Q&A
Ask your own question or listen to a radio interview Q&A.
Andrew Schuerman asks:
Q: You have used the phrase "school district of choice" on a number of your campaign materials. It's on the front page of your website, for example. What do you mean by that?
A: My vision for "a district of choice" is much the same as my vision for "communities of choice" in that people are excited and inspired about their school and neighborhood -- they feel like they've chosen something great for themselves. This is a very different experience from the current feeling I often hear: one of victimhood where people hate the district but feel trapped by circumstances in it.
These two experiences of a school district (or community) inspire two very different sets of responses. One generates anxiety, frustration and hopelessness. The other generates enthusiasm, excitement and possibility. My vision is that people see an opportunity for themselves out of their choice to be a part of the KCMSD -- so much so that eventually people start moving from the suburbs into KCMO just to be in the district. When this becomes normative, then we have truly created a district of choice.
To be clear, while this vision will require effort to reach fruition, it is no fantasy. Already there are signs of renewal in our district and already many families actively choose to make this space we call Kansas City theirs because of what they see possible for themselves simply through being here. The leadership I offer the district is such that it will empower many more families to see the opportunity that awaits them in our district and in our neighborhoods. And as they come to clearly see all that is possible here, in increasing numbers they will choose our district.
Catina Taylor asks:
Q: Do you think that the current school board members have the necessary background knowledge, education, and experience in the area of education and educational leadership necessary to make them effective leaders of the KCMSD?
A: Yes. While I only know Dave Smith personally, I'm willing to believe that the current board collectively has the knowledge, education and experience necessary to make them effective leaders of the KCMSD. This clearly demonstrates an inescapable reality: knowledge is not enough. Knowledge must be tempered internally by judgment and externally by accountability. As the paucity of contested elections over the past several years speaks to, we as a community have not gone far enough to hold our school board accountable.
Q: Should the state be allowed to take over the KCMSD?
A: No. I have yet to identify an urban school district where the state has intervened and in which the outcome has been a dramatic turnaround in educational achievement.
Q: Do your children attend school in the district?
A: I do not have any children of my own. I am the legal guardian of a fourteen year old student. He does attend school in the district.
Q: Did you support the removal of the superintendent?
A: No. While I was not satisfied with the educational achievement progress that had been made, I believe that stability is a requisite of educational achievement. Based on what I know from the little information the board provided, I would not have opted for removal.
Q: What is your stance on charter schools?
A: I believe that charter schools are able to play an important role in our public education system. My vision for charter schools is that they conduct themselves as unique, independent public schools that are not accountable to the district hierarchy but that nevertheless choose to cooperate with the district. Where partnerships between the district and charters exist, success for all students is the result.
Q: What will it take to transform the KCMSD into a district of choice?
A: I see a three step process. First, we need to acknowledge that for many families, this district is already a district of choice. Highly acclaimed institutions such as Lincoln Academy demonstrate that this district is capable of excellence sufficient that families choose to send their students here. We must believe in our product before we can sell it to anyone else. Second, we go out and do an amazing job of turning around the institutions that are not working. Third we tell our story. When we do the first two items, the third should come naturally. And when we do all three, families will begin to choose the district in even greater numbers than do so now.
Q: How would you make effective use of closed/vacant school property in the district overall?
A: While there are a number of things encumbering the reuse of these properties, I believe that within four years, we can initiate or actually begin redevelopment on most of our vacant schools. We'll do it this way: create a workgroup of school district officials already responsible for this effort, city economic development officials, elected officials and persons from the development community. The group first develops a master vision for what they want to accomplish. Then the group crafts RFPs for each school that includes what the district can let the property go for, what the city can incentivize the deal with, what uses the community the school is in will accept and how it will contribute to the master vision selected by the workgroup. This is a complicated process. But united, it is quite doable.
Ask your own question or listen to a radio interview Q&A.
Andrew Schuerman asks:
Q: You have used the phrase "school district of choice" on a number of your campaign materials. It's on the front page of your website, for example. What do you mean by that?
A: My vision for "a district of choice" is much the same as my vision for "communities of choice" in that people are excited and inspired about their school and neighborhood -- they feel like they've chosen something great for themselves. This is a very different experience from the current feeling I often hear: one of victimhood where people hate the district but feel trapped by circumstances in it.
These two experiences of a school district (or community) inspire two very different sets of responses. One generates anxiety, frustration and hopelessness. The other generates enthusiasm, excitement and possibility. My vision is that people see an opportunity for themselves out of their choice to be a part of the KCMSD -- so much so that eventually people start moving from the suburbs into KCMO just to be in the district. When this becomes normative, then we have truly created a district of choice.
To be clear, while this vision will require effort to reach fruition, it is no fantasy. Already there are signs of renewal in our district and already many families actively choose to make this space we call Kansas City theirs because of what they see possible for themselves simply through being here. The leadership I offer the district is such that it will empower many more families to see the opportunity that awaits them in our district and in our neighborhoods. And as they come to clearly see all that is possible here, in increasing numbers they will choose our district.
Catina Taylor asks:
Q: Do you think that the current school board members have the necessary background knowledge, education, and experience in the area of education and educational leadership necessary to make them effective leaders of the KCMSD?
A: Yes. While I only know Dave Smith personally, I'm willing to believe that the current board collectively has the knowledge, education and experience necessary to make them effective leaders of the KCMSD. This clearly demonstrates an inescapable reality: knowledge is not enough. Knowledge must be tempered internally by judgment and externally by accountability. As the paucity of contested elections over the past several years speaks to, we as a community have not gone far enough to hold our school board accountable.
Q: Should the state be allowed to take over the KCMSD?
A: No. I have yet to identify an urban school district where the state has intervened and in which the outcome has been a dramatic turnaround in educational achievement.
Q: Do your children attend school in the district?
A: I do not have any children of my own. I am the legal guardian of a fourteen year old student. He does attend school in the district.
Q: Did you support the removal of the superintendent?
A: No. While I was not satisfied with the educational achievement progress that had been made, I believe that stability is a requisite of educational achievement. Based on what I know from the little information the board provided, I would not have opted for removal.
Q: What is your stance on charter schools?
A: I believe that charter schools are able to play an important role in our public education system. My vision for charter schools is that they conduct themselves as unique, independent public schools that are not accountable to the district hierarchy but that nevertheless choose to cooperate with the district. Where partnerships between the district and charters exist, success for all students is the result.
Q: What will it take to transform the KCMSD into a district of choice?
A: I see a three step process. First, we need to acknowledge that for many families, this district is already a district of choice. Highly acclaimed institutions such as Lincoln Academy demonstrate that this district is capable of excellence sufficient that families choose to send their students here. We must believe in our product before we can sell it to anyone else. Second, we go out and do an amazing job of turning around the institutions that are not working. Third we tell our story. When we do the first two items, the third should come naturally. And when we do all three, families will begin to choose the district in even greater numbers than do so now.
Q: How would you make effective use of closed/vacant school property in the district overall?
A: While there are a number of things encumbering the reuse of these properties, I believe that within four years, we can initiate or actually begin redevelopment on most of our vacant schools. We'll do it this way: create a workgroup of school district officials already responsible for this effort, city economic development officials, elected officials and persons from the development community. The group first develops a master vision for what they want to accomplish. Then the group crafts RFPs for each school that includes what the district can let the property go for, what the city can incentivize the deal with, what uses the community the school is in will accept and how it will contribute to the master vision selected by the workgroup. This is a complicated process. But united, it is quite doable.
Why I choose the district
"I choose to stand in solidarity with the multitude of families that have chosen the Kansas City, Missouri public school district for their children..." Read More >>
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