Got questions?

We need ’em.

The Pinellas County Council of PTAs and five co-sponsors, including the St. Petersburg Times, are planning a major televised forum Aug. 21 featuring the 13 candidates for Pinellas School Board. The plan is for the public to submit questions for the candidates right here, under this blog entry. That’s so participants will be able to see what their fellow citizens are asking.

The deadline for questions will be Aug. 10, after which a committee made up of sponsor representatives will choose the best ones. The debate will be held at Osceola High School and will be televised live on the school district’s channel, WPDS-TVl4.

The other co-sponsors are the Pinellas Education Foundation, Bright House Networks, the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and WorkNet Pinellas. The forum will consist of three moderated mini debates, one for each seat. The District 1 and District 2 board members represent the entire county. The District 4 board member represents Clearwater, Largo and the mid-county beaches.

This is an important election. Three of the board’s seven seats are up for grabs and the Pinellas school system is at a critical crossroads. So we encourage you to participate.

- Tom Tobin, education writer

Comments

[Ken]

Sorry. When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.
I am from Zealand and learning to write in English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "The film stars the gavin and lesbian vampire killers trailer."

With love :-), Ken.

[David]

Choice is a clear failure and yet this board made the poor choice of grandfathering everyone already assigned.
We will continue to waste our hard earned tax dollars in gasoline, destroy our air as we bus kids everywhere, destory the value of our houses as a potential buyer has no idea where their child will go to school and have huge productivity losses as our kids spend hours in school busses traveling great distance.
After 1 year on a waiting list my son is STILL denied access to our local school. No information is available as to how many kids have taken the seats.
I allways thought open information was a mandate for public institutions and yet this school assignment board has done everything in its power to make sure we get no information.
There is little accountability in Pinnellas as a whole.
Do you realize the scope of this problem ?
What are your top priorities ?
How are you going to deal with the existing board who has created this mess ?

[PH Taxpayer]

What can be done to correct maps that zone Palm Harbor residents for Tarpon High, while Dunedin residents get zoned for PHUHS? We live in PH and do not want to drive by PHUHS on route to Tarpon HS. This is absurd, a waste of gas and definitely not local zoning.

The deadline for questions was August 10.

[Bob]

Simply:

What do you see as the "Role" of education today?

Bob McIntyre

[Erica]

As a new parent to Pinellas County Public School system. I would like to know:

1. Is it in either of your plans to update or go to a better curriculum other than the one used. (ie Abeka)

2. What if anything are you prepared or willing to do for private school parents entering public to make the transition smooth?

3. Are either of you CPA?

4. The amount of money the taxpayers spend and that "suppose" to be allocated from the Florida Lottery to fund the school system. What measures are in place to see to it that the money is properly spent.

[Kathy]

As a new member of the PCSB, what will you do for the support services members? I know teachers need more money, but what about the support person. We are the grease that keeps the machine running! Yet everytime a raise comes up we get a 1 or 2% raise. That is like 10 cents an hour. That is like a gallon of gas each week to drive to work. We do not get STEP increases! Teachers get a raise if they take a step in years of experience. Support we do not. All we ever get is a bone that is thrown our way once in a while. It is if our experience in the school systems means nothing yet if you apply for a job within the school system you can't get it because you don't have experience in the school system. This is called a stale business. What would happen if we taught children this way? Or maybe that is the what we do --- keep the working folks stale! voila decreased student acheivement and decreased graduation rates. Support personel need to be given a wage increase yearly just to keep up with living expenses. Some of us even hold college degrees and we do not get recognized. And education is suppose to be respected........hmmmm

[Deborah]

What is your knowledge of Jeff's Law? Are you prepared to implement the policies of Jeff's Law? Are you aware of the epidemic of bullying in our schools?

What will you do to help teachers ?
It seems to me that at every turn problems with budgets, staffing, policies, etc. are laid on the desk of teachers.
Teachers have reduced or no planning time, use their own money for supplies, have to deal with lack of sufficient text books, unruly students, the list goes on. Yet they continue to teach - most because they love to.
Education begins with our educators not with our adminstrators.

FCAT is not a substitute for teaching, I am tired of FCAT being the end all and be all of our schools. How will you enrich every childs education beyond FCAT?
Do you agree that FCAT scores will improve when a child is inspired to learn and when art, music and fun are reintroduced to our classrooms ?

[PCS Employee]

1. Please share your professional background as it prepares you for this position. Why are you interested in joining the Pinellas School Board?

2. What do you see as your most significant leadership quality? Please share with us how this quality has been exemplified in actual practice.

