Below are unedited responses to questions posed by NorwalkNet to all the candidates for BOE. Candidate answers are being posted as they are received.
1. Please describe why you feel you are qualified to be on the BOE. Please list your educational, professional, and community background.
I have a broad base of experience. I was in the restaurant business for 20 years, owning and managing two of my own full-service restaurants. I have been in the real estate and construction business for the last 15 years. I am the Director of NorwalkSEEKS, a literacy and special ed advocacy group. I’ve taken a leave of absence in my role as President of the Norwalk PTO Council. I am on a variety of committees, both in the district and with outside agencies. I have been involved in issues relating to Norwalk Public Schools for 12 years. I have three children in Norwalk Public Schools. I have a BA in English.
2. What are your top 3 goals for the next term and how do you plan to achieve them?
One top goal would be to hire a strong Superintendent since great leadership inspires and influences all other district practices and priorities. As stated by a parent at last week’s Community Conversations “Great leadership creates great followship.” Working with the search team and reaching out and soliciting input from key community constituents and the community at large would be an objective. Since so much time has been lost with infighting and interims, finding a Superintendent who could hit the ground running would be a goal.
Increasing the level and quality of communication would be another top goal. If elected to the BOE, I would expand on what I have already done. Before taking a leave of absence as President of the PTOC, I was instrumental in having the PTOC meetings filmed and aired on Channel 78, sent out Weekly Updates via email summarizing all BOE/district information, and I forwarded all BOE Friday Reports/Action Items to the PTOC database. For the last 3 years, as Director of NorwalkSEEKS, I provided monthly parent forums and informational email blasts for special ed parents. Neither the BOE nor key administrators in Central Office provided these services and informational sessions. I would collaborate with groups that could dramatically expand the access to district information.
Another goal would be add a sense of urgency to issues relating to reading. According to 2009 CMT scores, 40% to 50% of Norwalk students in 3rd through 8th grade could not read at grade level! Of that, almost 25% in each grade were in the ‘basic’ or ‘below basic’ categories—essentially non-readers. What does that mean? If a kid can’t read, they can’t write, they can’t spell, they can’t read a math problem, they can’t read a science book, and they can’t read or write their homework in their notebooks. In many states, prison construction is based on 3rd grade reading scores. I would collaborate with non-profits to submit a proposal for the Federal ‘Investing In Innovation’ (I3) funding; a proposal for this funding must be submitted by the Spring of 2010. I would look to those schools in this district that are beating the odds. I would collaborate with the impressive brain trusts of literacy institutions and organizations that have research centers right here in Connecticut.
3. Norwalk is seeking a new superintendent. What qualities do you believe it is important for this person to have?
A proven record of success in a variety of leadership skills including an ability to communicate a vision and goals and to work collaboratively in achieving them, consistent use of objective data to inform decisions, motivational enthusiasm, , a ‘no excuses’ attitude, a rock-solid appreciation of Norwalk’s potential and an ability to hit the ground running.
4. The Cambridge and CREC reports have cited communication within the district as a problem. What specific ideas do you have to improve communication?
Change the district culture and the level of expectation since most of what happens at a public school is public information. Information and communication is not the enemy and it must be used to its full advantage to instill trust, respect and understanding, to begin dialogs and to make positive change. The CREC report notes that communication between the Board of Ed and Central Office and the community had not improved in the year between the release of the CREC report and the release of the Cambridge Report. I’ve addressed communication in detail in Question #2 above but would like to also add that NorwalkSEEKS, my non-profit, was mentioned in the CREC report on Page 17 under ‘Communication w/Parents & Special Ed Department’. The CREC report commented on the parent informational sessions I provided---without district support.
5. If you are a newcomer please describe what you feel the current board has succeeded in accomplishing and where it has fallen short.
