District 7 Candidate Coree Cuff Questionnaire

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Coree Cuff responses to a questionnaire issued by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, the Duval County Council of PTAs, Save Duval Schools, the Jacksonville Kids Coalition and the Jacksonville Urban League.

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  The
 Jacksonville
 Public
 Education
 Fund,
 Save
 Duval
 Schools,
 Duval
 County
  PTA,
 Jacksonville
 Kids
 Coalition
 and
 Jacksonville
 Urban
 League
 are
  nonpartisan
 organizations.
 We
 do
 not
 support
 or
 endorse
 any
 specific
 candidate.
  Our
 goal
 is
 to
 educate
 the
 community
 and
 promote
 increased
 participation
 in
 school
  board
 elections.
 
  Candidate
 responses
 to
 all
 questions
 will
 be
 published
 verbatim
 on
 a
 special
 web
  site
 at
 www.schoolboard2012.org.
 While
 candidates
 are
 strongly
 encouraged
 to
  complete
 the
 questionnaire
 in
 its
 entirety,
 partial
 or
 non-­‐participation
 will
 not
  prevent
 candidates
 from
 participating
 in
 subsequent
 public
 forums
 or
 other
  election-­‐related
 events
 hosted
 by
 these
 organizations.
 
  The
 deadline
 for
 returning
 this
 survey
 is
 July
 2,
 2012.
 No
 responses
 will
 be
  accepted
 after
 this
 date
 and
 all
 responses
 will
 be
 published
 simultaneously
 to
 the
  web
 site
 subsequent
 to
 this
 date.
 

2012
 SCHOOL
 BOARD
  CANDIDATE
 QUESTIONNAIRE
 


 


 
 
Coree Cuff Candidate
 Name:
  ____________________________________________________________
  7 School
 Board
 District:
  __________
  www.cufff4kids.com Campaign
 Web
 Site:
  ____________________________________________________________
 


  Primary
 Campaign
 Contact
 
 
  Coree Cuff Name:
  ____________________________________________________________
 

[email protected] E-­‐mail
 Address:
  ____________________________________________________________
  904-250-0078 Phone
 Number:
  ____________________________________________________________
 

 
 
 
JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND 245 RIVERSIDE AVENUE · SUITE 310 · JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32202 904.356.7757 · FAX 904.394.2005 · WWW.JAXPEF.ORG

Candidate
 Biographical
 Information
 
  Please
 provide
 a
 short
 biographical
 summary
 of
 no
 more
 than
 500
 words
 that
 can
  be
 used
 on
 www.schoolboard2012.org
 web
 site
 and
 in
 other
 publications:
 
 
Coree Cuff is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in field operations, complex negotiations, and top line growth strategies. With experience in four major industries -- transportation, energy, engineering services and health care, Coree has been a trailblazer for change and credited with sustainable bottom line improvements. As an innovative leader, she has held positions in both the private and public sectors, has voluntarily served on several nonprofit boards and is an ongoing advocate for education. This diversity of experience has enabled Coree to be sensitive to the dynamics in multicultural organizations, tune in quickly to what’s important and to successfully navigate within our global economy. Coree has worked in three Fortune 500 companies, CSX (226), Exelon Energy (145) and Flour Daniel (124), holding management and executive leadership positions. In addition to these private sector assignments, Coree has worked for the fifth largest public transportation company in the United States, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), in Philadelphia, PA. In her various roles, Coree has led large, multidisciplinary, high performing teams and has had budget accountabilities for well over $700 million. She has also successfully identified new and emergent revenue sources, which have led to her organization exceeding revenue targets by double digits. In 2010, Coree decided to take her entrepreneurial skills to task and founded Well Body Academy, Inc., a progressive health and fitness company headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. Well Body Academy, Inc. provides weight management, corporate wellness and fitness services to consumers, nonprofit and corporate clients. She has been an unwavering advocate for healthy living. One of Coreeʼs many passions is the eradication of childhood obesity. She spearheaded an award-winning wellness initiative at Jacksonville Beach Elementary School with the sole intent of encouraging young students to make healthy life choices early. Her efforts earned JBE top awards in a Duval County Public Schools district-wide wellness competition. Coree writes a monthly health and fitness column for Jax4Kids, where she provides healthful tips for parents and students. With a circulation of approximately 50,000 in the Jacksonville area, Coreeʼs articles reach a broad audience and serve as a resource to many. Coree has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering Degree from University of Delaware, an Executive Leadership Professional Certificate from Wharton School of Business at University of Pennsylvania, and a Pilates Certification from Balanced Body University. She has also pursued master studies in Organizational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania. Coree is fully committed to improving education delivery in Jacksonville and has served on the Parent Teacher Association Board at JBE. She also serves on the board of Directors at Discovery Montessori School where she provided strategic direction, governance, and transformational leadership. While many independent and private schools saw a dip in enrollment over the last few years due to the economy, Discovery posted enrollment gains. Her current nonprofit board assignments include: Vice President of the East Hampton Homeowners Association. She resides in Jacksonville, FL and is a proud mother of an eleven-year-old daughter, Chloe.


