This week, candidates for the Jefferson City Board of Education respond to questions submitted by News Tribune readers concerning student issues.
With an election scheduled for April 7, four challengers and an incumbent are vying for two open seats on the Jefferson City Board of Education. In order of their ballot appearance, the candidates are: Pam Murray, Joy Sweeney, Michael Couty, Dan Renfrow and Adrian Hendricks II.
You may send questions for candidates to [email protected] so we might include your voice in future stories. Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.
This week's questions are listed below with candidate responses:
From Rebecca Bax: "Reading services for students who read below grade level are not currently available unless the student qualifies for an Individual Education Plan. What are your plans to bring each student to reading at grade level?
Pam Murray: "Reading is one of the essentials, along with writing and basic math skills, needed to continue learning for a lifetime. I believe reading programs have to be available to all students who are below grade level. Funding for expansion of reading programs can be found through belt tightening in budget areas that do not directly support classroom learning."
Joy Sweeney: "Research demonstrates that literacy is essential to understand information in our society, and without literacy skills our students will struggle to reach their full potential as contributing members. Reading specialists are available for every student reading below grade level, and I believe that this is something that we should continue to support! JCPS currently has certified reading specialists in every building that address the needs of the students as well as provide coaching instruction and professional development for the staff. I believe that we need to continue to provide support for successful literacy all the way through high school to ensure a productive transition into society via military, college, technical school or career!"
Michael Couty: "Reading is a critical bridge to success in school, work, and life. Students are generally learning to read until grade three. By grade four, students should be reading to learn. I would advocate on behalf of the educational needs of struggling readers with or without an Individualized Educational Plan to receive an Individualized Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan and Intensive Reading Interventions. I would encourage discussions to re-visit our reading program and be in favor of: Adding a reading specialist or coach in at-risk buildings to incorporate current intervention programs that show good growth and train teachers to use new reading intervention programs. (Ex. Systematic Instruction in Phoneme Awareness, Phonics and Sight Words, Scholastics Read 180 and Systems 44 Programs)."
Dan Renfrow: "A student's reading level will have a great impact on their ability to succeed in their other courses. So it is imperative to bring each student's reading up to grade level. The district is currently using Title 1 programs, small reading groups and guided reading programs. The district is currently looking at implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) to help our struggling readers. I would support these programs and continuation of researching additional programs to assist our students."
Adrian Hendricks II: "Student reading levels have traditionally been one of the benchmarks that have indicated whether a student would have more difficulties in their academic future. It is important for the school district to have voluntary support services available to struggling students and families who have a desire to see improvement. After-school programs are one of the strategies that provide a safe and supportive environment allowing students to be strengthened in difficult areas. Ideally, our district should have programs available such as I-Ready, a reading assessment and literacy support program that can assess individual areas of student weaknesses and provide academic support."
From Rebecca Bax: "Do you plan to end the segregated activities for students with disabilities that do not present them in valued roles?"
Murray: "I disagree with the premise that students with disabilities are not valued. The federal government mandates that all students be "mainstreamed' and stopped providing aid for students with emotional and behavioral diagnoses. In recent years, the district has employed fewer facilitators to help the disabled and increased class sizes (due to lack of space). Overcrowding has exacerbated many problems. The needs of any one child must be balanced against the obligation to provide all children with a quality education."
Sweeney: "I believe in the success of all of our students and plan to ensure that all students with disabilities are included in integrated activities throughout their educational career. I believe that students with disabilities should be encouraged and supported and certainly included in activities and never undervalued. The inclusion of our students with disabilities also enhances the understanding for other children within our district. Teaching tolerance is imperative to civil society."
Couty: "Current federal law mandates that all children receive a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment and it is up to each student's Individualized Educational Program team to determine what is appropriate for that student. Exposure in a regular classroom is not enough to teach students with special needs. Learning opportunities need to be planned for, lessons need to be structured, and the learning style and the needs of the learner must be considered. Accommodations for learning styles, academic needs, and sensory and social issues must all be addressed. Whether or not full inclusion will work is highly dependent on the student and the supports provided in the classroom. Is full inclusion the correct course of action for all students with an IEP?"