While Bruce Kimmel was still on the BOE and largely due to his advocacy, the BOE began to have committee meetings for Policy, Curriculum and Finance. These committee meetings have continued and are open to the public. They have added some depth of information to the processes and policies and basis of decision making for the BOE.
This BOE majority are good people who have made some very bad decisions. Key personnel positions have been decided based on personal favorites rather than data and the best person for the job. There are a myriad number of ‘interim’ department heads, some very good, some not so good. The Budget season was a cacophony of agendas due to the acrimony and discord displayed between the BOE and the past Superintendent. But the largest shortfall, in my mind, is that this BOE is comfortable with reaching ‘compliance’. ‘Compliance’ means that a district has ‘complied’ with State and/or Federal requirements whereas ‘non-compliance’ can mean sanctions, fines, delays in funding, etc. In other words, compliance is not failing, it’s like getting a C. I’m not happy when my kids get a C; I won’t be happy if my district gets a C. If elected to the BOE, compliance will not be how I will measure success.
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Miss Haynie has mistated the facts. She does not understand the process of hiring key administrators in the district, especially Central Office administrators. All administrators play a major role in recommending who should be hired in these positions. One key position entails approx. 22 hours of interviewing by various groups. The administrators recommend the candidate who have a vision and understand the goals of their schools. This is no way implies that favorites are appointed. Perhaps Miss Haynie did not get her 'favorite' appointed in the past.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally she does not understand the definition of compliance. The state has much higher goals when they require compliance. This does not interpret into a grade of 'C.'
If the district does not comply with the regulations, funding is denied and further sanctions will be placed on the district. I doubt very much that the state would be happy to hear that Miss Haynie is giving them a 'C' for their standards for compliance.
Miss Haynie, what you are (mis)stating is'politics as usual.'
Administrators play an advisory role, but to refer to it as a major role is overstating the case. Not all administrators participate, but those who do get to give their reasons for liking or disliking each candidate. These reasons are stacked with those of other constituent groups for the board of education to consider -- but not necessarily accept. The board ultimately makes every decision about hiring. That is the law. And, yes, the board of education has made some very bad decisions.
ReplyDeleteI was flabbergasted at the forum last week to hear Ms. Haynie say that she thought the neighborhood school should be instated for all children. While a nice sentiment, it seems truly ignorant for a PTO council president NOT to realize that the state government ordered Norwalk to balance its schools racially decades ago. It's not possible for Norwalk to legally reinstate neighborhood schools with the high density of minority students in South Norwalk.
ReplyDeleteI have had the distinct pleasure to watch Sue as she has worked tirelessly these past years to put her ideas of increasing communication and the sharing of information between the parents and the schools into practice. She has not just stood on the sidelinets - she has actively inserted herself into the game. When she found that the District was not providing parents of children with the educational opportunities that they needed and deserved, she took it upon herself to form a group known as NorwalkSEEKS that provides forums and workshops for parents of exceptional children so that parents might receive the information and support that they require. Others might talk about increasing communication and the free flow of information - but Sue has taken it upon herself to provide this. She has volunteered to serve on the Parent Advisory Committee whose creation was called for in the Cambridge and CREC reports. The purpose of this committee is to explore and to create increased means of communication between the school district and the parents. She has worked tirelessly to create a Parent Handbook for those families with a special needs child to begin to understand the process and the system. She has served as the President of the PTOC and has seen to it that modern technology has be injected into the process by making agendas, notices and other informational tools available to all who are lucky to sign up for her personal Listserv. In short, she has walked the walk that others have talked about. She would be a fantastic member of the Board of Ed.
ReplyDeleteDear Flabbergasted: The neighborhood school I was referring to at the Roton Middle School forum was the South Norwalk Community Charter School. The South Norwalk Community Charter School, based on the Amistad Academy model, hopes to open in September 2010; the school will be within the boundaries of the 06854 zip code—South Norwalk. The Charter founders will “especially target students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch, who live in housing projects and/or come from single parent families…The school will target students from that area, who are bused to elementary and middle schools in other parts of the city, but will also accept students from other neighborhoods who meet the above demographic criteria.”