 

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Instructions
 
  Please
 answer
 each
 of
 the
 questions
 below.
 If
 you
 need
 additional
 space
 or
 wish
  to
 elaborate
 on
 your
 answers
 to
 one
 or
 more
 questions,
 please
 feel
 free
 to
  attach
 additional
 pages
 to
 this
 questionnaire.
 Please
 make
 sure,
 however,
 to
  identify
 the
 question
 to
 which
 you
 are
 responding
 by
 number
 so
 we
 can
 correctly
  align
 your
 responses
 with
 the
 proper
 question.
 
  You
 may
 respond
 by
 email,
 fax,
 or
 postal
 mail.
 
 Directions
 on
 how
 to
 do
 so
 are
 at
 the
  end
 of
 the
 survey
 document.
 
 
 
  Questions
 
  Overall
 
  1. If
 you
 had
 to
 give
 the
 Duval
 County
 Public
 Schools
 a
 grade,
 how
 would
 you
  rate
 its
 current
 performance
 at
 educating
 
  a. High-­‐performing
 students?
 
 
  _____
  A
  _____
  B
  _____
  C
  _____
  D
  _____
  F
 
  b. Average
 students?
 
 
  _____
  A
  _____
  B
  _____
  C
  _____
  D
  _____
  F
 
  c. At-­‐risk
 students?
 
 
  _____
  A
  _____
  B
  _____
  C
  _____
  D
  _____
  F
 
 
  2. In
 what
 respects
 do
 you
 think
 Duval
 County
 Public
 Schools
 are
 doing
 well
 in
  their
 mission
 to
 educate
 students
 in
 Jacksonville?
 
There are definitely bright spots in our public education system in Jacksonville that we most certainly should be proud of. We have four nationally recognized schools and five of the career aspirations programs have been nationally recognized. DCPS is second in the state for the percentage of graduates completing at least one AP, IB, AICE, or Dual Enrollment courses. We also have three intervene schools with the potential to come out of intervene status this year.


 

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3. In
 what
 respects
 do
 you
 think
 DCPS
 needs
 to
 improve
 significantly?
 What
  specific
 changes
 do
 you
 want
 to
 make
 in
 school
 district
 policies
 or
 programs
  to
 make
 these
 improvements?
 
 
 I believe the most strategic decision facing DCPS is when to pull the plug
 on 19th century education philosophies and race ahead to 21st century
 solutions. Integrating technology into the entire education process and
 redistributing resources to achieve that end is the number one priority I
 think the new school board should address.
 The world is changing around us almost at the speed of light. Yet, we are
 moving at a turtle’s pace when it comes to educating our children. We’ve
 spent decades trying to solve this, thrown lots of money at it, and although
 some progress has been made over all we are still performing too near
 the bottom. We simply can’t wait any more and the call to action is now:
 the children and taxpayers deserve so much better.
 
