School Board Candidate Questionnaire 2009

 

Questionnaire Overview

For the 3rd election in a row, CPPS has an assembled a school board candidate questionnaire with questions submitted by parents. A committee of parents reviewed the suggestions and then sent out the top 8 choices (listed below) to all of the candidates. Responses were due by July 28.

Don't forget to vote! All Seattle voters get to vote for all of the open Board positions in the November 3 General Election. It is a non-partisan race. Those elected serve four-year terms.

Go to the Questionnaire Results

(See the More Info page at the end of the questionnaire for more details on the questionnaire as well as upcoming candidate forums that CPPS is planning.)

The questions that were asked:

  1. What in your background leads you to believe that you would be a successful Seattle Public Schools School Board Director?
  2. Many parents are concerned about who has the ear of the district and are asking that the district genuinely engage with the folks on the ground: parents, teachers, principals, students and support volunteers/staff in schools.  Please describe the strategies you would champion to improve meaningful communication, foster successful partnerships with public school families, and bring the parent voice to the decision-making table.
  3. While retaining limited choice options, the new student assignment plan is essentially a neighborhood school assignment model within a system of inconsistently successful schools.  A.) What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the student assignment plan as it is now proposed?   B.) What changes would you recommend to assure access to excellent schools in every neighborhood?
  4. Seattle Public Schools’ performance in terms of high school graduation rates, math performance across grades, and access to rigorous expectations, along with high quality curriculum and instruction for all students is unacceptably low.  What plans would you bring to the Board table to change this?
  5. Given that roughly 13-14% of Seattle Public Schools’ student population is identified as receiving special education services, how are you educating yourself on the issues that are most pressing to this population?
  6. It is clear from educational research that student performance is closely linked to the quality of teaching.  What role do you believe the school board has in ensuring that our lowest performing schools attract, retain and support effective teachers?
  7. Our school district continues to grapple with painful budget decisions, in large part due to inadequate State funding.  A.) What is the role of the board in advocating for funding in Olympia to ensure that State education priorities (expanded school days, increased rigor and support systems to meet increased graduation requirements, all-day kindergarten) are not unfunded mandates?  B.) What is the board’s role in educating parents and the community about relationships between state standards and funding and the Seattle School District budget?
  8. Balancing your responsibility to provide leadership to the entire district with the need to be an advocate of the district you represent, what are the priority issues specific to the district you would represent if elected, and what solutions would you offer?

Go to the Questionnaire Results

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Through community meet-ups, study groups and workshops, CPPS is organizing opportunities to bring parents and community members together to discuss the issues, engage, and advocate for a great public education system in Seattle.

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