Jefferson County

Published on May 2016 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 95 | Comments: 0 | Views: 520
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Jefferson County Candidates

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Candidates running for Jefferson County School Board Tonya Aultman-Bettridge (Declined to complete survey) Jeff Lamontagne (Declined to complete survey) John Newkirk Julie Williams Ken Witt Gordon "Spud" Van de Water (Declined to complete survey)

Color Coded Answer Key Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Questions 1 The districts reform efforts at present are not on pace to meet the needs of all of the students. 2 The district is moving in the right direction with the districts current leadership. 3 Too many students are not graduating with the skills they need to be successful. In determining teacher employment, student achievement (growth test scores, college and career prep) should play a significant factor (roughly 50%). In determining teacher pay, student achievement (growth test scores, college and career prep) should 5 play a significant factor (roughly 50%). 4 6 Teacher pay should be based primarily upon years of experience and educational attainment. 7 The district needs more focus on measuring effectiveness of programs and spreading best practices. The district results should be compared to results from districts around the world to assure our students can compete in the global market. Turnaround interventions for struggling schools as well as the creation / establishment of charters and 9 other new schools are BOTH important strategies to improving student success. 8 10 Charter schools should receive bond and mill levy funding equal to other public schools (including funding for facilities).

Newkirk Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Williams Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Witt Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Agree

The district should welcome and assist high-quality charter schools which include allowing high 11 quality charters to operate in one of the districts recently closed facilities, or to co-locate in one of its underutilized facilities even if it means nearby schools might lose enrollment. 12 The district should support high-quality public schools in every neighborhood, regardless of whether the school is managed by the district or is public charter school.

Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree Neutral Agree Agree Neutral Strongly Agree Agree

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree Neutral Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Neutral Strongly Agree Agree

13 The district must have more funding to improve academic achievement. 14 The district must find a way for funds to go directly to schools. The district's finance system needs to be redesigned so that 70% or more of funding follows students to their public school or program of choice. 16 Funding for schools should be weighted to particular needs such as poverty. Spending should be more transparent and have "return on investment" measures so that we all have a 17 clearer understanding of where taxpayer money is spent and what brings the biggest return on public education investments. 18 Negotiations with all associations (unions) should be held in the open. 15

Each candidate was asked to answer addition questions. See below.

School Board Candidate Name: Newkirk
Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3. 1. District ensuring schools are accountable for performance 2. District support for principals and teachers 3. Meeting high standards

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP is listing their top 3. 1. Redesign teacher evaluation and pay to retain the most effective teachers 2. Expand the number of new high performing district and charter schools 3. Increase on line education options and other learning technology

What do you believe is the most important role a school board member should play in ensuring all students in the district receive the education they need and deserve?

The most important role of a school board member is to work with other Jeffco board members to set measurable objectives for student achievement after receiving input from all stakeholders; align resources to be sure they are allocated to the leverage points which will most likely increase achievement; assure parents have a strong voice in the education of their children; approve the curriculum and assure a meaningful engaging learning and work environment.

If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or type your response. My wife and I ware both Jeffco graduates - between the two of us, we've attended Wilmot Elementary, Ralston Elementary, Evergreen Middle School, Bell Middle School, Evergreen High School, and Golden High School. Our three girls have attended Marshdale Elementary, Parmalee Elementary, West Jeff Middle School and the Jeffco 21st Century Virtual Academy.

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not?

I can not support a tax increase that gives Denver over $1000 per student than it gives to Jeffco students. Jeffco taxpayers will increase their income tax payments by about $126,000,000 and yet Jeffco will receive $70,000,000 back*. I don't see how Jeffco remains competitive and is able to provide art, music and other electives for our students. Sending so much more money to Denver when they already spend about 20% more per student will also make it more difficult to pay competitive salaries to Jeffco employees. I can't support an increase that is unfair to Jeffco students and staff.

Were you endorsed by the union? No.

School Board Candidate Name: Julie Williams
Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3. 1. District ensuring schools are accountable for performance 2. Quality curriculum 3. Quality teachers

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP is listing their top 3. 1. Expand number of new high-performing district and charter schools 2. Increase the level of accountability and intervention for low-performing schools 3. Reward and hold educators responsible for student results

What do you believe is the most important role a school board member should play in ensuring all students in the district receive the education they need and deserve? 1. Hiring a superintendent 2. To give the superintendent the tools for success 3. To hold the superintendent to: have open door negotiation, money to go back to the schools and less to the administration, reform PERA so that it is sustainable for the teachers, increase the number of high performing schools and on line options, give power back to the principals and teachers, performance pay, and finally RRCC & Warren Tech have been an effective option and should be replicated in the north and the south.

If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or type your response. I have two children and have only attended schools in the district. My oldest currently attends Standley Lake High and my youngest attends Jefferson Academy. Past schools for my oldest: Fremont Elementary, Sheridan Green Elementary and Mandalay Middle School. Past schools for my youngest: Sheridan Green Elementary and Semper Elementary. My husband of 28 years and I both Colorado natives and products of Jeffco Schools. I attended Weber and Thompson Elementary, and my husband attended Swanson. We both attended North Arvada Jr. High and Arvada High School.

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not? I do not support the 1 billion dollar increase. If the district has a little over $11K per student, and my neighbor can send her child to a high performing private school for $10K per year with only 12 children per class, this tax increase does not seem right to me. When a ballot is over 70 pages long, one would have to wonder what kids of strings are attached. This ballot will be a great burden to the community, business leaders and will effect jobs.

Were you endorsed by the union?

I was not endorsed by the union or beholden to them.

School Board Candidate Name: Ken Witt
Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3. 1. Meeting high standards 2. District ensuring schools are accountable for performance 3. Community involvement

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP is listing their top 3. 1. Expand number of new high-performing district and charter schools 2. Redesign teacher evaluation and pay to retain the most effective teachers 3. Increase on-line education options and other learning technology

What do you believe is the most important role a school board member should play in ensuring all students in the district receive the education they need and deserve? The school board members must work together to give the superintendent measurable goals for student achievement. They should allocate resources required to meet the goals. The board must work with the community to assure the skills being taught are appropriate. The board should listen to parents and be sure they have a strong voice in the education of their children.

If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or type your response. Our daughter is at Columbine High School. In addition, we have had children attend Dutch Creek and Falcon Bluffs.

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not?

No. This one billion dollar a year increase will put Jeffco at a significant disadvantage in our ability to pay teachers, which limits our ability to recruit and retain great teachers. Jeffco will have about $1000 less per student than Denver. Over time children will leave Jeffco for other districts which will have significantly more resources and will reduce even more of the funding that Jeffco will receive.

Were you endorsed by the union? No.

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