time to pay back this debt and give us cash flow options further down the road if we need funds for some other project.

While I understand and admire the confidence of the administration and Board to increase the high school to 3900 students and maintain quality, this will still be a considerable task. Common sense tells me that this size of school is not ideal to take on the achievement gap. Many students have parents with significant ability to fund outside coaching, mentoring, tutoring, etc. Children caught in the achievement gap need to secure opportunity in the existing school structure. 700 more students won't be easy to manage in actually conquering the achievement gap. Approximately 15% of our students have already been identified as qualifying for meal assistance. I'm concerned more students will have difficulties in a school of this size.

I have concern more funds in the referendum are earmarked for physical education and a performing arts center than will be used to create classroom space for the high school. I have not gained any sense from listening to the administration, Board or committee members that educational needs such as STEM or options for students not headed to college have been considered in this process. The ECM Editorial Board just wrote a piece discussing that since college has become so expensive many should embrace non-four year post secondary programs. It is sad affordability outweighs ability in pursuing post secondary education. But, the reality is that high schools long term will need to address this issue. I don't sense the referendum considers this issue.

The growth in the District is an opportunity to think as far ahead as the term of the bonds we may be issuing. There is time before the vote in February to bring the District together on these issues. I would work hard towards addressing these issues if I were elected to the Board. I need to see that occur in order to support the referendum.

Chris McCullough

I intend to vote “yes” on the funding question on February 25, 2014. We have outgrown our existing facilities and the growth trends are not projected to slow down anytime soon. We cannot continue to try to educate our students (and expect our teachers and staff to do the same) in crowded classrooms.

Having served on the Citizens Task Force on Facilities, I personally reviewed the data and engaged in hours of detailed discussions (sometimes debates) with other members of the Task Force in an effort to understand and scrutinize the data, propose and analyze various options, and — ultimately — reach consensus on our recommendation to the School Board. I recognized as a member of the Task Force, and plainly acknowledge, that our recommendations may not be perfect. After all, all models and projections require assumptions. That said, we reached consensus on our recommendation based on the best available data and analysis. And I stand by that recommendation and will vote “yes” on February 25.

Bill Pritchard

While the Wayzata School District is fortunate to be experiencing a steady growing student population, which does contribute to the sound fiscal state of the district, it also creates a challenge when managing to balance the student population within its facilities.

The District in all likelihood not if, but, when, needs to embark on its largest capital improvement project in recent history. With over twenty years in the construction industry and having personally been involved with several large residential capital improvement projects, it is important that the District be prepared and represented in this area. As a business and financial professional, I understand the budgeting processes, the operating complexities of large organizations. I will work hard to diligently ensure the processes are openly communicated and strive to seek cost effective solutions and to enable all stakeholders to have a voice.

I support the referendum for the following reasons:
  • Most of our schools are at capacity
  • The current Wayzata High school will grow by over 900 students in the next 10 years
  • The State’s recent decision to fund all day Kindergartner will create an addition need for over 14-16 classrooms
  • More students are moving into the District
  • More housing, in the past 4 years 1200 new homes in the District and in the next 4 years an estimate 1600 homes to be built

Ted Victor

I fully support the Board’s decision. The original bond issue to have one high school was approved and passed by voters and a previous school board. The Minnesota Department of Education will only approve a school to take care of the current need, resulting in a small high school. We are unable to make equal size schools because that would create unused capacity in the current high school by moving students to the new school.

Additionally, two schools open a myriad of problems that will affect the community for years to come; open enrollment issues between the schools, community division, boundary issues for what elementary and middle schools feed which high school and the ultimate decision of is each school being treated equally and fairly.

The infrastructure improvements are necessary to correct current safety issues. Controlling the access of the public to the schools is necessary for the safety of the students and the staff. Some schools currently have this control and other do not. It needs to be consistent throughout the District schools.

The addition of an elementary school in the northern part of the District must be done for two reasons. First, with the passing and funding of all day kindergarten by the legislature, additional space is needed just to meet the current and incoming kindergarten population. Secondly, this will allow elementary students in the northern part of the district to attend school closer to home. This will decrease the need to bus students past closer elementary schools to other elementary schools that may have capacity for them. This will also create new boundary issues as new boundaries for each elementary school will need to be established.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Wayzata school board candidates vie to fill three open seats

Wayzata School District Board Room. Photo: Wayzata Public Schools

The philosophy of the schoolhouse in one generation is the philosophy of the government in the next generation. —Abraham Lincoln (attributed)

On November 5, voters in the Wayzata School District will choose from nine candidates to fill three open seats on the district's board of directors. School board elections typically do not attract line-out-the-door numbers of voters, so your vote will have a greater influence over the outcome than statewide or national elections. But for whom should you vote?

The school district is accountable to the community through its elected board of directors. So I sent three rather pointed questions to each of the candidates. I will share any responses I receive. I think that these responses (or lack thereof) will provide you with more information than the standard "why are you running for school board" type of questions. Here are the questions I asked:
  1. The Wayzata School Board is considering approval of a February referendum to provide bonding (debt) for a new elementary school, additions to the high school, and other infrastructure improvements. If the school board approves the referendum, will you be supportive of it? Why or why not?
  2. In an apparent contradiction with state statutes (123B.09), the Wayzata School Board has delegated full authority for curriculum matters to the Superintendent. He, in turn, has delegated this authority to the curriculum and teaching staff. Curriculum issues presented to the school board (such as integrated math, state standards, International Baccalaureate, and Common Core curriculum) are directed to non-elected curriculum and building staff, without action or discussion by the board. Do you think this is appropriate? Why or why not?
  3. During its most recent session, the Minnesota Legislature removed the requirement that high school students pass a minimum skills test (known as the GRAD test) in order to graduate, and removed the requirement that teachers pass a basic skills test in order to become licensed. In light of these changes, what can local school districts including Wayzata do to ensure the high academic outcomes and teaching standards that residents have come to expect?
The nine candidates are:
Check the Lakeshore Weekly News, Plymouth Patch, and Sun Sailor for more candidate information between now and election day

Refer to the school district website for complete election information, including polling locations. Your polling place for the school board election may be different from your general election poll. This page also includes the broadcast schedule for the October 21 candidate debate moderated by the League of Women Voters, and hosted by the Wayzata High School Parent-Teacher Organization.

What have you learned about the candidates? Who do you plan to support and why? Let us know in the comments.

You can influence the direction of the Wayzata Schools with your vote on November 5. Get informed, and get out and vote.