Renfrow: "It is my understanding that the district policy is to have as many children with disabilities in the classroom for the maximum amount of time each day as possible."
Hendricks: "It is most unfortunate that any of our students and families would be identified in a way that denotes low value based on their disabilities. Every student in our district should have the opportunity to be engaged in the learning and social processes that embrace the concept of community. What's most important is that all students are safe and have the opportunity to learn in a safe environment. Activities that are clustered for the sake of student safety should be supported. However, there should not be any segregation based on the notion of low value."
From Rebecca Bax: "More than 50 percent of the district's students receive free or reduced meals, yet we continue to serve processed, chemical-ridden and high-carbohydrate meals. Are you willing to find a balance between serving quality food that our students will eat that supports the learning environment?"
Murray: "Meals should ideally be planned and prepared under the direction of a nutritionist or dietitian who is an expert in the needs of developing youth. The JCPS website does have menu and carbohydrate information for all meals. Ideally, fresh food, when available, should be part of those meals."
Sweeney: "Yes, it is imperative to serve quality food to our children, and research has proven that a healthy diet supports learning and is essential to a successful academic environment. I believe that every time I have eaten or been in one of our school cafeterias, I have seen numerous healthy options! I certainly support the food service department in their efforts to provide a minimum of four to five fruit and vegetable options including fresh fruits and vegetables to our students. The meal selections provided must also include USDA meats and typically include ground beef, chicken and turkey regularly. Protein is another essential dietary need for healthy development and learning to occur."
Couty: "Meals provided under the federally-financed National School Program and School Breakfast Program must meet a range of food-based and nutrient based standards to ensure they contribute effectively to a good diet. I would suggest that a team work together to develop healthy and appetizing meals for our students gathering and incorporating ideas from students and parents. To try and find a balance, I would propose that a committee is put together to review cafeteria menus consisting of students, parents, teachers, and district administrators and allow them to eat lunch at schools for a month or two and rate or survey the lunch program. Feeding our students for success at school and working with our community to develop healthy eating habits is a team effort."
Renfrow: "Yes, over 50 percent of our students are on free and reduced lunch, and unfortunately for many of those students the best meals they get all week are the breakfast and lunch provided by the school. It is difficult for these students to have good behavior and learn in our classrooms when they are hungry and under-nourished. I would support any initiative that better nourishes our students."
Hendricks: "Meals should be prepared based on the nutrition standards required for healthy youth. With a growing number of students affected by obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, we must maintain a rigorous evaluation of foods provided to ensure our students are getting the best nutrition available. This effort will require our food services department to partner with local producers and organic farmers to bring fresh food produce to our district. As obesity has become a major health concern around the world, it is imperative that our efforts to keep our children healthy and safe remain a priority."
From Rebecca Bax: "Are you willing to contract with behavioral specialists to support our students, teachers and administrators to ensure the learning environment is safe for all students?"
Murray: "Yes, when needed, I support the use of behavioral specialists. I further support the notion that teachers, when seeking assistance from principals and administrators in disciplining students, receive backing. Often a teacher may send a student to the principal so that the teacher can go on teaching the rest of the class only to find the principal less than supportive. This may be because the principal does not get support from administration. The school board must provide clear policy direction and then follow-up. This may be a greater need than behavioral specialists."
Sweeney: "Yes, it is imperative that the behavioral health of our students is considered as part of the learning environment. Research demonstrates that behavioral health issues play a significant role in the education of our youth, and it is imperative that we have an understanding of those issues to improve the learning environment. I have already engaged and been part of conversations with our Special Services superintendent and behavioral service providers to see how we can help ensure the well-being of all of our students. I believe that we must explore the options and implement the measures necessary to support our students, teachers and administrators."