ReplyDeleteRegarding compliance, I stand by my opinion that to be ‘in compliance’ under State and Federal guidelines is not how I want to measure District success; the standard is too low. For instance,
ReplyDelete- ‘Proficiency’ in reading is-in compliance. But, a child who is only ‘proficient’ is not reading at grade level;
- A black child in Norwalk is almost 4 times as likely as their non-black peers to be identified with Emotional Disturbance- in compliance (but to me, unacceptable);
- Response to Intervention (RTI/SRBI), a State-mandated general education initiative mentioned in CREC is designed to catch kids before they fail in reading or math. It has begun in 3 Norwalk schools but will not begin in the District until 2010 because the District wasn’t prepared and needed a waiver—in compliance (Norwalk, for another year, has to use the ‘discrepancy’ model-also know as the ‘wait to fail’ model)
There are schools in Norwalk that are raising above ‘compliance’ in spite of school demographics that say they shouldn’t be—Brookside and Kendall are great examples. We need to raise the bar.
Click here to see Brookside-ConnCan Success Story:
http://www.conncan.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_264_A_PageName_E_BrooksideElementaryNorwalk2009
Sue Haney certainly has a record for standing up for student rights in Norwalk...Special Education's student rights. Look carefully at what has been stated regarding her involvement in education...Are you reading special interest in 'special education?' I am. Enough tax payers' money goes towards special education! Be very aware of what you read, taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Sue Haney would like to see all schools reach levels in No Child Left Behind that create problems for Norwalk...as well as most other districts. Yes, proficiency is just that. If you would like to raise the levels of proficiency, Sue, then all schools would fall into the category of failing...I think you need to educate yourself on what your standards mean for the schools.
Dear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteI am on leave as the President of the Norwalk PTO Council, which represents all 19 schools and all children, as well as the Director of NorwalkSEEKS, which advocates for literacy, reading disablities and special education issues that can affect any child. Most kids are in special education for reading disablities.
I agree with you, too much money is spent on special education especially considering only 7% (yes 7%) of 4th grade special ed kids reached goal in 2009--we need to find out why we get such poor results and yet spend such huge sums of money.
And finally, raising our internal district standards to be above Federal 'compliance', to be above 'proficiency', would not add penalities to Norwalk. The government doesn't penalize a district for working harder or smarter. By your comments, can one assume that you don't care that 1/2 our students can't read at grade level? I do care, I think it's urgent, so I will probably continue to disappoint you on that issue.
I wholeheartedly support Sue Haynie. She has always been a straightforward, transparent person. What you see is what you get.
ReplyDeleteThe reason some naysayers are upset is because she sets the bar high and she has the personality where the state WON'T get mad at her (why would you insinuate or instigate such a thing) for doing so, but respect her well thought out reasoning and team player attitude.
Most of you just want to go along in your mediocrity so certain children can stay on top of the spectrum because many of you can't fit into Darien or New Canaan, so you try to create your wanna-be upper crust mentalities here. WE DON'T NEED IT and WE DON'T WANT IT.
Sue would be the very reason Norwalk could be put on the map as a district to be emmulated nationwide. She is not about what looks good on paper. She is about putting in the ACTUAL WORK to be sure all of our children succeed. No personal favortism. No regard to money or class. HERS IS PURE CONCERN FOR ALL CHILDREN and SHE HAS THE TRACK RECORD TO PROVE IT.
And you want to know a secret? Even if she doesn't win, she will continue to increase her knowledge and to advocate for all children.
That type of heart deserves to be rewarded.
I wholeheartedly support Ms. Haynie for the school board. She has consistently advocated for Norwalk's children-- ALL of Norwalk's children. I have found her to be accesible, knowledgeable, kind and willing to take a stand for what is right.
ReplyDelete