3. What are the most pressing issues that you have identified in Pinellas, and how would you address them?

4. You have received a draft copy of our district's Strategic Plan. As a Board member how would you monitor and evaluate programs, as well as provide accountability?

5. How will you further our efforts to improve student achievement? Please address the achievement gap and graduation rates.

6. Please share with us your philosophy on career education. How will you go about incorporating career education into the system?

7. Please share with us your thoughts on site-based management.

8. In order to maintain a high performing work force, what will you do to continually improve employee performance?

9. Should you become a Board Member, how would you assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the district? How would you determine the strengths of the district? How would you build on those strengths?

10. What strategies would you employ to recruit and retain teachers and administrators?

11. How would you address a leadership succession plan?

12. What steps would you take to develop and maintain a strong leadership team relationship between yourself, the superintendent and the community?

13. Communication is a challenge for any district and a huge issue in a large district. How will you improve communication in Pinellas County?

14. Ideally, what should be the relationship among parents, the community and the public schools? Share with us specific examples of how you will increase the participation of parents and the broader community in Pinellas schools.

Faced with overwhelming defict in the upcoming budget, where are you going to find the funds to increase efficiency, provide excellent education and meet the needs of the students, teachers and employees of Pinells County?

[E.W.]

Now that Pinellas County schools have changed to "neighborhood" schools, this seems like the perfect time to find ways to get parents (& extended families) more involved in their children's school and their children's learning.
What plans are being made to accomplish this goal? Does the School Board (and the candidates for School Board) consider this an important tool for helping to improve student achievement?

[Lynne]

As a board member would you support the current teacher contract teaching 5 classes? Or would you continue to violate middle school teachers' contracts to save money by stealing planning time from teachers and class time in core subjects from students.

Also, I would like to see more thought and planning before major decisions are made.

Finally, how are you planning on repairing the damage to morale created by our former less than super superintendent. Who seemed to hold teachers in contempt?

[L.Z.]

I have a huge issue with the dress codes of Pinellas schools, I feel it is very important to have a dress code that protects the modesty of our children, but honestly it’s too much. The kids can’t even wear a top with 1” wide straps, we live in Florida, and it’s hot. I have a High school student who dresses very modestly, at her school I see some young women with absolutely impropriety short dresses and shorts, while I can not even put a summer sundress in my 2nd grader. I understand not allowing spaghetti strap tank tops on the girls, but this dress code is too much, it seems this school district is pushing toward uniforms, We dictate every aspect of our children’s lives in school (as we should), but can we not even give our children one important choice (like what to put on in the morning), if I wanted to be dictated, I would move to a communist country. FYI my family is very conservative, and modest, I would never allow my daughters in mini skirts or those super short shorts; I know you all could draw a better line on dress codes without making it so over the top. To make this matter worse, there are many who do not bother to follow the rules, and put their girls in school in the sleeveless outfits, and nothing happens because you can’t suspend little kids over tank tops, so there’s my little girl wondering why she can’t wear a pretty sundress (all of which have no sleeves) while that girl can. All I can say to her is, we follow the rules.

[Bill Feininger]

Decentralization and/or school-based management seems to me to be an idea that should have been strongly considered and fully implemented long ago. The needs of north and south county are so radically different that there can be no better way to manage their unique needs. How will you ensure adequate funding and proper oversight this sort of system. What are the steps, mile stones/checkpoints, timetables and measurements for a successful implementation?

Pinellas County is very densely populated, and local recreation programs are having a difficult time providing recreational services to its residents, particularly our children. What are you views on creating partnerships between local organizations and schools for utilizing these publicly owned facilities for other purposes?

[Carol]

Since a school system the size of Pinellas needs to be run like a business (and especially during these times of budget cuts), what business background do have to bring to the current board table.

[Kathleen]

How can we model ethical/civil behavior for our students?
How can we best train our students to follow ethical/civil standards in their approach to school work and relationship with their peers and teachers, and school leaders?

[Hopeful]

i have seen, first hand, the ridiculous and the seriously caring pta members who are supposed to "work" for the children. how would you plan to ensure that these folks don't inflict THEIR wishes on their schools? how to keep the bad apples out who have been witnessed to have taken money from the pta for themselves? and how to make sure that those same bad apples don't just show up in another school - hoping to repeat their offenses? what are they teaching their kids? how can u allow that?

[James]

the School Board needs to be setting the agenda for producing 21st Century citizens. Very specifically, what 5 things will you do on the Board to improve the failing system we have today?

