Second Round of Piedmont Post Questions

By June Monach

A second round of questions was posed by the Piedmont Post and scheduled for publication in the February 27, 2008 edition. Included in the full text are the questions and my responses. On February 26th, I was informed that only the curriculum questions and edited responses would be published due to space constraints.

Measure E

1) How will the school board prioritize Measure E projects? Will they be ranked for funding according to engineer Ron Gallagher's red-yellow-green tag designations, or will a certain basic dollar amount be set aside for each school?

The board has prioritized projects based on the severity of deficiencies identified by the consultants.

2) What if funds fall short? Should the school board have some mechanism in place for re-prioritizing projects if Measure E monies don't stretch as far as planned?

It's the board's fiduciary responsibility to implement the bond program within the $56 million authorization and to obtain state funds for which we are eligible (estimated at $7 to 11 million).

The board has yet to develop a program budget, with project budgets and phasing. This happens in the Design & Construction Phase which includes: Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction/Document Development, DSA Review & Approval, Bidding, and Construction.

Project budgets will be determined after the schematic design work is complete.

The Board awaits recommendations from staff on what the program budget should be. I do not want to pre-judge the issue prior to hearing the staff's findings and recommendations, further board deliberations and public comment.

3) The Becker plan doesn't include the price of portables or other restoration costs, estimated to total between $8-12 million. If the final cost could rise as high as $35 million, is that still a bargain for Piedmont? Should the replacement of Havens remain a top priority for Piedmont if it would mean not being able to bring yellow-tagged buildings like Beach and Wildwood to green?

I do not think these cost estimates are accurate. Again, priority status of a facility is based on the severity of deficiencies identified. Havens, PHS, and the Maintenance Facility have more significant deficiencies when compared to Beach and Wildwood.

Curriculum

4) Do you support tracking, or should students of different ability levels be kept in the same classroom?

Not entirely. I see learning as a relatively dynamic process influenced by ability, enthusiasm, and effort. In any given classroom, students learn in a variety of ways, and teachers use a variety of strategies to engage students given their different learning styles. If our goal is to engage and inspire every student to achieve to their fullest potential,rather than tracking, I think we should support teachers by offering ongoing professional development in the area of differentiated instruction.

Certainly by middle school and high school, certain subjects begin to lend themselves to "ability grouping" where students pursue different course offerings and pathways based on interests and the rate at which they grasp and are able to apply more complex concepts.

5) A number of parent curricular studies done last fall show that PHS offers 6 math courses, while other comparable California high schools offer between 9 and 14. Beginning this fall, the PHS math department will offer Website Design and AP Statistics, and in Fall, 2009, it plans to add Calculus BC. Is that enough? Should the school district be moving more quickly to catch up with other districts, or would that create a "University of Piedmont," as PHS principal Randy Booker warns?

The number of math courses offered should not be the sole measure of how high school math programs compare, nor should it be the primary impetus for increasing Piedmont's offerings.

I think that curriculum review and improvement is a continuous process that should be driven by the needs and interests of students, supported by research, initiated by the faculty, and constrained by the district's budget realities. Once changes have been implemented, I also think it is important to give staff time to evaluate what impact the changes are having on students.

6) Is it the responsibility of parents or the school district to help gifted math students find/get the courses they need?

It is a collective responsibility to support all students in their learning and growth.

Transparency/Public Involvement

7) What can the school board do to ensure that residents are kept fully abreast of critical decisions being made on Measure E projects in the next few months?

Continuing to communicate via e-mail, through the website, and working with local newspapers in ensuring that the public is aware of our regular and special board meeting schedule, as well as any special community meetings scheduled to solicit public input on particular aspects of Measure.

Also, continuing to encourage residents to attend meetings and watch KCOM, and read pertinent newsletters.

Finally, we continue to work with the education writers of our local newspapers to ensure that the public is gaining access to relevant and accurate information about the bond program. We encourage citizens to read local newspaper articles and to contact the district and/or the board with any questions.

8) What will you personally do as a school board member to make sure voters are informed in a timely manner?

I will build upon my experience as former Communications Director for the District, and most recently as President of the Board, to continue to support improvements to our communications practices.

Increased use of Web-based communications is an effective way. We're in the process of revamping our district website as part of our district goal to build and improve upon district communications.

Sometime this year, our board meetings will be video-streamed over the Internet. Residents will have the capacity to review particular parts of the meeting and deliberations, rather than having to rent a tape, or watching KCOM and having to tune-in to the entire meeting.

Ultimately, no communications system is perfect. Much as we would like it, not everyone reads what is printed and listens to what is said 100 percent of the time.