 
 

Strategic
 Plan
 
  Duval
 County
 Public
 Schools
 has
 a
 strategic
 plan
 approved
 by
 the
 school
 board
 in
  2010
 that
 guides
 the
 day-­‐to-­‐day
 management
 and
 activities
 of
 the
 superintendent.
 A
  copy
 of
 the
 strategic
 plan
 can
 be
 accessed
 at
 http://www.duvalschools.org/static/
  aboutdcps/superintendent/strategic_plan.asp.
 
  For
 the
 following
 questions,
 please
 cite
 the
 strategy
 number
 and
 title
 (e.g.
 Strategy
 1.A:
 
  Provide
 additional
 support
 for
 all
 low
 performing
 students
 in
 all
 schools).
 
  4. On
 which
 specific
 strategy
 do
 you
 see
 as
 most
 critical
 for
 the
 district
 staff
 to
  focus
 in
 2013?
 
 
 All of the specific strategies are critical because they are interdependent
 upon each other to achieve the quality of education our children deserve
 and the stakeholders expect. There are however, far too many items
 being tracked. In management circles today, the best practice in strategic
 planning is to have a one-page document with a three to five year horizon.
 Much more than that can cause organizational chaos and distract
 employees from focusing on the most important strategic objectives.
 Of course, the 1.A, the academic achievement of our students is a priority.
 While there have been improvements in the test scores over the last
 several years, reading, math, and science scores continue to fall short of
 the goals set. The FCAT Weighed Average Performance gap shows little
 progress in closing and as a result we are not meeting the core belief and commitment that the academic success of EVERY student is a top priority.
 

 

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5. Which
 specific
 strategy
 or
 measurable
 would
 you
 propose
 revising
 or
  eliminating
 and
 what
 would
 you
 change
 about
 it?
 
 
Actually, I would like to change the framework of this question and not focus on what needs to be revised or changed with the current plan, but what needs to be added. As mentioned previously, we need to move the way we educate our children from 19th Century models to 21st Century. Let's face it. Our children are being bombarded by technology daily. They work on equipment now that was science fiction just a few decades ago. We are not the agricultural or industrial society we used to be. So we need to change how we educate to reflect what. We need more strategic focus on technology and innovation in the classroom. How do we get there, how do we fund it and what does it look like in full implementation is the strategic conversation we need to have today is we want to actually see it materialize within the next few years. And it's coming. There are state mandates on the books regarding technology integration that we will need to address within the next three years. These are not funded, but required and we'll need to figure out how to make them happen. We need to stop divesting in technology by continuing to underfund it, but do instead respect it for the instructional compliment it can be.


 


 

Governance
 
  6. Please
 provide
 a
 description
 of
 how
 you
 would
 differentiate
 between
 the
  governance
 responsibility
 of
 the
 school
 board
 and
 the
 management
 role
 of
  the
 superintendent.
 
 
The Florida Statues and the State Board of Education provide the legal framework for the duties of a school board member and superintendent. For board members, the duties range from managing the budget to adopting policies that encourage local decision making at the school level. Board members are also required to preside over hearings for students charged with extreme discipline infractions. For the superintendent, Florida Statutes and State Board of Education Rules list about 22 duties that a superintendent legally has to perform ranging from budgeting to transporting children. While these 22 items are important, a superintendent needs to be more than that. A superintendent needs to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, an advocate for children, an engine of instructional excellence and a driver of innovation. He must have high expectations for student achievement and a solid plan for realizing it. He must also have a shared vision with the board and be able to actualize it at every level in the organization. I fundamentally believe that the role of every school board member should be to provide good governance, set excellent policies and to hold the superintendent accountable for exceptional educational outcomes. I also firmly believe that the day-to-day operations are the full responsibility of the superintendent. I also


 

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believe when appropriate, that board members should aid in influencing policy decisions at the legislative level in an attempt to thwart unfunded mandates or decisions that may run counter to our strategic focus. As a school board member, I will be supportive of the superintendent, hold them accountable for exceptional educational outcomes and remain fully committed to my governance role.


 


  7. Describe
 in
 your
 decisions
 how
 you
 would
 balance
 the
 interests
 of
 your
  specific
 neighborhood
 school
 board
 district
 with
 the
 interests
 of
 the
 entire
  school
 system
 if
 they
 come
 into
 conflict.
 
