Response to Additional Questions Raised at October 16, 2007 Forum

By Douglas R. Blazey

My answers to the 15 "unasked" LWV Forum questions and to subsequently recieved additional questions.

Question No. 2: If elected to the Board, how would you enforce the Sunshine Act when meeting in executive session? ANSWER: I believe in open government, so my intention is to explain as much as possible to the public without harming individuals justifiable privacy interests or the Board's ability to maintain business confidences for the protection of our taxpayers.

Question No. 3: Currently, the President of the Board selects committee chairmen. Do you agree with this process and why? ANSWER: I acknowledge that I have no "inside" experience on this Board and that experience might change my views, but my executive orientation is to focus accountability and responsibily, not diffuse it. Radnor citizens are entitled to clear lines of responsibility for elected officials so that their performance can be assessed. Authorizing the Board President to make Committee appointments serves theses two purposes; therefore, I support that process. This does not mean the Board President should not consult with fellow board members before exercising this authority---he/she should!

Question No. 4: Given NCLB and its emphasis on bringing everyone up to a minimal level or standard. What do you, as a future board member, consider your role to be in supporting high achieving and gifted students? ANSWER: I favor enlarging the gifted programs. We should be challenging students to do "their best" whatever their own starting points might be and should be giving them the support to do that personal best. America faces an ever more competitive world and our future knowledge leaders cannot be held back. On the other hand, we also want our youngsters to have positive socialization and general knowledge and activities skills as well.

Question No. 5: How do you plan to keep the lines of communication open between the board, the teachers, and the community? ANSWER: First and foremost, to be a "good listener" by "walking that talk". Second, to seek additional informal, but meaningful and time efficient, opportunities for interaction between staff, faculty, board members, and parents and the community on curriculum, guidance, extra curricular, safety and discipline issues for students and for staff development goals and performance achievements as well. I will try to encourage higher performance and greater accountability for students, staff, faculty and board without damaging collegiality, job satisfaction, and student performance and well being. A very tall order, but one worth working on!

Question No. 6: ANSWER: I refer the reader to similar Question 5 and its response.

Question No. 7: How important is it to you that the superintendant and the teachers have a positive, mutually supportive relationship and what would you do with regard to that relationship? ANSWER: Very important. First, the selection process for Superintendent must be robust enough to identify as the successful candidate an individual that understands he/she has a major responsibility to the tax payers while simultaneously being responsible for respectful and positive professional support to our staff and educators working in the District. We all know, no matter what our profession or occupation, that all incumbants are not identical in attitudes, outputs and skills. We want to find the "best" to hire whenever possible, encourage ways to enable our "good" and "better" to find training opportunities, both academic and interpersonal, that will allow them to move into the ranks of the "best". And respectfully work with low performers, when identified--hopefully there are few to none---to find the appropriate vocational setting and or training opportunities for them before alternatives are considered. Likewise, I will encourage the faculty to raise issues and concerns to the administrative staff and the Board so that we collectively are seeking continuous improvement in our district.

Question No. 8: What do you see as the ideal relationship between the Bord and superintendent? ANSWER: An open and positive relationship between the full time paid professional manager and the volunteer, part time Board. The Superintendent should give the Board "early warning" of important fiscal, academic and management issues, opportunities and challenges without fear of retaliation. Likewise, the Superintendent should welcome and, within reason, investigate and respond to Board concerns regarding academic, fiscal and management initiatives without defensiveness. The Superintendent should also help facilitate dialogue with our community on important issues and with cooperating educational institutions.

Question No. 9: What is your vision for technology in our schools? How do you intend to fund and maintain this ever-increasing need? ANSWER: I am inclined to advance our keyboard, word processing, and office suite skills learning to earlier grades. I am somewhat familiar with electronic curriculum and would want to have its various "pros and cons" explored with our professional staff. At this point in time, I do not know the current budget elements and the likely shortfall in this element. I hope we could engage members of our community skilled in information managment to assist in our review of needs and challenges.

Question No. 10: If you are not selected to be a part of the board leadership, how do you plan to change the flaws that have beenpointed out in the current school board "process"? ANSWER: Only partly in jest---breath a big sign of relief and try to catch up on everything left undone while seeking the "volunteer" activity! I hope to stay engaged in community issues and educational development challenges for our district. Hopefully by acting and speaking responsibly and without rancor, I can encourage the more open and civil process I have been advocating.

Question No. 11: Do you believe there should be term limits for Board members? Why or why not? ANSWER: I am, as a general proposition, against term limits so I believe the same logic would apply to School Board Directors. My logic against term lmits is essentially threefold: (1) Voters always have the choice to "evict" an incumbent; (2) Term limited incumbents become "lame ducks" and that seriously inhibits their effectiveness and with it that of the institution they serve; and (3) Institutional memory and experience take time to accumulate, are valuable to the institution and community, and are not easily transferable to replacements.

Question No. 12: Currently, in Radnor, the president of the Board selects committee chairmen. Do you agree with this process and why? ANSWER: See answer to virtually identical Question No. 3

To be continued ASAP. Doug Blazey