2016 Primary: The Candidates on Education
Democratic Ward 8 Primary Candidates' Responses
VISION
Question 1. How committed are you to ensuring we have a citywide network of excellent DCPS neighborhood schools serving children from pre-K through high school to which families have a right to attend (without being subject to a lottery)?
a. Absolutely
b. It would be nice
c. It is not necessary given the other choices available
If “Absolutely,” what steps would you take to make it a reality? If b or c, what is your response to families around the city who crave both quality and predictability?
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: a. Absolutely. Ensuring access to high quality, walkable neighborhood public schools should be the goal of government at every level. If elected, I will make every effort to make sure that our public schools have the resources and support to improve outcomes for the children of Ward 8.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response
Question 2. According to a recent report by the 21st Century School Fund/Code for DC, the city now has 85,000 students in DCPS and charter schools but capacity to serve 102,000 students in the sectors combined. The Deputy Mayor of Education has convened the Cross-sector Task Force, one goal of which is to “Develop a framework for coordinating processes on school openings, closings, and facilities planning.” As we consider developing a framework for opening, closing or expanding schools, what goals and approach would you like to see pursued?
a. A framework and planning process designed to guarantee a strong matter-of-right option from pre-k through high school in every neighborhood, complemented by choices.
b. DCPS and the Public Charter School Board (PCSB) each opening, closing and expanding schools based on their independent assessment of demand leading to whatever infrastructure results.
If you do not believe there should be a mechanism for coordinated planning, what is your vision for what the education infrastructure should look like 10 years down the road? How should we ensure our money spent on public education is spent efficiently and effectively?
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: a. framework and planning process designed to guarantee a strong matter-of-right option from pre-k through high school in every neighborhood, complemented by choices.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response
Question 3. Many believe an increasing number of DCPS elementary schools are gaining traction and the next major challenge is to strengthen our DCPS offerings in the middle grades. Several factors are at play: The Mayor called for replicating the success of our largest middle school – Alice Deal. The final recommendations of the Student Assignment Committee (http://dme.dc.gov/node/885172) called for opening four new middle schools. And, last year’s PARRC scores revealed that half of DCPS’ middle schools have fewer than 1 in 10 students at the highest levels (4 and 5), while many of our DCPS middle schools have yet to be modernized. What is your approach to the middle school challenge?
a. Opening as many charter middle schools as families will enroll in (Please explain what the landscape of middle schools would look like in 10 years, given this approach.)
b. Investing in our current DCPS middle schools (Please explain what that investment should look like, and what the middle school landscape should look like in 10 years, given this approach.)
c. Another approach (Please explain.)
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: b. Investing in our current DCPS middle schools. The role of charter schools should be to innovate within the education space rather than occupy it. Intra-disciplinary gains from all sides should be pooled to develop the path forward in the educational space. Strengthening neighborhood schools, guards against the unintended social consequences of education our children by other means. I will work to ensure that a holistic education for our children is this city’s top priority.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response
BUDGET
Question 4. Are you satisfied with the transparency, planning mechanisms, and adequacy of the DCPS and charter school budgets? Are you satisfied with the mechanisms for community input and the time allowed for planning to inform those budgets? If not, how would you like to see the transparency and planning processes improved for each sector?
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: If elected, I will champion transparency and swift action in the area of allocation. There are a finite number of resources in this city and we must ensure that each child, school, and teacher has access to their fair share. Additionally, we need to listen to our students, teachers, and families to ensure the budget reflects their needs.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response
Question 5. Many call for reforms of how we spend our capital dollars on public schools (which accounts for one-third of the city's capital budget). The recent 21st Century School Fund/Code for DC report shows the level of work yet to be done, and disparities, in addressing decades of neglect in our public buildings. The DC Council Education Committee last year outlined a new data-driven approach to the modernization queue, and this year, DCPS and the DME introduced a different set of criteria to determine the order in which schools are modernized. Meanwhile charter schools receive a per pupil allocation for capital spending, which they are not required to spend on capital expenses per se, and which some spend leasing privately owned space. What do you see are the biggest challenges of capital spending on our schools? Would you suggest new policies or approaches?
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: I support an objective approach to modernization of DCPS institutions. Additionally, if elected, I will work with C4DC to explore opportunities to improve allocation in the Charter space.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response
RESEARCH & EVALUATION
Question 6. The National Research Council’s PERRA Report identified real challenges in getting basic comparative data from the Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE) about student results, teacher workforce characteristics, school learning climate, and the success of teaching and learning strategies being employed. The report recommended creating an independent research entity that could look at what’s working and what isn’t across the whole city and both sectors. Would you support greater transparency, independent research, and the creation of an independent research entity akin to the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research?
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: Yes.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response
POLICIES ON MEASUREMENT & TESTING
Question 7. We’ve fully transitioned to the Common Core Standards and the PARRC test (in place of DC CAS), but we still have legacy testing in place (e.g., ANET, Dibbles, TRC, SRI, iReady). Have we gotten the amount of and approach to standardized testing right? Are the stakes attached to standardized tests right? (For teachers and principals, test scores are part of their evaluation with pay and employment consequences. For schools, scores are public and can affect enrollment and decisions on closure.)
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: I believe that the voices of all educational stakeholders, especially teachers, must be engaged in determining which items should be sunset. I will work to ensure that teachers voice is always present when the Council is making decisions that will affect their classrooms.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response
I believe that there should be some level of accountability in terms of test scores. This means that I believe that test scores should be used as some form of measurement for both teachers and schools. Nevertheless, I don’t think that instruction should be solely focused on test preparedness; and do not believe that the measurement of a teacher’s success should be tied solely to a class’ performance on a standardize test. Ultimately, our students should be receiving instruction that expands their curiosity and gives them the tools they need to be successful.
Question 8. Which is a better indicator of the quality of a school?
a. The percentage of children achieving proficiency
b. The average amount of growth achieved by children at the school
If you believe the b (growth) is a better indicator, are we focusing adequately on it, and if not, what steps should be taken to do so?
MAURICE DICKENS: no response
BONITA GOODE: no response
AARON HOLMES: I believe the pathway forward should contain a combination of the two. A testing schedule that incorporates adaptive and non-adaptive approaches would allow us to determine how children are doing in relationship to their peers as well as their individual growth YOY. This model can provide a fairer measurement of the educational labor force and provide additional opportunities to positively reinforce our teachers.
LARUBY MAY: no response
TRAYON WHITE: no response