The eight candidates competing for two Clarkston school board seats agree on many issues, and some admitted last week they are all equally qualified.
Their challenge at a Thursday, May 29 candidate forum was to tell why they should be chosen in the June 9 school election.
Moderated by the League of Women Voters Oakland Area the forum allowed each candidate to give opening and closing statements and featured questions written by an audience of about 40 citizens.
‘We kind of look and sound the same,? candidate Tim Smith said. ‘We should focus on learning about our differences. Let’s get past the rhetoric and concentrate on how we think. You should look for those of us with a history of making commitments and investing real time for our kids.?
Opening statements generally revealed candidates? desire to help students, but they tried to be distinctive in their perspective.
‘I believe in retaining good teachers, keeping as much money [as possible] in the classroom, strong fiscal management and promoting strong after-school programs,? Jeffrey Allsteadt said.
Diane Weller said the school board currently has no one with young children is district schools.
‘When making decisions, a board member must look at what impact decisions will have not only today, but in years to come.?
Sherri Kerby drew a business analogy between a large, standardized manufacturing firm and someone who produces ‘hand-crafted? products.
‘Every child who enters our system is a unique individual with individual needs and talents, and every teacher is a craftsman,? Kerby said.
As owner of a day care center, Jean Dasuqi said she works with parents and children on a daily basis.
‘I see everyone that is involved. I know what families want from their education,? she said.
‘I’m running for school board because I have firsthand knowledge that the Clarkston school system works,? Clarkston graduate Julie Maier said. ‘My family and friends are living proof that graduates of Clarkston go on to be successful in their chosen fields. I’m not a politician, I’m a parent.?
‘I’ve been interested and involved in the school system for about 12 years,? John Koval said.
Tony Miller praised the Clarkston school district for helping him when he was a speech-impaired student.
‘I do know what this community stands for,? Miller said. ‘I would like to give back what has been offered and everything that has been given to me.?
Some of the questions revealed almost unanimous thinking. In general terms, candidates agreed that the school board handled the prior bond issue properly, opposed use of school facilities for after-school Bible studies, opposed privatization of school services and said 1994’s Proposal A helped the taxpayer but has not helped properly fund public schools.
Even disagreement came in friendly terms and in matter of degree. All, for example, support the concept of teacher ‘developmental days,? but some voiced questions about elements of the program.
Smith said the program is ‘critically important? for teachers, but he believes parents have not been informed of the benefits.
‘I have struggled to find out, ‘What have you learned as a teacher that’s going to help my child in the classroom? at your developmental day?? he said.
‘I’m not so sure I support them every week,? Miller said, noting 27 developmental days for high school teachers. ‘It does burden the community tremendously.?
Kerby gave unabashed support, noting the challenges of teacher contracts and state certification requirements. ‘I think the administration has done the best with the resources they have to provide the required training,? she said.
One citizen submitted a question about whether each candidate could be a ‘team player? on the school board, and asked about each candidate’s top priority.
‘I have to be a team player all the time,? Dasuqi said, again referring to her day care business. ‘I have a lot of different ends of the ball that I have to keep happy.?
‘I can be a team player,? Koval said, ‘but I don’t think I have to stop being an individual.?
‘I do have my own opinions,? Miller said, using. his ‘priority? answer as an example. ‘I don’t believe the cuts go to the kids. If there’s a money issue in this district, there should be no financial reward for anybody, from the top to the bottom. Northwest, American Airlines and oh, by the way, General Motors, is cutting people’s pay. We need to set this money aside for the children, and not the people running the show.?
Smith said the role of the school board is to serve as a ‘check and balance? in school policy.
‘I think the term ‘team player? is a little bit loaded,? he said. ‘You should have healthy debate. You should have open disagreement in a public forum so people can see there is some dialogue going on.?
Candidates also debated whether community service should be a requirement for graduation. Most said it should be encouraged, but not required.
‘Community service is something you want to do on your own,? Maier said. ‘Making a kid do it, I don’t think you’re necessarily teaching them anything.?
Miller called community service ‘another demand? on students. ‘Kids will do what they want to do, and if you force their hand, they’re going to turn back on you.?
‘Sometimes if you don’t require people to stretch themselves, then they don’t,? Kerby said. Although it is ‘an involved question,? she said she would consider making it a requirement.
Dasuqi was the only candidate to wholeheartedly support the requirement.
‘It’s the place of the schools to teach,? she said. ‘If we don’t teach students to give, what are we teaching them? It’s OK to take sex education away from the family and teach it in the school, but it’s not OK to. teach them to volunteer??
Candidates fielded a question about the value of teacher tenure, but several admitted they did not fully understand the concept.
‘I think it’s real important to find out what teachers are teaching well,? Allsteadt said.
‘I don’t support teacher tenure as a reward that no other industry provides,? Kerby said. ‘I believe teachers need to be just as competitive and be required to perform just as responsibly as any one of us in any other profession. I don’t believe any of us deserves a guaranteed job.?
‘Holding on to the best teachers is a priority for the school district,? Smith said, but ‘I have a fundamental concern about when you have a guarantee, when you have somebody who reaches a point and then they start to relax.?
‘I do believe teachers deserve to be guaranteed a job,? Dasuqi said, ‘but if tenure means they no longer have to be accountable to a higher standard, then that’s something we have to look at.?
Koval believes tenure does not necessarily protect bad teachers. ‘It doesn’t leave a total lack of accountability just because they’re tenured,? he said.
One audience member wrote, ‘What ideas do you have to increase the accountability of our administration?? Most candidates said they have not noticed problems of accountability, but of communication.
‘We have a lack of engagement from the community in order to insert themselves to make sure they can understand what’s going on,? Smith said. ‘We have to stop making them feel at arm’s length, and I think that’s happened.?
‘It’s every board member’s responsibility to know the policies,? Koval said. ‘I consider that a normal function.?
There was virtual agreement that the federal No Child Left Behind and Michigan’s Education YES legislation are unfair.
Koval said his problem is the Michigan Educational Assessment Program is used as the measuring stick for compliance.
‘I have serious questions about the quality of the results of the MEAP test,? he said.
Smith agreed, claiming that the MEAP is counterproductive ‘because learning stops? while students prepare for the test. He said the principle of accountability is good, however.
‘Putting some level of accountability into our school system is a good thing,? he said. ‘I also think we should put some level of accountability into our parent system.?