Frequently Asked Questions

By Shirley Issel

A selection of frequently asked questions raised during endorsement meetings, coffees, and candidate forums is presented.

GREEN PARTY QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Why do we have public schools?

In a democratic society, education is fundamental to good government. An educated electorate can make informed choices about candidates for office and judgments about their performance. Education is also the great equalizer, an entitlement that endows each of us with tools we need to pursue the American dream of life, liberty and happiness. Finally, public schools are a container that allows a heterogeneous population to develop a common culture and an appreciation for our similarities and differences

2. What are your qualifications to serve as a member of the School Board?

• Experience. There is a steep learning curve for the new board member, and effectiveness in the job is enhanced by experience. During the past four years I have had the opportunity to learn about finance, curriculum, instruction, personnel, policy development, and school governance. I've learned about the workings of our district, and our relationship to the City, County, State and Federal governments. The community can benefit from history.

• Professional training. I am a psychotherapist with in-depth training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and systems theory. I am in the business of creating and managing change. To do this job requires a model of health and the ability to promote the development of a stable and nourishing internal/administrative structures and practices. My professional training has been extremely useful to me in my work on the school board and I will continue to rely upon it in a second term.

• Professional Ethics. My professional obligation as a Social Worker and Psychotherapist is to stand for the health and well being of the whole person. This training helps me to resolve ethical dilemmas that I face in my work on the Board. For example, when the legitimate interests of a particular interest group conflict with the interests of the organization as a whole, I have been able to make decisions with the best interests of all the children in mind.

Accountability. ( If you can't measure it you can't manage it). In order to discharge my responsibilities to provide stewardship and oversight, I must have a means to know how we are doing. This is vital to maintaining fiscal stability and continual improvement in teaching and learning. Teachers use a variety of assessments to measure what students know and can do. Human beings are wired to get to results, but without the feedback that tells us how we are doing we can't make adjustments to achieve success. New structures and practices must be put in place to allow for feedback and provide accountability so that our District is data driven and results oriented.

4. What do you believe are the three most challenging issues facing the School district at this time, and how would you address them?

• First, we must continue to fix our broken systems in order to achieve our educational goals. I will continue to make the case that this systems work and our fiscal health must be central to our focus.
• Second, our High School needs additional support to insure that we implement goals developed during last year's WASC process. The Board must hold the Superintendent accountable for continued progress in this area. Meanwhile, the move to "houses' or smaller learning communities can be used to focus on developing best practices in the areas of student engagement, learning supports and professional development.
• Third we must insure that we provide a safe, attractive and disciplined learning environment. This can be achieved through the maintenance of buildings and grounds and the implementation of a positive discipline strategy.

A well informed Board member can engage in advocacy for adequate funding in a variety of ways--through local organizations (PTA, Unions, parent groups) professional organizations (the California School Board Association) and joint action with political organizations and elected officials.

6. You are running for School Board, not superintendent. What do you believe you can do as a Board member?

The first thing a good board member has to learn is to count to three. The Superintendent works for the board majority, and without that majority and the willing leadership of the Superintendent, a Board member is pretty much dead in the water. As an individual I can seek information from a variety of sources and evaluate the interests of the community so I am prepared for what may come my way. I do a lot of this because I know that "luck favors the prepared mind." I can interpret the community to the Superintendent and the Superintendent to the community. I can listen to those who want to contribute as well as communicate the knowledge and insights that I have been privileged to obtain. I can identify programs and practices like the "Writer's Room" that have the potential to help all students learn and use my position to facilitate their introduction to the community. I can take the initiative to develop proposals for Board consideration. Finally, I can be a glue person who answers questions, provides information and referral, and connects the dots.

7. People have accepted under funding, incompetence, and exclusion of the larger community from the decision making process as the norm for Berkeley schools. How would you address both the problem and the Attitude?

As I see it, Berkeley voters are very generous with local funding and it is the job of the Board to insure the money is well spent. I have little patience for incompetence and I have long been troubled by our low standards.
As far as exclusion of the larger community goes, I think the lack of clear site level and district level governance and decision-making process has contributed to a feeling of disenfranchisement. Until last year, site governance at the High School was an oxymoron. I am proud to have recognized this problem and contributed directly to the design of a new governance model that was successfully employed last year. In a second term I will continue to be directly involved in developing common governance models at the site level that are understandable, inclusive and democratic. I will also support a community wide goal setting process that brings all voices to the table.