I strongly believe that we cannot be parochial when it comes to the education of our children. Given where we are and how far we must go to meet the base level of standards for all, we can't afford to be singularly focused. As School Board member from District 7, I will do what's best for all of the children in Jacksonville and in doing so will benefit not only the constituents who elected me, but those who did not.


 


  The
 Duval
 County
 School
 Board
 is
 currently
 engaged
 in
 a
 search
 for
 the
 next
  superintendent,
 who
 will
 replace
 retiring
 Superintendent
 Ed
 Pratt-­‐Dannals
 in
  December
 2012.
 
  8. What
 do
 you
 consider
 the
 key
 qualifications
 the
 next
 superintendent
 should
  possess
 in
 order
 to
 be
 most
 effective?
 
 
Duval County Public Schools needs a superintendent who can successfully lead transformational change and exhibits a sense of urgency for realizing that change. Someone who is bold enough to seek innovations in education has the fortitude to see it through and the courage to stand firm in the face of conflicting priorities. Having had the responsibility for large organizations, where good talent was essential, I know it when I see it. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated and confirmed record for transformational change; high integrity; the capacity for recruiting, developing and retaining great talent; strong respect for students, parents, faculty and administrators; excellent communications skills; the ability to build strong relationships with key community stakeholders; create a culture of accountability; streamline operations, think strategically, employ good fiscal management; and be able put trust back into the organization. The superintendent and the board must have a shared vision and mutual desire for greatness for our students. Interactions between the board and superintendent should be professional, respectful and candid. The superintendent must insure that all information provided to the board for decision making or policy setting, is as accurate as possible and deliberate failure to do so should be met with serious consequences.


 

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As board members, we must also remember that we have one employee, the superintendent, and should provide that employee with the tools to be successful such as continued professional development for flat spots, on going performance appraisals, and timely feedback on what's going well and what's not going well. The board should set high expectations and hold the superintendent accountable for realizing them. At no point in time should the board triangulate its interactions with the superintendent by taking on the day-to-day operations of the district. One of my biggest concerns, as a potential new board member, is that I may not have the opportunity to ensure that we have a superintendent with the previously stated qualities, since the current board is actively seeking to hire the new superintendent prior to the new board coming on. With four out of the seven seats potentially changing, I think this is big mistake and is a potential disservice to the students, taxpayers and the new superintendent. I have a great deal of experience with selecting talent and building high performing teams and I look forward to applying those skills in any superintendent search. I just hope that I have the opportunity to do so.
 


  9. The
 school
 board
 is
 in
 the
 process
 of
 developing
 a
 new
 formal
 evaluation
  instrument
 for
 the
 Superintendent.
 In
 addition
 to
 this
 annual
 evaluation,
  please
 describe
 how
 you
 would
 propose
 providing
 formative
 feedback
 to
 the
  next
 superintendent
 on
 his/her
 performance
 on
 an
 ongoing
 basis.
 
 
In all fairness to any new superintendent, it is very difficult to work for seven different bosses with seven different agendas. It's imperative that the new board becomes a cohesive team quickly so that their collective efforts can be channeled in a direction that allows for the best possible outcomes for students. This cohesiveness also creates a stabilizing environment for the entire district and will enable the superintendent to be more effective in his role. Ideally, we want the superintendent to be successful, because if he fails, our students fail too and that’s simply unacceptable. Regarding performance evaluations it is a best practice in leading management circles to have performance conversations early and often to avoid misunderstandings, misalignments or missteps. I believe that monthly, factbased performance evaluations should be held in the first year of the superintendent's tenure. That way positive behaviors can be reinforced, performance metrics reviewed and course corrections addressed immediately. During that first year, if the superintendent wants or needs more frequent interactions, the board should be accommodating. As the superintendent matures in the role, quarterly evaluations should be sufficient. In every year there should be an annual evaluation.


