NSN2008
Northside News Questionnaire -2008
QUESTION 1: Given that State funding reform is not likely anytime soon, what areas of the budget do you think need to be examined? When cuts are inevitable, the process pits program against program and school against school. What will be your approach to deciding what budget items to eliminate or trim?
Each budget session, I will carefully explore any and all cuts proposed by the administration and other Board members, using direct impact on our students as my primary criteria. However, my focus will be on working to temporarily avoid divisive and harmful cuts by supporting an operating referendum of sufficient size to move us beyond merely conserving the good in our district to providing the programs and services our children need and deserve. At the state level, I will continue to work for school finance reform and to push MMSD to take a leading role in this area. The madness has gone on too long.
QUESTION 2: You are likely to vote on the district’s new equity policy, with the goal of assuring full access for all students to the same educational opportunities to succeed. High poverty schools may need more resources than comparable-sized schools elsewhere in the district. What is your level of support for revising the equity policy and your commitment to its implementation?
I have been encouraged by the Board’s recent return to the consideration of equity and have great respect for the work of the Equity Task Force. Like the Task Force, I strongly support a comprehensive Equity Policy that includes but is not limited to resource allocations. This has been a long process and it is essential that in these final stages we take the time to get it right so that the enacted policy will address all aspects of equity and can be put into practice. This is too important to settle for less than the best we can produce.
QUESTION 3: The dynamic of the School Board changes every few years and there seems to be an increased effort on the part of members to work together. What will you bring to the Board that promotes cooperation and unites members on difficult issues?
Thanks to the leadership of Arlene Silveira and the willingness of the current Board members to work together, I have become the grateful recipient of a much-changed dynamic. I promise to continue this cohesiveness. I have already met with all current Board members as well as Ed Hughes . I have much to learn from their experience and I look forward to working with them to benefit all our schools.
QUESTION 4: Schools provide a major anchor for neighborhoods. Mayor Cieslewicz called for stronger partnerships between the district and the city for the sake of the city’s economic health. What specific plans do you have for better cooperation with the city, and particularly with the new Superintendent, to assure both entities make sound decisions that impact the entire community? How will you assure our schools are an economic development catalyst, not a hindrance?
There is no doubt that our elementary schools, in particular, are the major anchor for our neighborhoods. Unless our neighborhoods recycle and flourish we will lose the inner city vibrancy that Madison needs. That is why I take this opportunity to unequivocally state:” I will not vote to close any elementary school.” In order to accomplish this there must be a strong partnership between the district and the city. I support the district/city council joint committee, which has been transformed with new members and ideas and I will also ask our new Superintendent to work with the Mayor to further this end. Forbes Magazine recently named Madison and the surrounding area as the second best education location in the country. I will do all I can to maintain this well-earned reputation.