8. What's your view on Measure K, which is intended to provide a School Board Director Salary Increase ?

I was the sole opposing vote on the School Board regarding Measure K. I argued that we should not submit such a proposal to Berkeley voters at a time of budget crisis that requires sacrifice from all stakeholders. Personally, I view the elected office of School Board Director as an opportunity for public service on behalf of our most precious asset: our children and their education. Therefore, for me, it is important that financial remuneration remains subordinate to rewards and responsibilities of public service. This is especially true during a time of sacrifice.

9. Give us your view of the relationship between the Unions (particularly the teacher's Union), the School District and the Board.

I believe that trust, which is needed for a good relationship has been severely compromised by a variety of poor business practices that have been going on for a very long time. How can a teacher trust an administration or a Board that can neither order books, schedule students, keep classrooms clean or equipment working, discipline students, issue correct pay checks or respond to work orders or grievances in a timely fashion? It is a wonder that the Unions have managed to maintain even a semblance of respect for the District or the Board. A good relationship cannot be built in such an environment. Because the history of past practices are the best indicators of future practices, the Unions have no basis for faith in their Board or District Administrators. But faith healing is not what I am offering. Respect and trust must be earned by delivering good management over time.

10. Every candidate in the last two elections listed lowering the high D & F rate at Berkeley High, particularly among Latino & African American students, as a top priority. How would you evaluate the District's progress in area, and what additional steps do you believe the District can implement. Do you believe it is possible for the District to solve this problem?

Absolutely! We know what is needed to turn kids around. In fact, this past year, the D & F rate for 9th grade students was cut by 50%. (Oddly, this fact went largely unnoticed and uncelebrated.) It also went uninvestigated. I am glad we have a new office of assessment and evaluation. To have an impact on the D & F rate will require data and practices to achieve early identification and intervention. Our summer bridge program should help some students. For others, the Continuation High School can be effective. I am currently partnering with the Delancy Street Foundation and their Treasure Island School for troubled teens. They have just won a demonstration grant and Berkeley will be able to learn from them what are "best practices" for community building and reaching academically disengaged youth involved with drugs and in trouble with the law. I am working closely with the Superintendent and a diverse group of community leaders to take advantage of this opportunity to improve our practices.

11. What is your opinion of ecoliteracy as a part of the standard curriculum?

In today's world, an educated person is, by definition, ecoliterate.

12. Are you committed to following the spending plan promised when voters approved the Measure AA school bond in 2000?

I feel a strong ethical obligation to be faithful to the voter approved spending plan, however the law allows us some flexibility to account for unanticipated changes in circumstances and part of a Board members responsibility is to make these kinds of judgment calls.

13. What do you feel is the appropriate use of the remaining open space and old buildings at East Campus? What is your position on the closure of Derby Street between Milvia and MLK?

I recognize the need for additional playing fields in Berkeley and this site presents an opportunity. I will wait until the results of our facilities and seating capacity study are complete and I hear a recommendation from the Superintendent. The Board has a responsibility to steward its resources for the benefit of Berkeley's children and I will view proposals in this light.

14. How would you go about combating racism and how would this apply to your district?

First, I think we need to identify models and develop standards for inclusiveness and cultural competence. Then we need to take positive steps toward our goals. Lets take a simple example. For 6 years I have heard accusations and lamentations concerning the under representation of students of color in Advanced Placement classes at Berkeley High. Two years ago a parent partnered with some teachers to change that. In a matter of a few months a group of minority students were recruited to enroll in AP History and Economics. Parents ere called in to meet with the teachers. Volunteers were recruited and rigorously trained to support student success. At the end of the year kids took the Advanced Placement tests and achieved at very high levels. This year, the program has grown. Success!

15. What is your district's policy on allowing a pregnant student to continue at her regular school?

Our policy is both progressive and effective. The success of our policy and practices can be measured by our very low rate of teenage pregnancy. Not only does the Health Center provide birth control information, those women who do become mothers are offered childcare across the street from the High School as well as education in parenting practices and support to finish their education. I am very proud of the program and as the only woman presently on the School Board, my support has been needed to secure adequate funding to continue the program this school year. I will remain a vigorous advocate for services should it be threatened in the future.

BERKELEY ARTS MAGNET QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Berkeley Arts Magnet has a K through 6 option that is important to our arts program and has benefited many of our students. It has not been a cost drain to the district. Will the board continue to support our sixth grade as well as other creative alternatives within our school district?

If you're happy, I'm happy. I have no need for uniformity in this matter. I like educational options for parents.