 
 
 
 
 


 


 

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Financial
 Resources
 and
 Budgeting
 
  The
 Duval
 County
 School
 Board
 is
 responsible
 for
 adopting
 an
 annual
 budget
 that
  outlines
 expected
 expenses.
 A
 copy
 of
 current
 budget
 documents
 can
 be
 accessed
 at
  http://www.duvalschools.org/static/aboutdcps/departments/
  budget/budget_resources.asp.
 Please
 review
 these
 documents
 so
 that
 you
 can
  answer
 questions
 #10-­‐12
 as
 specifically
 as
 possible.
 
  10. What
 specific
 areas
 of
 the
 district
 budget
 would
 you
 prioritize,
 particularly
 if
  additional
 resources
 became
 available?
 
 
The economy has had a dramatic impact on the funding for our public schools. Falling property values and greater dependency on local versus state revenues have meant many vital programs have seen cuts or elimination. The core curriculum of reading writing, science and mathematics are essential, but alone they are not enough to provide quality education. The first priority must be the early learning programs such as VPK, which focus on reading and language skills. Without them a child has limited potential for success and the gap between economic levels will continue to grow. Wellness and physical education is critical. Numerous studies have shown that healthy students perform better. The growing percentage of the population with childhood obesity issues will cost us today and for the lifetime of the child. The arts are also critical. Students engaged in music and in the visual arts often perform better in the area of mathematics. To keep children in school, to lower the dropout rates and increase graduation rates we must provide more than just the core, we must provide the whole fruit.


 
 

11. With
 revenues
 expected
 to
 continue
 to
 decline
 in
 the
 coming
 years,
  additional
 budget
 cuts
 are
 all
 but
 a
 certainty.
 What
 specific
 areas
 of
 the
  budget
 would
 you
 recommend
 reducing
 first?
 
 
That's right. Revenues are declining, mandates are increasing and the public has no appetite for tax increases. These are difficult times and there is more to come. It is for this reason that we need decisive, aggressive and transparent fiscal policy that will guide us through the next several years. It is also for this reason that we need to be very open to support from outside traditional revenue streams and embrace as much private sector resource support as possible. After review of the budget, there are three areas of significant expense: labor and overhead, material and services, M&S, purchased services and energy services. Forty-five percent of DCPS expenses, about $700 M is associated with labor and overhead, followed by purchased services at 15% about 253M and M&S at 6.0%. We need to take a good look at the heaviest hitters for cuts. The labor expense is the largest and therefore presents the best opportunity for immediate and even long-term savings. We need resource as close to the student and the classroom as possible. However, centralized and district services, not teachers, could be leaner and this is a great place to start. Whether


 

9
 

it’s through automation, operational efficiencies, process improvement, elimination of duplicative efforts, resource sharing with other districts, salary cuts, benefit overhauls, staffing reductions, there is room for savings here. That's one place to start, but for the best net outcome, those areas listed above must be reviewed as well.


 
  12. The
 school
 district
 generally
 maintains
 a
 carry-­‐forward
 balance
 and
 reserve
  fund
 in
 its
 budgeting
 process,
 a
 portion
 of
 which
 is
 required
 by
 state
 law.
  How
 would
 you
 balance
 the
 maintaining
 of
 a
 reserve
 in
 excess
 of
 the
 state
  requirement
 and
 continuing
 to
 fund
 programs
 and
 services
 during
 tight
 fiscal
  times?
 
 
While it is good a management practice to provide a carry-forward balance and a reserve fund in its budget, we cannot sacrifice our children’s education, the programs both academic and extra-curricular that are essential to producing world class graduates. The short term gains are far outweighed by the long term consequences of such actions. The most alarming cut, when funds were available, is the failure to maintain early learning programs such as VPK. The costs that will be associated with not adequately preparing these high risk children over the course of their lifetimes will be a hundredfold to providing the proper funding when resources were available. We must weigh each decision both by its short-term fiscal costs and by it long term consequences.


 


  13. To
 ensure
 the
 district
 has
 adequate
 fiscal
 resources
 and
 avoids
 budget
  shortfalls
 in
 the
 future,
 what,
 if
 any,
 revenue
 sources
 should
 the
 school
  district
 pursue
 and
 on
 what
 timetable
 (e.g.
 increased
 local
 property
 or
 sales
  taxes,
 statewide
 tax
 increases,
 etc.)?
 
