A five-way race is set for the Jefferson City School Board, with one incumbent and four challengers seeking two seats on the April 7 ballot. The candidates are: incumbent Joy Sweeney, and challengers Pam Murray, Michael Couty, Dan Renfrow and Adrian Hendricks II.
Related article:
[http://www.newstrib…">Candidates share perspectives on overcrowding at Jefferson City Public Schools]The News Tribune sat down with each candidate to discuss issues facing the school district. (Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the April ballot.)
If elected, what would your priorities be?
Pam Murray: My priorities will be to retain experienced teachers, build trust through transparency and manage our finances wisely. I hope to do the latter by bringing some good business practices to the district. We need more competitive bids. ... we spent nearly a half-million on consultants in 2014 and almost all of it was no bid. We also spent $1.1 million to renovate district offices, where the administration and board conducts business, but little has been done for student space. The district maintains a reserve fund for emergencies. This is wise. Not spending it when our students are warehoused in substandard buildings is not wise or acceptable.
Joy Sweeney: One of my priorities will be a focus on building relationships and establishing a positive climate and culture throughout the district and the community. I'm also interested in increasing the capacity of our facilities, either by building anew or renovating older buildings. I believe these changes will most directly impact positive student achievement, which is my primary goal.
Michael Couty: My platform of goals and priorities will be to focus on accountability; transparency and trust; and community partnerships.
Dan Renfrow: I'm not coming in with an agenda. But I think we need to make sure that goals are stated to teachers clearly and the board has policies in place that allow teachers to do their jobs. We need to make sure that whatever (goals and priorities) we're talking about at the board level are getting into the classroom.
Adrian Hendricks: My goals will be to find ways to maximize and strengthen this board, and its efficiency. We need to make sure that collaboration is taking place. I hope that we, as a board, don't pursue anything less than excellence.
In the way of skills and experience, what do you feel you have to offer the district, if elected?
Pam Murray: I served on the Holts Summit Board of Alderman, so I know how government should work. There, we welcomed public communication on any area of concern, and we held many specially advertised public hearings when considering any major changes. The public comment frequently influenced our decisions.
Joy Sweeney: I have had three students graduate from the district, and I have served on the board for six years. Through my work as a substitute teacher and as a facilitator for the Council for Drug Free Youth, I have the knowledge and experience of being in every single building. These characteristics - in addition to my willingness to listen to all of my constituents and represent them at the board level - will serve our district well with all the new changes we are facing.
Michael Couty: I feel that I can bring a broad perspective and objectivity as a member of the board. One of the reasons for my success has been the ability to work with as a member of a team to accomplish important tasks.
Dan Renfrow: In the for-profit world, a big part of my job (Renfrow manages Hawthorn Bank's Trust Department) is making sure people understand our goals and have the resources they need. I then monitor the implementation and progress of those efforts, and I hold people accountable if they aren't happening. That's what I do in my job, and that's what I'll try to help the board do.
Adrian Hendricks: Educated in southern Illinois and Chicago, I offer the perspective of a struggling student, coming out of struggling system. When I came to Lincoln University, I was not prepared for college. It took a lot of effort to catch up. As an expert in organizational leadership (Hendricks is working on his Ph.D. in education organization and leadership), I'm close to the research. I also bring that diverse voice I think we're needing. And, I have grown to love this community, and I want the best for it.
What are your impressions of the school district's strategic plan, which is designed to measure how its schools' performance can improve?
Pam Murray: I really have questions about how much money it is costing. If you are going to be doing improvement, you need to include all the stakeholders, but especially the teachers. It's concerning to me the number of days we've had to hire substitutes so teachers could participate in these every-other-week meetings. It's a lot of class time lost. However, I do believe in strategic, long-range planning as a principle.
Joy Sweeney: I was involved in establishing the goals. I really appreciate and am excited about the teachers who are engaging in the process. They are vital to the success of the implementation of this plan. Unless you have the whole organization be part of a strategic plan, and buy into (it), it's really going to be difficult to be successful. And what is so encouraging is the number of people who are engaging in the process and working through it to make this the most effective we can for our students. We're not reinventing the wheel, we're strengthening what we have. It forces all of us to get out of our comfort zone. The most important component of effective change is to do it right ... to engage all stakeholders and embrace diverse perspectives.