[Quiles]

This is a waste of time for everyone.
The media, parents and community have been led to slaughter, like lost sheep. First the interim superintendent claims to not want the job,but now she is a candidate. I would bet the farm and kids, she is selected as the new superintendent.So the real question is, Candidates for school board, How do you determine the job success or failure of her office? Please no spinning, I already have a headache.

[Concerned Parent]

You wanted employees to take a pay cut, would you take one ?

[Tom Tobin, Times Staff Writer]

Hello everyone: Just wanted to let you know we'll be taking questions for the candidates' forum through Aug. 10. Some very insightful questions so far. Feel free to keep contributing.

[Safety Harbor Mom]

How do you think you can improve the school system?

What is your vision for our school system?

Tell us about your experience with gifted education and your feelings about gifted.

Would you consider creating a gifted program for middle school and a separate one for high school? Explain your answer please.

How can you ensure that courses are same quality in each school? For example Advanced Language Arts in middle school, which seems to vary from teacher to teacher, school to school. How can we as parents know that Advanced means the same no matter where your child goes to school?

What is the most important thing facing our school district? What solutions would you like to see considered?

Tell us about a time when you had to deal with budget cuts, how did you handle it?

What is the largest budget you've handled? Did you come in over or under budget? How?

How will you deal with the disparity in the quality of services, teachers, etc. with some of the schools in South County vs. other schools throughout the county?

Do you have school aged children? If so, are they enrolled in Pinellas County schools? Tell us about your experiences so far.

Your feelings on Magnet, Fundamental schools?

How will you offer all students the opportunity for them to excel (no matter where they live in the county)?

How do you plan on keeping from "dumbing down" our curriculum in all grades and instead increasing standards for our children?

What motivates you as a learner? How do you model lifelong learning to your students, children, etc.?

How does technology support learning?

What plans do you have for aligning school district policy with what is best for children, adolescents and teens? While Pinellas claims to be a research-based organization, the reality is that budget, transportation, and uninformed vocal parents tend to guide decisions.
Just a few examples where district practice is not commensurate with sound research:
1. School start times that require HS students to begin at 7:05 a.m.
2. Common assessments that steal large blocks of instructional time with little or no value to teachers
3. Short school days that do not allow time to cover curriculum
4."Gifted programs" which are merely enrichment for over-achievers rather than engaging learning environments and opportunities for all children.
5.Allocation of funds for new text books and new school buildings rather than hiring and keeping excellent instructors.
And the list goes on...

Two school board members leaving to run for another office decide who to hire to be our superintendent.

Wouldn't it be wiser to wait until after the election and let the newly seated school board members go over the five final candidates and make the decision of the man or woman they will be working with for the next four years?

Why would Jane Gallucci and Nancy Bostock be involved in the selection of the new superintendent, they are leaving! It would make more sense to wait until after the election and have the new full school board make the decision since they will be the ones working with the candidate hired. It is certainly more important they have the input since they are coming in and the others are going out. But making sense and our school board don't always go hand in hand.
Wendy Clearwater

[Marty S]

In light of skyrocketing fuel costs, would you consider a 4-day work week during the school year to trim transportation costs (20%) and the commuter costs to your employees who received no raises this year?

[J.M.]

How do you expect the passing of Jeff's Law (the Florida Anti-Bullying Statute)to impact Pinellas County Schools?

[Tim]

Why did Jeb Bush get away with dumping over $800 million dollars worth of bad mortgage debt on Florida right before leaving office? And now he "works" for a banking, investment and financial company? COME ON ALREADY? He has a degree in Latin American Cultural Studies yet now he's a financial mogul?
Isn't it time for another BOSTON TEA PARTY IN THIS COUNTRY?! I mean when people say "Oh it's political" don't they really mean it's legal LYING, COVER-UPS, GAMES, TOO MUCH UNWARRANTED POWER, basically unethical and everyone KNOWS IT...Get that TEA READY, give us ALL OUR TAXES BACK so WE THE PEOPLE can take care of OUR OWN COUNTRY, while you "politicians" worry about all the rest of the freaking world.

[Marshall]

Why don't any candidates EVER, EVER, EVER have the guts to address the entire Federal Reserve/IRS/Credit/Banking MONOPOLY that has the entire country held as hostages?
Is that because each and every candidate knows they get cash flow from it themselves (rhetorical question I know), I mean how many sane people pay MILLIONS of dollars for a $100,000 a year job without KNOWING something BIG is it for them? IN the real world that is called BAD BUSINESS if not INSANE.