2. How would a wage increase from $875 to $1,500 per month in measure K strengthen the effectiveness of the board?

I am not supporting Measure K. I voted against it. To my way of thinking, it's just not right to ask for a raise during budget crisis that result in layoffs that hurt real people. I know the money for school board stipends comes from the City, but even that seems odd and un-consoling. I don't really believe that additional compensation would have substantially changed my performance or that of any other Board member I've served with these past four years.

3. Is there a role for scripted learning in the Berkeley School District?

I'm not too sure what "scripted learning" means to the questioner, but in my work as a psychotherapist, I have used scripted behavior modification techniques to treat phobias and compulsions. I have also used scripted interviews diagnostically and have found such techniques most useful when used in COMBINATION with other approaches that utilize the whole therapist and address the whole person.

4. Lance Montauk raises important issues about spending priorities: he says the data shows BUSD spends little on teacherıs salaries and books and disproportionately high amounts on administration and operating expenses. Is there a good reason why the ratio is skewed this way in Berkeley?

There is no basis in verifiable fact to make such assertions. Lance Montauk is using sticks to make his comparative analysis. He does not tell us where he got his data and offers us no means to independently verify his assumptions. He has missed the City deadline to file his campaign statements which is required, by law for all Berkeley candidates. (He announced this himself at the King PTA/League of Women Voters forum.) His candidacy servers as a good example of how the District has been functioning for years. I hold higher standards for verifiable data and personal integrity. Despite many long term accounting problems, there has been significant progress during my term on the Board. This last year, during my term as Board president, we put away our sticks and started using numbers. Despite the embarrassment of having the County reject our budget (upon which our key assumptions had to be derived from corrupted data processed on 20 year old, undocumented, and obsolete accounting system). We are now blessed to have the help of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Team sent to us by the State of California. With their assistance, we have finally joined the mainstream and converted to a standardized accounting code and maintainable system. For the first time in over a decade, we will now have the capacity to generate reliable data and perform a useful comparative analysis. Then we will be able to take the next step: align the budget to Board adopted goals that reflect community priorities and employ best educational practices.

5. Many candidates have stated that they do not want to merely rubber stamp the Superintendentıs decisions. Since many Board members work regular jobs in addition to their Board duties, do they have the time and resources to understand and address complicated district issues in depth? Does the board have any structures to distribute areas of responsibility amongst the members?

Good question. Board members rely on staff and Advisory Committees to perform in depth analysis and make recommendations. Board members also serve as liaisons to the committees in their areas of interest and expertise. For example, I am on the Special Education Task Force and the Board Advisory Committee on Maintenance. These Committees assist the Board in doing their job. Following a goal setting process, the Board will adopt annual goals which are aligned to the Superintendent's evaluation. If the Superintendent is doing her job well, she will query board members for input and process issues thoroughly prior to a vote. Often items will be placed on the "Information Agenda" for discussion only. This permits problems areas to be identified and addressed prior to their coming before the Board for a vote. By the time the item appears on the "Action Agenda: it should have been well processed and present few surprises. If you tune in late to this process, it could easily appear that the Board is rubber-stamping the Superintendent's recommendation. This would be wrong. When this process is functioning properly, a person with a regular job can be an effective Board member. That is why, historically, the position has not been treated like a job. Working Board members have been the norm over the years. Professional competence yields expertise that is needed by a School Trustee, and board members have relied upon each other to shoulder differing parts of the load. As a social worker and psychotherapist, my expertise in the area of identifying policies and practices that support individual, professional, organizational, and academic growth--that move the system from dysfunction to health ( as measured by student achievement). Other Board members bring expertise in teaching and labor relations, finances and accounting, etc. That is why it is important for voters to elect a Board with a range of skills and the abilities that are needed at this particular time, as well as people who have demonstrated a capacity for working with others to form a leadership and management team.

6. Michelle Lawrence has said she wants to implement a unified school approach that defines district objectives and combines planning for all funds by bringing individual school site plans under this umbrella. To this end she has attempted to define core Institutional Values by soliciting a list from school principals. Creativity and innovation were some of the few items to remain on the list. Please explain what a unified school approach means to you and how a central, unified approach can continue to support site specific creativity and innovation.

I believe we will benefit from a unified plan for curriculum and instruction. To me, "Unified" means a clear and common vision. It does not mean uniform. We have adopted the State of California content standards and as a parent I do expect that all classrooms and schools will deliver a common curriculum and that teachers and students will be held to a common standard. I am a fan of the Standards movement.