KPGT Forum Recap Part 2

Here is the next group of questions asked at the KPGT forum.  If my notes are too cryptic and you want a full quote, let me know and I'll transcribe if for you.  This is intended as a recap, but I want it to be understandable.  If I've missed the mark, let me know...

Question #3: Given that capacities in buildings have changed due to growth in the district, changing demographics, etc, how is it best to do rezoning?  Is it time to do a broader rezoning throughout the district?

• Betty Powell (Pos. 7): There must be a better way, but we don't have a crystal ball.  Many opinions are needed to analyze the situation.  Let's hope we continue to have this problem!
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 6) says it's time to at least study the budgetary and community impact of a district rezone.  It's inevitable.  Not sure he's for it, but it's time to review it.  Also would like to review the current process, to make sure that every area potentially impacted gives input.  
• Terri Majors (Pos. 6) says rezoning is difficult and she isn't sure it can be made better, but agrees with Michalsky about getting more public input.  She believes in neighborhood schools.  Says we should look at other districts to see what they do to get as much public input as possible.
• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) talked about the board doing a limited rezoning of three high schools several years ago, and one benefit was moving closer to pure feeder patterns.  Would be in favor of a district rezone to achieve pure feeder patterns, but not to just balance capacity.  
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 7) said "in the last 4 years, Katy ISD's enrollment has declined.  The only year since Alton Frailey has been our superintendent where our enrollment actually went up was in 2008, when we grew by 120 students."  [an aside from me: But see...  ]  Problem is that we build schools too soon in the wrong place based on bad demographics.  We need better demographics and PBK shouldn't pick where we build Jr. High and High Schools schools. 

Question #4:  Political discourse has come to Katy.  What would you do to bring unity to the board and focus the board so the district work can be done?

• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 7) says there is no transparency.  Vote for someone you can trust; an honest leader who will be open.  Vote for her and you'll know what you are getting.
• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) said the shenanigans of Washington have come to Katy and we've seen a lot of it in the last year.  It's remarkable that it hasn't filtered down to students.  We would suspend students who behave as board members have been behaving.  Job is to study, discuss, try to persuade, and vote, but not to walk out on meetings to avoid that activity. That doesn't work at any level, much less here where the community expects the board to do the job of educating 62,000 students. 
• Terri Majors (Pos. 6) is concerned about unity on the board.  Dissension has trickled down from Washington.  Must have transparency and openness.  Must talk to public.  Wants to increase the time for public comments.  The board should listen and do what taxpayers and patrons want them to do. 
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 6) agrees with Neal Howard and says the walkout (by Proctor and Huckaby) was politically motivated.  That has no place on the board.  Elected to represented different viewpoints, and trustees need to stick around and express those views.  We need to build better relationships and communicate goals better.  He is in favor of more debates.
• Betty Powell (Pos. 7) says we need to develop better communication and restore trust with the community.  The school board needs to communicate ends, which means to communicate the results that are sought.  The website and planned webcast meetings will increase openness.  When openness comes, trust will increase.

Question #5: RE: budget cuts: If not teachers, what would you cut?

• Terri Majors (Pos. 6): stop paying for consultants.  Make people on salary do that work.  Look at busing.  Look at HVAC bills and increase temperatures to reduce bills. 
• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) would look at busing.  Bill Moore has saved the district lots of money  by refinancing bonds.  He would continue to look at that kind of savings.  
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 7) would cut central administration which is 4% of the budget (?)  She would get rid of consultants like the one payed 48K to recommend budget cuts.  Would depend more on maintenance rather than replacing components and stop buying astroturf that needs to be watered.  She would also stop buying flat screen TVs. which are only used for announcements. 
• Betty Powell (Pos. 7) would cut some technology.  She wants to use what we have better.  Wants to bring more money into the district, like by having more events at the Merrell Center and putting ads on buses.  
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 6) would outsource the tax office.  He would  also look at cutting community education, which is great but doesn't go to our mission of educating K-12 students.  He would also look at eliminating busing to the 2 mile state requirement.  

Question #6: RE: recent Chronicle article that indicated magnet schools in HISD are very successful.  Is it time for KISD to have a magnet school for GT students?

• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) said we looked at that 2 years ago with the IB program.  It raised lots of questions and the program, though "neat", would have cost a lot of money.  He could not justify that during times when money is short.
• Terri Majors (Pos. 6) disagreed.  She said we need special campuses, like the DeBakey medical magnet and the HSPVA, a science school at Rice, etc.  Katy should do that because it would make us an outstanding district and would be wonderful for our kids. 
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 6) supports all the outstanding programs but creating a special school is most likely cost prohibitive given our current financial situation.  He suggests working on improving programs at all campuses.  HSPVA is great, but all of our campuses have great fine arts programs.  We should focus on providing great programs for all our students. 
• Betty Powell (Pos. 7) agrees with Majors and Michalsky because we can research and crunch the numbers.  If other districts do it, why can't we? She "wants Quality over Quantity."  
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 7) said the article revealed there are 7 exemplary high schools in HISD and none in Katy ISD.  Is it due to magnets?  She doesn't know.  Need more money in the classroom.  Is it feasible?  Not now.  

Question #7: After last year's cuts, what should be restored, and how would you do it?

• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 6) doesn't know, but believes that everything should be looked at yearly to justify the expense.  He believes in great classroom instruction, but also as parents, we try to develop our kids interests and talents, and we want the district to do the same.  The litmus test should be: how does it prepare kids for the world after Katy ISD?
• Terri Majors (Pos. 6) would restore curriculum specialists to the administration level.  (They were moved to the campuses.) A lot of those people made more money at the admin building, but now they are sent back to campuses, so no one is helping teachers at the administration building.  She would also get RNs back on campuses.  Also, technology support that was removed from campuses needs to be restored, because teachers need an in-house technologist.  
• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) says his focus would be on classroom sizes that we are moving to, especially in Jr. High.  That's were programs should not be cut because that is where children are exploring. Main thing is to get more teachers on campuses.
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 7) would restore bilingual staff and special ed aides.  Also would restore the stipends paid to team leaders.  Bottom line: don't cut anything.  Bilingual kids should not be bused but should have their own neighborhood school.  Currently they are bused a long distance to  "that Maurice Wolfe area".
• Betty Powell (Pos. 7) said the wounds of last year's cuts are still fresh.  Need to reexamine all areas cut.  She would look for weak areas by asking community and teachers.  Would reconsider all cuts but especially those that impact kids.  Instructional coaches should be beefed up.  They should get GT training first, because they are modeling for other teachers.

Whew!  I'll finish tomorrow.

KPGT Forum Recap Part I

Tuesday night's Candidates' Forum hosted by KPGT had a slightly different format from the Rotary Forum.  Candidates gave opening statements, answered two questions drafted by KPGT, and audience members submitted additional questions.  Questions and answers went until 8:30, when candidates made closing statements.  Unfortunately, Charles Griffin was unable attend due to a work conflict.  However, in his closing, he indicated he would take all the questions from the evening and answer them on his website.

The opening statements did not add anything that wasn't already covered in either my recent blogs about the Rotary, the Houston Chronicle articles about the Postion 6 race and the Position 7 race, or the Katy Times questionnaire.  The Times also had a good story covering the forum which sadly only seems to be available in the print edition (Thurs. 4/16, pg. 1A)

Q #1: According to one recent estimate, the shortfall in the state budget will be $10-$13 Billion in the next legislative session.  What will you do to preserve the quality of Katy ISD education in the face of such shortfalls?

• Bryan Michalsky (Postion 7) said he opposes cutting classroom instruction.  Last year we lost some teachers positions and a lot of support positions.  Texas is responding better than other states and he hopes the shortfall will be less than predicted.  However, we need to protect programs that give kids opportunities.  Must continue to look at other areas to cut.  Operations needs to justify spending on an annual basis.  
• Terri Majors (Postion 7) said there is lots of "wiggle room".  There was plenty of money last year and there was no need to fire any teachers.  We did not need to cut staff, and she is angry about it.  Katy needs to keep instruction just like it is and make it better.  Instruction needs to be at the top of the budget, and teachers need to get the perks they need to stay in the district. Teachers are looking elsewhere because the climate has been negative.  Should increase pay for teachers.  Need to get more teachers to come to Katy.  "Another thing we don't look at very often, we keep saying that Katy is growing and growing and growing.  However, our population in the schools is actually decreasing because students are being home schooled and because they are going to private schools. We need to look at those numbers and say 'uh-oh' what are we doing and how to get those kids to come back."  Wow... But see this...
• Neal Howard (Position 6) thinks that the best thing is to keep the shortfall from happening by working through the courts and with our legislators.  Will advocate doing what we did last year, which is to leave instruction, give teachers a raise, and cut everything else.  Wants to maintain programs, and may have to do that by increasing user fees.  Also wants to look at buying buses that run on natural gas.  
• Cynthia Blackman (Position 6) advocates cutting central administration, because Dr. Merrell had 4-5 assistant superintendents and Mr. Frailey has 15.  Would never cut teachers or teacher salaries.  Would not cut Special Ed aides like the district is currently doing.  Also would look severely at new construction.  Schools are built too soon, too grandiose, and savings must go to classrooms.  All dollars need to go to instruction; right now about half of the money per student goes to instruction.
• Betty Powell (Postion 6) says last year's layoffs and displacement was uncalled for.  Yes, they got jobs but many took pay cuts.  She knows someone who lost their home.  Would never cut teachers, custodians, drivers, anyone who supports educating children.  As a technologist, she knows where stuff is that has never been used.  As a trustee, she could look at technology and see what is needed and what is extra, and now there is no one on the board who can do that.  And no candidate other than herself has that experience.

Q#2:  Gifted and Talented students need special education services.  Specifically, what will you do to seek improvement within GT education in Katy ISD?

• Neal Howard (Pos. 6) says he's not qualified to answer those questions but knows there are people in our district who do, and he would take the reins off them and let them do their jobs.
• Terri Majors (Pos. 7) says programs are great, but they are special ed under the law.  Handicapped children get lots more money and treatment than GT.  Need to look at expanding programs for GT. Currently, elementary kids are pulled out one day a week.  In secondary, we need more programs.  Need to enrich and spend more money on our GT programs.
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 7) said awareness about GT education needs to be increased.  They need to be challenged.  Agrees with Majors that elementary Challenge program is a valuable program.  In secondary, the AP program is very good but other things can be done to challenge older students.  We celebrate our athletes and fine artists and we need to do that for our most gifted students as well.  We have good programs, but there is always room for improvement.  Awareness is key.
• Betty Powell (Pos. 6) taught GT most of her career. Usually Challenge classes are in temporary buildings.  They need to have more storage, a sink, access to library and computers in those classrooms.  Should get "regular" teachers certified for GT.  Our teachers get dual certification in ESOL, but not in GT.  Teachers who teach to the top get better results for all their students because of increased rigor.  
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 6) taught GT most of her career.  Often, the GT kids get to be the tutor or the helper in the regular classroom.  In High School, the AP program needs to be improved.  GT kids should not have to be responsible for the curriculum taught on the day they were pulled out.  Would like increased funding to go to GT/Advanced Academics program.  Kids might be gifted in some things but not in others.

More tomorrow...