League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA May 21, 2013 Election
	Monica Ratliff Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Los Angeles Unified School District; District 6

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. Describe your specific goals if you should become a School Board Member.

I will focus on the safety and health of our students; college or vocational readiness for all; fiscal responsibility and budgetary transparency; bringing back the arts; collaborating with parents, teachers, administrators, and community stakeholders to create effective evaluations and professional development(s); and recognizing the schools that work within the Valley as models and fixing the schools that are floundering.

2. Do you believe that teachers should be paid based on their performance? If so, how would you weight student test scores in determining a teacher's effectiveness?

Any highly skilled and effective employee should be recognized and rewarded. Parents and staff at a school site often know who are the most effective teachers.  Once we have a system that accurately measures performance in the many areas that impact our students' lives, we can effectively discuss recognizing, rewarding, and best using our highly skilled and effective employees.

3. What kind of decisions can the Superintendent make on his own and what matters should require approval by the School Board?

The Superintendent should be free to select his staff and oversee administration in a manner fitting his understanding of board policy. School Board members are elected and charged with setting the policy and direction of the district and overseeing the budget. The Board and Superintendent must work together to implement the voters' vision, goals, and expectations for the district.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League. 

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: March 27, 2013 10:49
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