Couty: "Building administrators and teachers are aware of a broad range of childhood disorders/behavior issues and are highly skilled at appropriately responding to student's misbehaviors however, additional support is frequently needed. Teachers aren't formally trained in child psychology, and therefore may not understand how a student's diagnosis contributes to his/her inappropriate behavior. I believe this is where a behavioral intervention specialist (BIS) needs to step in to provide an objective look at the student's behavior and create behavioral modification plans to help the student succeed in the classroom. The specialist attempts to get a handle on how often the student misbehaves, and what "antecedent behavior' triggered the misbehavior. I am willing to recommend that the district contract with a (BIS) to train the district staff to be able to support the schools.
Renfrow: "We can not teach our students in an environment where the teachers and students do not feel safe. I will support any program that the teachers and administrators believe will allow our teachers to regain control of their classroom and allow both our teachers and students to feel safe."
Hendricks: "The school board has a responsibility to ensure the safety of all students from those events that take place inside and outside of the school facility. Having the adequate amount of security and support staff is imperative in maintaining safety zones in both the classroom and the hallways. School resource officers, behavioral specialists, counselors and staff all work together to ensure safety for students and establish the kind of environment that optimizes learning. With the number of school shootings increasing around the country as well as the number of violent fights increasing among our young girls, school safety is a necessary component that our board and superintendent will work hard to enforce."
From Lorelei Schwartz: "In recent years, I have been amazed at the narrow-mindedness of some of the comments regarding "the people' have spoken or the school board is ignoring what the "voters' want because when they are stating "the people or the voters,' they were not considering people's thoughts that don't align with their own. I would like to know each candidates' definition of the "community' and "students' and "voters.'"
Murray: "I define "community' as everyone who lives, works (especially our teachers) or does business in the school district. "Students' are those attending Jefferson City Public Schools (students enrolled at other educational facilities fall into "community' for my definition). "Voters' are two groups: those registered to vote within the district boundaries and those who actually vote."
Sweeney: "I believe that community involves people and an environment that make you feel happy, safe and content. A community is also a collection of people who share a common experience and work together to support each other, create things to make their lives better, and possess a unified voice toward better conditions based on their common understanding of each other's perspective. We are all students of life! Students within the district are the youth engaged in learning within our schools, including the youth in our community that attend all of our schools private and public. Voters are those individuals that exercise their right to representation at the ballot box. A voter is someone who takes the opportunity to have a voice in the governmental process."
Couty: "Community - All of the individuals living in an area or a group of individuals who share common interests. My definition of a community is all of the various groups that make up this district such as: businesses, religious centers, churches/synagogues, individuals or families with or without children, working/non-working. All of these constituents have varying degrees of appreciation for education and how it should operate, look, produce outcomes and how to be fiscally responsible. Students - Individuals formally engaged in learning or enrolled in school. Any individual who studies, investigates, or examines thoughtfully. My definition of students are the individual(s) that are enrolled in public school and receiving a free and appropriate education provided by taxpayer funds. Voters - An individual(s) that has the right and exercises that right to go to the polls and cast a vote of choice. My definition of voters is individual/s with the desire to take a stand when various propositions are presented to them for their opinion. The individual(s) study the pros and cons of the subject that has been discussed and makes an informed decision by casting a vote for or against an issue or person of their choice. However, not all individuals exercise their right to cast a vote."
Renfrow: "Community is all the people who reside in our school district. Students are any school-aged children who live in the district. Some of the children will attend public school every day. Some may go to other schools but attend a single class in the public schools. Others students will opt to attend private school or be home schooled and may never attend any classes in the public schools. But they are all our students. Voters are anyone registered or eligible to register to vote for school board elections and bond levy issues."
Hendricks: "Webster (1913) defines community as "a body of people having common rights, privileges, or interests, or living in the same place under the same laws and regulations.' I would suggest that community is the embracing of each other in the idea of corporate good. The notion of people of different background, talents and even beliefs, having the courage and fortitude to strive for the good of others and the benefit of all. Members of the community will include both students and voters. Students being those primarily involved in the discipline of learning. Voters being those engaged in the democratic experience, exercising their right to select those who represent them or their ideals."