Time ran out at the Board of Education forum in October before all community questions collected by the League of Woman Voters and other sponsors were answered. The responses below are summaries of my thoughts, only my thoughts and not those of other Board members, on these questions.
Since these were community questions and time and effort was taken to compile them, I wanted to respond. They are not researched to the level they deserve. Their intent is not to please everyone. However, they do give the reader an idea of my thinking, as a newly elected Board of Education member, on issues of importance to our community. Keep in mind, I remain open to good arguments and sound judgment. My hope is that this will be the beginning of many dialogs.
Suspensions: How will your board membership decrease suspensions and lower the dropout rate?
- It would be helpful to collect and publish data that details the correlation between the numbers of children who are suspended and their grade level in reading; it would be important to know what part literacy plays in Norwalk’s suspension rate.
- It would be helpful to track the trajectory of suspensions for students and use that data to look for answers—for instance, does an upward trajectory seem to gain steam at a certain grade level and, if so, can we determine why?
- Where are we as a district in implementing ‘positive behavior modifications’?
- For the dropout rate, again, it would be helpful to collect and publish the data that details the correlation between dropouts and grade level in reading—what part does literacy play in drop out rates in Norwalk?
- What is our drop out rate and let’s look at that closely.
Teacher morale: Right now, some feel that teacher morale is at an all-time low. What will you do to change this?
- For starters, create a sense of inclusion and collaboration with teachers. Hire a superintendent who listens and communicates and provide a Board of Ed that listens and communicates. Figure out better ways to celebrate successes.
Diversity and closing the achievement gap: Please give your definition of a diverse community and what do you feel can be done to close the achievement gap in a diverse classroom?
- In my mind, a diverse community is Norwalk, a melting pot—a city with a variety of races, ethnicities, religions, languages, and cultures, a microcosm of our country.
- The achievement gap is a bigger issue than can be addressed here but, to begin—be sure that the supports are in place to ensure that the vast majority of our children are decoding/reading by the end of 1st grade and, most certainly, long before they leave the elementary grades; provide language rich curriculums across subject areas; look to schools within the district that are using best practices in making demonstrable, replicable and dramatic gains in achievement; take fuller advantage of the reading research institutions within driving distance of Norwalk; increase the availability of assistive technology where needed; raise the bar and level of expectations for all kids; ensure that the vertical transitions between elementary to middle school and then to high school are well-planned and fluid.
Standards of promotion: Why are so many children passed from grade to grade and they do not meet the standards for NCLB?
- New York City began a rigorous restructuring of ‘social promotion’ procedures a couple of years ago under Mayor Bloomberg and Superintendent Klein—it is no longer a given that a child in NYC will be promoted to the next grade. However, there’s an emphasis on early identification and multiple avenues of help before a child is held back. See this interesting article from Education Week Rand Study, Social Promotion in NYC
Briggs High School: What do you plan to do to improve Briggs High School?
- While running for the Board of Education, we had the opportunity to tour Briggs High School and meet their dynamic principal, staff and students.
- Briggs provides a refuge for kids who need an alternative to the rough and tumble of a large high school; it’s about tenacity, hope and new beginnings. Celebrate it, and, rather than marginalize it, expand and enhance the model.
- It has no library—be sure that at the very least the online library, Bookshare, with it’s 60,000 books, magazines and periodicals, can be accessed at the school;
- Look into assistive technology applications, fundable under ARRA funds, that can increase access to curriculum for all students, an example is Kurzweil a reading and college prep assistive technology;
- The school needs a crosswalk—how can Norwalk or the Board help?
Code of Conduct: What will you do to ensure high professional standards of conduct?
- Much of this issue begins at the top, in the Superintendent’s office and the Board of Education, setting high standards and expectations for everyone, including them. Include stronger governance as well as training for Board of Education members to be productive members. Provide governance for behavior protocols and ethics so it’s clear what the expectations are and how to enforce them.
Tenure: What is your position regarding tenure as it relates to performance?
- Collaboration and communication on this issue is important, reaching a common ground and a common understanding with mutual respect, but, ultimately and importantly, doing what’s best for the kids. Public school districts across the nation are dealing with, talking about, and experimenting with variations of traditional contract arrangements. Norwalk has time to watch, and listen and learn from this. Since this is potentially a contentious issue, it’s important that communication remains vibrant and minds remain open.
Superintendence: Should Norwalk enact a residency requirement for the superintendent position?
- It would be convenient but I don’t think it should be required. I believe that the hiring of a Superintendent is one of the most important jobs a Board of Education can do and I’m not convinced that residency and excellence are related. I’m also not aware of residency being a corporate norm. In addition, this is clearly not an ideal time to be buying or selling a home.
Early Childhood Education: How do you see early education for 3 and 4 year olds fitting in with the overall district improvement plan?:
- Early childhood education is definitely desirable, directly applicable to the district improvement plan but increasing it from what we are currently doing costs money. We would have to look at what the costs are, what the options are, and what we can afford. Are there outside funding sources that can expand on what is already available in district? Do we have the space? This is an important question but, quite frankly, I don’t have enough district or financial information to answer it well.
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Diversity training for lesbian/gay/bisexual/
- Norwalk and Brien McMahon High Schools have Gay & Lesbian Alliance Clubs. I’m not sure what Briggs offers. I don’t know what is available at the middle school level. Many kids need support or guidance, regardless of the reason—a question I would ask is what avenues are available for a child who has questions or conflict and, do they know where to turn? Community conversations at the high school level might be an interesting and helpful option.
Curriculum: Should 9th graders have the opportunity to take advanced placement classes?
- At first glance, I would say yes. But, more research on the subject would be warranted, and, communication with and the thoughts of teachers and administrators, as well as parents, at the high school level would be highly appropriate.
Overcrowding in schools: Where are you going to put all the students when the thousands of vacant or planned homes, condos and apartments become occupied?
- An updated facility plan that accounted for the myriad changes that are occurring in Norwalk would certainly be helpful. Portable classrooms, how can that be issue be addressed or planned for?
- The Avalon apartments on Belden Avenue and the apartments planned for 95/7 on West Avenue are high end and have not necessarily been designed with children in mind—what are the resident child projections for those projects?
- The South Norwalk Community Charter School has a tentative opening of September 2010; it will begin with 80 children. How will that affect district school population shifts when it is built out to K-5?
- Norwalk Public Schools had a negative -4.4% 5-year growth rate as of the 2008 State of Connecticut Strategic School Profiles. However, Darien had a positive +12.5% 5-year growth rate, New Canaan +4.8%, Westport +10.5% and Wilton a +6.4%. My question is, why are we losing children when, of all the five towns just mentioned, Norwalk is the ‘starter community’, the most affordable? Is it perception? I think so. How will the hiring of a determined and motivational Superintendent change that and how will that affect our facilities study?
Academically gifted students: Tonight there has been a lot of talk about raising the bar and closing the gap, which are important. However, some parents feel that academically gifted children are being left behind. Can you respond?
- The Director of Norwalk’s Academically Talented department is doing some fabulous things with Parent Orientations, Parent Coffee Series, notifications of events, seminars, summer opportunities, parent informational series and question and answer sessions. I have been nothing if not impressed by the Directors work. I would make my concerns known to the Director and begin a dialog. As part of the Board of Education, I have a strong desire to raise the bar for ALL kids, including this subset of children who may need additional challenges.
[The contents of this article represent the views of the writer, not of NorwalkNet.com.]
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