[Concerned and Involved Parent Partner]

My questions:

1. Would you propose any changes to the fundamental/magnet/charter schools?
2. What are your top 3 plans for reducing costs? How will you influence existing board members and administration to adopt your cost saving measures?
3. How can the district draw best practices from schools within the district or state that are performing above district/state averages? Likewise how can the district adopt best practices from other districts within the state that are performing above the district. All schools and districts are striving for outstanding performance on the same Sunshine Standards, yet some schools/districts rise above. How can you learn from them?

[Concerned Taxpayer]

The previous Superintendent supposedly revamped the Transportation Department; and yet, all the key people remained in their positions. In point of fact, new positions were created. During the recent budget cuts, it is my understanding that NO positions were eliminated from the Transportation Department.
1) Why was this decision made and what is the JUSTIFICATION (other than the grandfathering and the unknown)?
2) Also with the price of fuel skyrocketing, what provisions are AT PRESENT being implemented to insure this department is more cost effective?
3) What was the total dollar amount, for OVERTIME ONLY, paid to the bus drivers last school year?
4) What was the total dollar amount, for OVERTIME ONLY, paid to Transportation management positions last school year?

[Zaida]

A consultant gives us the 5 top school board candidates seeking the supervisors job, all from Florida. Yet the State of Florida has low graduation success. Should the school board wait for the election of new members to decide on our next Super and expand the list to out of state candidates ?

[LSLK]

As you already know our high school graduation rates are stuck at around an appalling 65%. I believe that this is directly related to the fact that High School starts at an abusive 7:05 am. Our children are exhausted and malnourished from skipping breakfast (because its too early to eat at 5:45am) and not getting a lunch period until 1:00 pm. Which candidates would make starting High Schools later a priority if elected?

[Concerned parent]

My questions:

1. Would you propose any changes to the fundamental/magnet schools?
2. What are your top 3 targets for reducing costs, how will you reduce costs and will it impact resources/quality?
3. If you support the Pinellas Education Foundation's recommendations for decentralization, what oversights would you put in place to ensure efficiency and success?

[Latino Business Club]

With an Latino population of 30% of the enrollment population in some schools, there are no Hispanic Principals, much less upper Administration. What will you do to change this inept hiring practice of the Pinellas Count School System.

How many of the candidates have taken the time to sit through entire workshops or board meetings. If they can't endure them now when they aren't on the board, how can they expect to do it as a board member? I believe that all the candidates should be attending all workshops and bd meetings as a means to be educated on the issues.

[Peter J. Chilos]

A small town in Georgia has separated by gender in its school system. Do you believe this change would be successful in a Middle-School setting? Middle-School males are unruly when mixed with a proven mature female student. I suggest a survey be taken amongst all teachers within the Middle-School and High School teachers only!

[Justin Gabor]

How can Pinellas County schools look to focus their attention to student prevention of violence and misuse of unmanaged emotions with students in order to facilitate a safer classroom environment where learning is at the center, rather than discipline? With a rise of families troubled by alcohol, drugs, and unemployment, more and more students are feeling the stress of daily life leak over into their academic lives. We know from qualitative research that a safe classroom environment is necessary for critical thinking to develop. If students are ill equipped to handle their emotions, how can we expect them to handle their intellect?

[Brandon]

It's unfortunate that the subject of evolution garnered so much attention this past year when the state science standards were being revamped, and then again during the state's legislative session. The vast field of science instruction was updated and yet only one subject within that field stole the show. If opposition to the teaching of evolution (i.e. "academic freedom" or "teach the strengths and weaknesses") popped up again either locally or statewide, how would you handle it?

What is your personal leadership philosophy concerning subjects you have little to no personal knowledge of? This, of course, ties into the subject of evolution. Do you truly know the scientific definition of the word theory and why it is properly applied to plate tectonics, evolution and gravity? Do you understand how something in science can be both fact and theory? The point I'm trying to get at is that if you can't answer these questions with understanding and confidence, how do you go about making decisions that affect these areas?

Understanding the forum is sponsored by the St. Pete Chamber and the Education Foundation, how will you balance the needs of the business community as employers against the needs of our students to explore broad educational goals?

In light of the current mortgage crisis which was arguably caused by shady business practices, how do you react to the mantra of school reformers who say "run schools like businesses?"

What policies will you implement to gain greater control and oversight regarding the district's budgeting process?

Describe the difference between micro-management and oversight.

How will you maintain open and responsive communication with schools, parents and the public?

