Warsaw School Board Candidates Tackle the Issues
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Besides giving opening and closing statements, candidates answered four prepared questions and public questions inbetween. The prepared questions came from the sponsors of the candidate forum, Warsaw Community Educatrion Association, American Association of University Women, OrthoWorx and the Times-Union.
Curt Hermann, District 3 candidate, and Jay Baumgartner, District 6, are unopposed in the Nov. 6 election. Incumbent Christie Gale faces former Harrison Elementary Principal Randy Polston in the District 4 race.
The Times-Union question was about the Kovert Hawkins facilities assessment. The assessment included a “vision” for the next 10 to 20 years that would cost $110.5 million if the board approved all of it.
Gale said, “We did the study just to follow up on what we wanted to know. In 2006, we did a study and we ended up building two new elementaries and adding on to Claypool and Jefferson. So now, six years later, we want to know where do we stand right now with our facilities and how are we aligning them with our goals, and how are they working for our students, and where do we need to go for their continued success.”
“This type of study is exactly that - it’s a study,” Polston said. “We’ll take a look at the recommendations. We’ll take a look at the need, 10 to 20 years down the road. Dr. Hintz said it perfectly during the board meeting when it was presented: This is not a Warsaw Community Schools report, this is not a Warsaw School Board report. This is from Kovert Hawkins to take a look at down the road, what we might need to do to stay ahead of the trends.”
Hermann said he hesitated when he heard 110 million, as it’s an awful lot of money.
“I was very, very encouraged to understand we are looking at the future. It’s very important we’re looking at the future so we’re not looking at the same issues (as before),” Hermann said.
Baumgartner, who works at the Bowen Center, answered, “Anyone else just say, ‘Wow!’ when you hear $110 million? As they all alluded to, that is just a huge number. Working in a not-for-profit, we just can not fathom spending $110 million. But, that being said, on the positive, I really am in favor of the study that they did. I really do think the school system needs to have a long-term strategic plan on their capital expenditures so we don’t get hit with $110 million capital expenditures at one time.”
AAUW asked about the impact school choice, more student testing and a change in teacher and administrator evaluation including merit pay has had on students and teachers.
On increased testing, Gale focused on IREAD-3. Third-graders must pass the IREAD-3 test in order to move on to fourth grade.
“I just think that’s a high-stakes test to have for a 9- and 10-year-old,” she said. It causes the students, parents and teachers a lot of anxiety. Teachers have to spend time to teach their students how to pass the test. Warsaw teachers are awesome though, she said, because more than 90 percent of the students passed the IREAD-3.
“I almost want to request an hour to discuss all these issues,” Polston started. “Our schools are really going through drastic changes over the last several years. I saw it happening over the last several years as Harrison’s principal, and it’s definitely having an impact on students, teachers and administrators. One of the biggest impacts is that schools are getting graded now based on a lot of different data that is being collected.”
If Polston were to repeal one, he said his biggest concern was the amount of time being taken during the school day with all the data collecting.
“We keep testing and testing and testing our students and every time we pull one of these instruments out, our students are losing valuable instructional time in the classroom,” Polston said.
“We’re living in a world where we’re trying to prepare our kids to step into the competitive environment that the world is,” Hermann said. “It’s the way society is. It’s the way the business world works. In my business, if I don’t perform well ... we’re not going to get clients. Our business is not going to perform well. In the same way, I think school choice is a very good thing. I think schools should be competing against each other.”
Baumgartner also favors school choice.
“I love school choice,” Baumgartner said. “I really do believe parents should have a choice in the schools their kids attend.”
WCEA asked the candidates where they would focus their energies if elected.
Gale answered one area would be a plan for high, medium and low achievers so that no student gets left out. She’d also like to see more foreign languages at lower grade levels, and guidance counselors at the elementary schools.
Polston said he was growing more and more concerned with what’s going on in the buildings and classrooms right now.
“I’m concerned about our climate amongst our staff, teachers and administrators. There’s been so much change handed down and they’re spending so much time with RISE evaluations and SLOs, collecting that data. Literally, teachers and staff can not keep up. I’m hearing time and time again of the hours being spent in the evenings and on weekends by our staff to try and stay up with all these changes,” he said.
Hermann said, “Like the other folks up here mentioned, kids are the focus. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have four kids in the school system.”
Baumgartner listed his top three issues as technology, graduation rate and the working relationships among administrators, principals and teachers.
OrthoWorx asked for the candidates’ views on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.
Gale said STEM is a necessary curriculum in the community and will be available to every student in the corporation.
Polston said the mission statement WCS adopted this year really addresses STEM education.