When addressing the DCPS budget, I will apply the budget philosophy that has served me well in both the private and public sectors. That discipline is based largely on the premise of “living within your means,” doing more with less, covering budget shortfalls through operation efficiencies, and creating your own revenue opportunities independent of what’s traditionally available. Given the economic climate, there is no room for any new taxes. Instead of asking for more, I would propose doing better with less and pursue operation efficiencies to cover any budget shortfalls. Also, I would work closely with coalitions at the legislative level to have as many unfunded mandates reversed so that those resources can be redirected back into our budget. As a school board member, I will ensure that the budget balances, is current, relevant and strategic. The ultimate goal is to prepare our students for the 21st Century workforce, to keep them in school through graduation and to have them emerge either prepared to continue their education, enter the workforce or to create their own micro economies as entrepreneurs. Any budget item that does not support those goals may not be a necessary expenditure and I will be fully prepared to challenge it.


 

10
 

Community,
 Parent
 and
 External
 Relationships
 
  14. How
 would
 you
 propose
 strengthening
 the
 relationships
 between
 parents,
  schools
 and
 community
 members?
 
 
Given where we are from a performance perspective and the fact that we rank 44th out of 65 school districts in the state of Florida, which ranks as one of the lowest performing states in education in the country, I think the more people we have wanting to help improve our education system the better. I believe the best way for the school board to work with the entire stakeholder community, is to keep the lines of communication open, be slow to take offense at any criticism levied and seek common solutions for the betterment of our education delivery. I will build consensus and support in the community by conducting outreach activities and listening to all stakeholder concerns. While we may not be able to act on every one of them, at least listening to them is a good first step. I will strengthen relationships between parents, schools and community seeking input; providing direct and timely feedback on issues of concern; promoting a "We're All In This" relationship attitude; treating stakeholders with respect and dignity; and encouraging decision making that provides best possible outcome for all students.


  15. How
 would
 you
 ensure
 that
 the
 school
 district
 remains
 transparent
 to
 the
  community
 in
 terms
 of
 student
 academic
 performance,
 financial
  management,
 school
 board
 meetings,
 public
 records
 and
 other
 areas?
 
 

Florida’s Sunshine laws are in place to ensure that there is transparency in government and we have to follow the law. There are volumes of documents available either online or through public record requests. However, the perception is that there is not enough transparency especially when it comes to budget matters, as reported in recent articles about the District’s reserve fund. To address this concern, I will insist that we make all communications simple, concise, and understandable. I would insist the superintendent make the website as user-friendly as possible. I would also insist that all public board meetings, including workshops be held in the evening versus the workday to promote more community participation and leverage technology like skyping, social media, etc. to broaden our reach into the community and promote more engagement


  16. There
 are
 a
 number
 of
 external
 organizations
 that
 interact
 with
 and
 work
 to
  support
 the
 Duval
 County
 Public
 Schools,
 from
 the
 PTA
 to
 the
 Mayor’s
 Office
  to
 local
 nonprofits.
 Please
 describe
 the
 ideal
 relationship
 with
 entities
 like
  these
 and
 how
 you
 may
 leverage
 their
 services
 to
 support
 students.
 
 
I believe my role of a School Board member is to encourage, develop, enhance and expand upon these relationships. As the Administration identifies areas of need within the system, it will be my role to identify entities that may be able to address those needs, encourage their involvement and to work with staff to best utilize their efforts.


 

11
 

Jacksonville is fortunate to have so many community-based groups, business members, and education advocates outside of the parental community so enthusiastically interested in our school district. We are also fortunate to have a very active PTA and SAC within the parental community. I’ve been involved with both the PTA and SAC and know first hand the good work they do in schools through volunteerism. There are some cities, where this support is simply not there. We need to harness that collective wisdom and use it to our advantage. We should be open to feedback, slow to take offense and willing to accept criticism in the spirit of what’s best for the children; and not blame the source for bad news. As I a School Board member, I intend to just that. The issue of public education impacts all the residents, regardless of age or the presence of children within the household. Many of the external organizations currently aiding the public schools can help to build support for efforts to improve our students’ level of achievement and provide insight into how to best achieve these goals. They, through their membership, are advocates for our schools and many who are unaware of the challenges and progress being made, are touched by these groups outside of the normal context of the education community. Their advocacy can build the community support needed to make the DCPS a worldclass school system.


