Candidate for Albany City School Board
We can't anticipate every issue that will come before the Board in the next four years. Each member is one of a team of seven. Therefore, what I think may be less important than how I think.
Fundamentally, we need to approach each issue with the best research data available. When we don't have enough data we need to go get more. What we cannot do is fall into the trap of making important decisions based on our untested assumptions, our political considerations, or, worst of all, our fears. I will work as a team member with the other members, with the public, and with all stakeholders. Based on solid facts we can make good decisions together. As the late Dr David Axelrod once said, to do otherwise is to build public policy on sand.
District Budget
We are in for tough budgetary times. The school budget has several sources of revenue: local taxes, state aid, and federal aid. As I write this, the City of Albany is planning a 4.9% tax increase. This is separate from the school budget but it impacts the city's taxpayers.
The state budget is running a deficit. We are unlikely to see additional resources from the state regardless of the worthiness of our cause. The same is true for the federal budget.
Since we are likely to be on our own, it is imperative that we maximize the effectiveness of every dollar we spend. Education is a great cause, worthy of spending our money on. But we must be prudent in how we use those dollars. If elected I will continually look for ways to reduce inefficiencies, in particular by reviewing contracts.
We also need to look for other revenue options such as additional grants, possibly by partnering with other organizations. Othr revenue options exist and we need to look hard at them. We can also increase voluntarism (see below).
The High School
The public still does not have all the facts on the Albany High scheduling debacle. We need to ensure we know the root cause of this problem and work to ensure a solid management structure is in place to prevent this or similar problems from ever recurring. I volunteered to lend my project management experience to the district to review the plan for next year's schedule. I have suggested that others with project management experience be brought in, even if briefly, to review the district's plan and perhaps make suggestions for better management practices. So far these suggestions have not been adopted. If elected I will always be open to seeking the best professional opinions on our management and our educational programs.
Much research suggests the high school might be better off if reorganized into several smaller schools. We should begin the planning process to make this happen. One intermediate step that could have some short-term impact would be to reorganize as several smaller, autonomously-run learning communities even while we are physically within one building. This would help with safety issues as well.
Livingston
I support the district's decision on closing Livingston as a middle school. Financially the district had little choice. The way the decision was made could have been improved.
Partnering
This city is full of individuals and organizations with whom we could partner to improve our children's educational options. Schools of Education are always looking for placements for their students. The district could work with these local schools of education to offer these placements. Student teachers can provide assitance to our professional teachers while freeing them from less-critical tasks such as running study halls, giving our professionals more time for planning and one-on-one interaction with students. In effect, we can improve our student:teacher ratio without spending a lot of money.
We are also extraordinarily lucky to have wonderful individuals who quietly volunteer their time and talent to help kids. These small efforts add up. We need to publicize these "microschools" as an inspiration to others.