Michael Couty: I feel that every institution needs to have a strategic plan in place that is clear, concise and meets their needs. It is a living document. It is also a continuous process. I think the existing plan should be reviewed to determine which goals have been met or need revisions. I think the district's goals need to be shortened and should be manageable. I think some goals should be incorporated as common practices.
Dan Renfrow: I am familiar with the Excellence in Missouri Foundation and the Baldrige process, but I have not worked in an organization that has done it. But anything that we can to address our process - one that involves the teachers - is good and can only help. The strategic planning process identified a lot of issues that we as a district need to address. I'm supportive of it.
Adrian Hendricks: My personal experience with the Baldrige process is it's time-consuming and requires buy-in from all the parties involved. It is going to evaluate your progress, based on what you state are the central goals of your organization. Whether your goals are appropriate ... all those things are going to be determined by the core group. The system of the Baldrige process is going to help maintain that accountability. So, it's just one part of the solution. One thing about strategic plans is they should be concrete and evidence-based documents, while also flexible enough to accommodate the changing community. It's one thing to have a great plan. It's another thing to be connected to the environment in which this plan is supposed to survive. If we are not assessing the environment correctly ... if we don't understand how globalization impacts community and education ... if we don't know how corporations influence where technology is moving ... if we don't have that kind of awareness, then we can spend a large amount of time developing plans that will not be sustainable in the future. To some degree, we need to make sure we stay connected to those stimuli, so we're not caught off-guard.
Currently, the board's policy is to have the president speak publicly, as "one voice," for the remaining six members of the board. Do you support this policy?
Pam Murray: I think it's appropriate for the board president to be the "one voice" for the majority decision, once the board has made a decision. That said, all seven members were elected individually and I, for one, would like to speak with my own voice and be accountable for my own actions.
Joy Sweeney: Each board member has his or her own interpretation and each of us are unique individuals. We should reflect that uniqueness to the constituents of our community. However, the decisions that are made - whether unanimous or not - need to be supported by the entire board.
Michael Couty: No. I do not believe in one voice for all. The board president is the spokesperson for the group, but at the same time he or she must accurately convey all positions, regardless of whether or not he or she is in favor of the ultimate outcome. Transparency can be obtained by providing live streaming of all board meetings so the community can observe first hand members' positions. Board members should keep in mind that their constituents elected them as individuals.
Dan Renfrow: I don't know why it would be wrong for an individual board member to talk to anyone they want to. It's nice to have a point person, a lead spokesman, for the board. But I don't know why it would exclude anyone from commenting, if they want to.
Adrian Hendricks: If the board's policy is to have a unified presence, with a selected person to voice our position, then I don't have a problem with that policy. But whatever is being said needs to reflect the collective board's insight and position. It also might make sense for board members to be assigned to speak to particular issues they might be knowledgeable about or have expertise in.
In the last two MSIP performance reports, Jefferson City earned scores of 77.1 and 77.9. What concrete steps would you support to move those scores into the 80th percentile?
Pam Murray: We need to put more focus on actual academics and learning. If you place a greater emphasis on teaching the subject, then test scores will rise. Because if students truly understand the subject matter, they'll test better. We have neighboring school districts that have improved their MSIP scores. We need to look at what their successful strategies were and mirror them.
Joy Sweeney: Obviously, my focus is on climate and culture, and I think that will improve everything in our buildings. Positive climate and culture will result in positive teacher-student relationships and ultimately improved academic performance.
Michael Couty: We need to ensure that our data warehouse is capturing the data in order to identify strengths and weaknesses per building. We must ensure that the results are interpreted correctly. The district must have personnel capable of making clear the results of the student data in an effort for the administrators and teachers to develop action plans to address areas of weakness where the students are not making progress.
Dan Renfrow: It's a lot of what we've already talked about. You have to instill good discipline; you have to get policies implemented for teachers and follow up on them to make sure they are effective; and you have to have better communication. If you make these things more effective, it will translate into better scores. But as for test scores, our primary purpose is to teach children. They need to be ready for the next step in life, not merely earn two more points on an examination.
Adrian Hendricks: The district is dealing with some tough issues, such as transient students, hunger and poverty. The only way to move scores up is to make sure that teachers have what they need and the learning environment is as stable as it can be. There's also room for better collaboration between parents and the school district. We need to reach out and establish mentoring platforms for families.
At the high school, "discipline counts" rose steadily from 8,041 events in 2007-08 to 11,659 in 2010-11, but dropped to 1,201 events last school year. And yet anecdotal reports appear to indicate discipline at the high school continues to pose a problem. What strategies would you support to improve secondary-level discipline?