 
 

Legislative
 &
 State
 Issues
 
  The
 actions
 and
 decisions
 of
 the
 Florida
 Legislature
 and
 State
 Board
 of
 Education
  have
 a
 significant
 impact
 on
 the
 education
 of
 Jacksonville
 students.
 
  17. What
 law
 or
 policy
 passed
 in
 the
 past
 few
 years
 by
 the
 Florida
 Legislature
 or
  State
 Board
 of
 Education
 had
 the
 greatest
 positive
 impact
 on
 education
 in
  Jacksonville?
 
 
As the parent of an 11-year-old daughter who is currently enrolled in one of the county’s magnet programs, and is college bound, I find that the incentive offered by the Bright Futures Scholarship Program to have had a positive impact on education in Jacksonville. While the program has been around for a number of years, it offers opportunity to those who remain in school and achieve good academic progress. In recent years, the cutbacks to the program and the amount and number of scholarships offered have lessened its impact, but it remains an incentive to our students and to their parents to achieve success in our public schools. As a School Board member, I will advocate for its expansion by the Legislature. The program offers hope and opportunity to those who come from lower and middle-income households who would not otherwise have the financial resources to continue their education beyond graduation from the DCPS


 
 
 
 


 

12
 

18. What
 law
 or
 policy
 passed
 in
 the
 past
 few
 years
 by
 the
 Florida
 Legislature
 or
  State
 Board
 of
 Education
 had
 the
 greatest
 negative
 impact
 on
 education
 in
  Jacksonville?
 
 
Funding by the state has dropped from 69% of the budget in 1998/99 to 58% for 2008/09 school years. Even prior to the “great” recession, the legislature was placing greater burden on the county school boards to balance their budgets, requiring local school boards to compensate for funding at the state and federal level. This practice makes it more difficult to predict future funding levels and to address current deficits. Unless we get creative and reconsider current practices, our children will see declining quality in the classroom and simply can’t afford that. We must accept reality. There is no “magic influx” of cash coming from anywhere outside of this county. This is a local problem to solve and the sooner we accept that, the better prepared we’ll be to address it. Now I am not suggesting that we don’t try to influence state and federal officials to provide more money to schools, but we must that a bailout is not coming and act accordingly. We will not be victims, but leaders!

Major
 Policy
 Issues
 
  19. What
 do
 you
 see
 as
 the
 advantages
 and/or
 disadvantages
 to
 using
  standardized
 testing
 data
 as
 a
 portion
 of
 a
 teacher’s
 evaluation?
 
 
Standardized testing data can be useful as a metric in determining teacher competency within their subject field. It alone should not be used as the sole determination of their competency. I do believe in merit-based pay and believe that compensation should be based solely on performance.


 
 
 
  20. Duval
 County
 currently
 operates
 magnet
 programs
 in
 more
 than
 50
 schools,
  including
 13
 dedicated
 magnet
 schools.
 How
 do
 the
 district’s
 magnet
  programs
 positively
 and/or
 negatively
 impact
 overall
 student
 achievement
 in
  Jacksonville?
 
 
I believe they have a positive impact upon the overall student achievement in Jacksonville. We are home to three of the nation’s best public high schools: Stanton, Paxon and Douglas Anderson and they are all magnets. Mandarin High, which is located in my district, District 7, made the "Newsweek Magazine's" "Top 1000 High Schools in the US". I am aware that there is concern within the community over the fact that the magnets attract the best students, and in some cases it has an impact on the grades and average test scores within the “neighborhood” schools. This is not reason to do away with magnet schools. In fact, it should be a goal to bring all of our schools up to the level of achievement that is found in our best schools.


