I decided to compile this list of questions because I rarely hear a candidate for school board even brush up against these topics. However, from my perspective, what other questions really matter? Please feel free to copy, paste, and shove down the throats of any candidate for school board in your district.
Questions for School Board Candidates
1. Do you believe in the concept of public education (free and equal educational opportunity for all)?
2. Are the district children receiving the best education possible and how do you know?
3. What research supports the curriculum and instruction used in the schools?
4. Can you identify any waste in the district? Please describe.
5. What are vouchers?
6. How will vouchers impact the school district?
7. Have you given any campaign contributions to politicians that support vouchers? If yes, why?
8. What is the relationship between NCLB tests scores and real estate values?
9. Should our district ask for a waiver to “opt out” of NCLB requirements? Why?
10. How much will it cost our state to implement the Exit Exams?
11. Will the Exit Exams guarantee that district students are ready to graduate?
12. Should sports, music, and other school related activities that are non-academic be financed with taxes or should students “pay to play?”
13. Explain the use of Value Added Measures (VAM) in determining effective teaching.
14. How reliable are VAM scores?
15. How much does it cost our state to collect data and determine VAM values?
16. If you don’t know the answers to questions above then why are you running for school director?
Question 1 needs some refining—specifically, defining what "equal opportunity" means. Some people have really weird ideas about that term, so you can have everyone agreeing on "equal opportunity" while supporting radically different policies.
ReplyDeleteSince music is defined as a core academic subject under No Child Left Behind, I would caution against defining it as "non-academic", especially when one can pursue Doctorate-level graduate studies in music.
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