[Scared and confused Mom and Business person]

1 - How will the budget cuts affect the Centers of Excellence plan? (Which was supposed to provide badly needed skills-based training and relevant education based on this community's needs.)
2 - Why are we attempting to model Pinellas County high schools, with a 9th grade enrollment of 13,607 (resulting in the deplorable number of 6,895 graduates), after Okaloosa County, whose 9th grade enrollment was a fraction? (2,482 9th grade enrollment for the same period) The dynamics presented by the numbers alone have to be taken into account. The population of Pinellas is 5 times that of Okaloosa, and the crime rate in Pinellas is more than 10 times that of Okaloosa. Have we looked at any comparable areas with successes for a more feasible model?
3 - Where and how can the average citizen determine how the continued tax increase, recently approved by Pinellas voters, is being spent? Do individuals with experience and accountability oversee the budgeting and expenditure of those funds?
4 - I don't disagree with some of the plan for change. That being said, we can't be stupid enough to expect that the parents who never cared or perhaps truly never had time to be involved in the past will suddenly become involved now. So the same PTA and SAC parents will be making decisions for everyone else - and with their own interests at heart, not the greater good. That doesn's seem fair or wise.
5 - Finally, there are some great teachers in Pinellas County. There are also lousy teachers and administrators here. Are annual reviews conducted on each and every position? And if so, are teacher evaluations based on anything more than 1 or 2 "pop-ins"? As a parent of two young men who have both dropped out of Pinellas County high schools, both of whom opted for a GED rather than what they described (and I witnessed) as the inane high school experience, I'm sick about our schools. I'm a lifelong resident with one more son in his last year of middle school, and I am dreading the high school experience. I'm not alone - I work in a large company and many of my co-workers have the same horror stories.

[ed]

how about a question that a lot of people wonder about but won't ask--can anyone but a woman be elected?? can you see a man in that HEN-HOUSE?? NOW LETS HEAR THE UPROAR!!!

[parent on the fence]

I'm not sure whether I want to send my child to a Pinellas County public school. Of most concern to me is school safety. I have been able to walk right into the hallways (either closed hallways or open-air hallways) in schools where there are multiple entrances, and no one (even school staff who walk right by me) seems to care that I have no Visitor Badge, or that I am unaccompanied. This is unnacceptable to me as a parent of an incoming 1st grade student. When I tell my friends (who have kids in the system) each time it happens, they just shake their heads and say "we know, it's crazy." What do you intend to do about this situation, and moreover to make our schools truly locked down and safe?

[Educator who loves the job]

1. Currently Pinellas County has hundreds of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT), what do you know about them and how could our school system utilize their strengths more effectively and reward them for their expertise?
2. Grade inflation is rampant in school grades. While there are many reasons, the worst is the college driven mindset. With universities accepting only 4.0 and higher g.p.a.s, teachers feel pressure to bend to demands to grant grades that may not be true. How can you as a scool board member work with parents, colleges and the legislature to address this problem?

[F. Dondi]

Many Administration & Principals are retiring and are rehired thereby creating a double dipping retirement plan. But classroom educators are forced to retire. How will you stop this unfair and costly practice?

[A Mom]

With drop out prevention plans gone or going due to budget cuts. What or how would you propose to in helping these special kids? They need that extra attention that they were getting from these programs. I have seen kids blossom from the teachers & admin personnel in these programs and graduate with honors. We will be having more drop-outs than this county has ever seen before, due the programs being cut.

[Concerned Mom]

What are your plans to expand on vocational education in Pinellas County? Not all kids are college bound material. Lots learn more with doing hand-ons then reading books. This in one county in Florida that is behind the times in Vocational Education. We need Vocational Education in the trades field, HVAC, plumbing, electric, small engines/diesel, carpentery, vet assisting, etc. If it wasn't for those trades, we would not have the life styles we have today. We need to get the next generations back into the fields. It seems to be dying skills, hard work and sweat built our country. I have met more kids that don't know a hammer from a screwdriver or even how to use them. I for one want to see our kids graduate with more then just a piece of paper. They need skills.

[PS]

What is your position on continuing to allow the Boy Scouts the use of school facilities without charge?

[Samat711]

The Visual and Performing Arts are considered Core Curricula in both the Florida Standards and NCLB and have been shown to help increase students' ability to learn while providing them with incentives to learn. Inasmuch as the citizens of Pinellas County have voted twice to support the Arts through an increase in their property taxes would you still mandate the teaching of the Arts in all schools even if school based management were to go into effect?

[cg]

Do you believe in lasers?

[I need an advocate]

I'm a student with a serious learning disability. I have an IEP and have had a great teacher who has been my advocate and savior in high school, often stepping in to make sure my teachers follow the IEP and pay attention to my special needs. As a result I have a 4.1 GPA. That teacher has lost her job to budget cuts and now I have no one at my high school to work on my behalf. I have 1 year to go until I graduate and I'm afraid of what may happen to me. Is this fair?