 


 

13
 


 


  21. What
 impact
 does
 out-­‐of-­‐district
 school
 choice—charter
 schools,
 tax-­‐credit
  scholarships/vouchers,
 opportunity
 scholarships,
 and
 similar
 programs— have
 on
 the
 success
 of
 students
 in
 Jacksonville?
 
I have been a board member for an independent and private school for almost four years and am a firm believer that there is room in this education spectrum for a variety of education providers. We are in a crisis mode in both cost and quality in our public schools and we should use every tool available to educate our students, whether those resources come in the form of public, private or charter schools. Just like in the free market, choice breeds competition. Competition spurs innovation, price and cost sensibilities. Although the reviews on charter schools have been mixed, some have done extremely well while others have been forced to close, I believe that they are important to keep in the educational mix as long as they are meeting or exceeding the local, federal or state standards. Failing charter schools should not be tolerated any more then failing public schools.
 


 
 
 

22. Currently,
 the
 Florida
 Constitution
 limits
 class
 sizes
 to
 no
 more
 than
 18
  students
 in
 Grades
 K-­‐3,
 22
 students
 in
 Grades
 4-­‐8
 and
 25
 students
 in
 Grades
  9-­‐12,
 as
 measured
 at
 the
 actual
 class
 level.
 From
 your
 perspective
 as
 a
  potential
 board
 member,
 is
 the
 impact
 of
 this
 measure
 positive
 or
 negative
 in
  the
 effective
 education
 of
 students
 and
 management
 of
 our
 district?
 Why?
 
 
States began implementing class size limitations in 1996 and Federal funding became available in 1999. Since its adoption in Florida by a Constitutional Amendment ballot initiative and its implementation there is little statically significant data to suggest that it has produced the results in terms of academic achievement that were anticipated yet. Additional time may tell us something different. It has added unanticipated operational costs as the county has complied with the Amendment.


 


 

23. Currently,
 nearly
 60
 percent
 of
 high
 school
 graduates
 need
 remedial
  coursework
 before
 being
 eligible
 to
 take
 credit-­‐bearing
 courses
 at
 Florida
  State
 College
 at
 Jacksonville.
 What
 would
 you
 propose
 to
 increase
 the
  number
 of
 students
 graduating
 college
 and
 career
 ready
 and
 reduce
 the
  numbers
 requiring
 remediation?
 
There is no one thing that can solve our graduation rates and improve the college and workforce readiness of our students. There are a combination of actions such as improving education delivery, indentifying at risk students early and providing the appropriate intervention, increasing teaching quality, increasing parent and community involvement, etc.


 

14
 

While the present is important, I think the future is even more important. We need a capital investment strategy today that takes us from a "brick and mortar" model to a 21st century collaborative learning portal. Where chalkboards, are replaced with smart tablets and classrooms morph into what I call a SmartROOMS. Adopting this approach should keep education nimble enough to keep pace with technology and still be relevant to students. How we educate our students has not changed in over a century, yet everything else has. If you took a scribes from the 19th century and put them in front of a computer, they would not know what to do, but if you take 19th century teachers and put them in a classroom, they’d feel right at home. Society is changing faster than that and education delivery needs to move even faster. With the right exposure, one of our very own students could become the next Steve Jobs. Digital schools are gaining popularity in many educational circles largely because of their impressive results. A school in Mooresville, North Carolina moved from a traditional educational delivery model to a digital platform for all students past fourth grade. As a result, their graduation rate went from 80% to 91% in about three years and proficiency rates went up as well. At the same time, costs went down. They attribute these successful outcomes to their digital education delivery and the use of laptops as learning tools in the classroom. We can do this here with the right strategic focus, the willingness to honestly reconsider our current education model and to take the calculated risk that we can do better.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ✔
  Public
 (inside
 Duval
 County)
  _____
  Public
 (outside
 Duval
 County)
  _____
  Private
  _____
  Charter
  _____
  Home
 Education
  _____
  Other:
 ______________________________________________________________________
 
 
 

24. If
 you
 have
 children,
 what
 type
 of
 school
 do/did
 they
 attend?
  (mark
 all
 that
 apply)
 


 

15
 

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