Pam Murray: Our long-term strategy should be to address discipline issues at the primary level. If you have high expectations, coupled with a nurturing environment, some of these secondary-level issues will fade away. This is not to say there shouldn't be consequences. But it is very important for children to have a path to redemption. In all but the most serious infractions, there is a way for them to redeem themselves and become good kids.
Joy Sweeney: The new principal is going to be vital to the success of our discipline policies at the secondary level. Our teachers, staff and administrators all need to work collaboratively to effect positive behavior. If behavior in class is disruptive, the administrators need to support teachers with resources and interventions so classroom management can be maintained effectively.
Michael Couty: School policies, expectations and rules must be clear and consistent from the building administrators and teachers. I believe the low numbers have to do with how the incidents are recorded and documented, and whether or not the students are counseled and sent back to their classrooms. Rules and expectations are put in place to maintain order and provide an atmosphere of safety and security for all individuals within a school building. Many times, discipline issues can be de-escalated according to how a situation is approached. Taking a pro-active position can greatly reduce the number of student-teacher confrontations. Administrators and teachers must have the discretion to handle each discipline situation according to the severity of the issue to maintain order and bring about change. Also, we have an alternative school, but it is for alternative learning styles for individuals who need to be in small settings. However, there is a need for those individuals with persistent behavioral issues that need to have an environment that is capable of not only educating, but maintaining classroom order and control.
Dan Renfrow: We have to give teachers the resources they need to handle these situations. We've got to make sure the policies that are implemented are achieving the goals. The board needs unfiltered feedback to know if (policies) are working or not working. If they are not, you've got to hold people accountable.
Adrian Hendricks: Disciplinary issues have continued to be a concern for school districts throughout the United States, which has informed local and national safety and security policies. That being said, I will work tirelessly to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for each and every student within our local schools. As threats toward safety expand from fighting to cyber-bullying, we must continue to work together to ensure a safe and secure infrastructure for our children.
Central Office salaries have crept up to almost $3.2 million for the employees who work there. Do you consider that top-heavy for a district of Jefferson City's size or about right?
Pam Murray: We have a superintendent and a handful of deputy superintendents who all specialize in various areas from law to finance. With that many people, can't some of the work be done in house? I question the number of outside consultants the district hires; $3.2 million strikes me as top-heavy.
Joy Sweeney: The percentage of the (administrative) salaries to the district's budget is what people need to look at. There's a tremendous amount of responsibility placed on the shoulders of those people. I think the teachers are imperative to the success of the district, and I have always supported raises for teachers. Back to the question at hand ... is it top heavy? I would like for the "ivory tower" perception to be eradicated, but that falls solely on the shoulders of the central office administrative team. In order to do that, they have to work closely with our teachers and our district staff to effect change for all of our children in positive way. The gist ... they have to be in the buildings. They have to engage and collaborate with the teachers, who work directly with the children on a daily basis, so they can guide the whole district in the right direction.We, as board members, rely heavily on the information we receive from them to make decisions to move the district forward.
Michael Couty: Yes, I feel that salaries are top-heavy for a district of this size. However, I also feel that we have to be competitive to attract high quality, qualified personnel. I feel that the salaries should, to some extent, be commensurate with that of the certified teachers and salaried personnel staff at all levels. Therefore, I feel central office administrators should not receive further raises until all district staff salaries are aligned.
Daniel Renfrow: To answer that question, I'd have to research what comparable salaries are in other districts, in order to determine if we are spending the right amount of money and have the right number of people. It's something the board needs to look at because so many of the issues we see come down to money. Can we afford to hire another teacher? Can we afford to install a trailer classroom? Can we afford to remodel our buildings? These expenditures are very large, and it's appropriate for the board to look at them.; $3.2 million in salaries is something the board should be reviewing.
Adrian Hendricks: Anything that relates to the budget, and the amount of money spent on employees, is going to be relevant in a community like ours. Until I really take a look at the budget as it stands, it's hard to say if the (central office salaries) are really top heavy without reviewing where we are possibly heavy and where we are light. Our job, as a board, is to make sure our educators and staff are able to function. Making sure their pay is equivalent to their services is going to necessary. Budgets are living documents. They should move and breathe and change. We need to be responsible, and have enough oversight, to make sure that they are balanced.
Related article:
Candidates share perspectives on overcrowding at Jefferson City Public Schools