Hermann said he was excited the more he learns about WCS’s STEM program, while Baumgartner said he loved the STEM program being put in place at Warsaw schools.[[In-content Ad]]
Besides giving opening and closing statements, candidates answered four prepared questions and public questions inbetween. The prepared questions came from the sponsors of the candidate forum, Warsaw Community Educatrion Association, American Association of University Women, OrthoWorx and the Times-Union.
Curt Hermann, District 3 candidate, and Jay Baumgartner, District 6, are unopposed in the Nov. 6 election. Incumbent Christie Gale faces former Harrison Elementary Principal Randy Polston in the District 4 race.
The Times-Union question was about the Kovert Hawkins facilities assessment. The assessment included a “vision” for the next 10 to 20 years that would cost $110.5 million if the board approved all of it.
Gale said, “We did the study just to follow up on what we wanted to know. In 2006, we did a study and we ended up building two new elementaries and adding on to Claypool and Jefferson. So now, six years later, we want to know where do we stand right now with our facilities and how are we aligning them with our goals, and how are they working for our students, and where do we need to go for their continued success.”
“This type of study is exactly that - it’s a study,” Polston said. “We’ll take a look at the recommendations. We’ll take a look at the need, 10 to 20 years down the road. Dr. Hintz said it perfectly during the board meeting when it was presented: This is not a Warsaw Community Schools report, this is not a Warsaw School Board report. This is from Kovert Hawkins to take a look at down the road, what we might need to do to stay ahead of the trends.”
Hermann said he hesitated when he heard 110 million, as it’s an awful lot of money.
“I was very, very encouraged to understand we are looking at the future. It’s very important we’re looking at the future so we’re not looking at the same issues (as before),” Hermann said.
Baumgartner, who works at the Bowen Center, answered, “Anyone else just say, ‘Wow!’ when you hear $110 million? As they all alluded to, that is just a huge number. Working in a not-for-profit, we just can not fathom spending $110 million. But, that being said, on the positive, I really am in favor of the study that they did. I really do think the school system needs to have a long-term strategic plan on their capital expenditures so we don’t get hit with $110 million capital expenditures at one time.”
AAUW asked about the impact school choice, more student testing and a change in teacher and administrator evaluation including merit pay has had on students and teachers.
On increased testing, Gale focused on IREAD-3. Third-graders must pass the IREAD-3 test in order to move on to fourth grade.
“I just think that’s a high-stakes test to have for a 9- and 10-year-old,” she said. It causes the students, parents and teachers a lot of anxiety. Teachers have to spend time to teach their students how to pass the test. Warsaw teachers are awesome though, she said, because more than 90 percent of the students passed the IREAD-3.
“I almost want to request an hour to discuss all these issues,” Polston started. “Our schools are really going through drastic changes over the last several years. I saw it happening over the last several years as Harrison’s principal, and it’s definitely having an impact on students, teachers and administrators. One of the biggest impacts is that schools are getting graded now based on a lot of different data that is being collected.”
If Polston were to repeal one, he said his biggest concern was the amount of time being taken during the school day with all the data collecting.
“We keep testing and testing and testing our students and every time we pull one of these instruments out, our students are losing valuable instructional time in the classroom,” Polston said.
“We’re living in a world where we’re trying to prepare our kids to step into the competitive environment that the world is,” Hermann said. “It’s the way society is. It’s the way the business world works. In my business, if I don’t perform well ... we’re not going to get clients. Our business is not going to perform well. In the same way, I think school choice is a very good thing. I think schools should be competing against each other.”
Baumgartner also favors school choice.
“I love school choice,” Baumgartner said. “I really do believe parents should have a choice in the schools their kids attend.”
WCEA asked the candidates where they would focus their energies if elected.
Gale answered one area would be a plan for high, medium and low achievers so that no student gets left out. She’d also like to see more foreign languages at lower grade levels, and guidance counselors at the elementary schools.
Polston said he was growing more and more concerned with what’s going on in the buildings and classrooms right now.
“I’m concerned about our climate amongst our staff, teachers and administrators. There’s been so much change handed down and they’re spending so much time with RISE evaluations and SLOs, collecting that data. Literally, teachers and staff can not keep up. I’m hearing time and time again of the hours being spent in the evenings and on weekends by our staff to try and stay up with all these changes,” he said.
Hermann said, “Like the other folks up here mentioned, kids are the focus. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have four kids in the school system.”
Baumgartner listed his top three issues as technology, graduation rate and the working relationships among administrators, principals and teachers.
OrthoWorx asked for the candidates’ views on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.
Gale said STEM is a necessary curriculum in the community and will be available to every student in the corporation.
Polston said the mission statement WCS adopted this year really addresses STEM education.
Hermann said he was excited the more he learns about WCS’s STEM program, while Baumgartner said he loved the STEM program being put in place at Warsaw schools.[[In-content Ad]]
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