Candidate Q&A: Shoreline School Board

Position 2

Debi Ehrlichman

Age: 58

Family status: Married; three children, all graduates of Shorecrest High School

Residence: 32 years in Lake Forest Park

Education: Product of public schools K – 12; BA from Stanford University; Masters in Education from University of Washington

Occupation: Former special education teacher in Bellevue Public Schools

Political experience: Current School Board member and President of Board; co-chair of 2002 Levy Campaign; committee member numerous levy/bond campaigns

Question 1: How do you plan to advocate for school financing solutions?

Full funding of public schools is one of our state’s greatest challenges. The Legislature seems to have finally recognized the disparity between the state constitutional proclamation of a “paramount duty…to make ample provision for… education of all children” and the inadequacy of current funding. But the problem of how to pay for education, while still meeting other social needs, has yet to be solved. As a School Board Member I will continue talking with legislators, attending advocacy events, and speaking with constituents. We all must continue to pressure our leaders to fulfill the state’s promise to our children.

Question 2: What will you do if the funding situation gets worse next year?

Without a repeat of the Federal stimulus funds, we fully expect the funding situation to be worse next year, and anticipating that, we will budget appropriately. The district has worked diligently over the last 3 years, living below its means, to come out of a severe deficit and build an adequate ending fund balance, some of which could help bridge the gap in expenses. We will continue to monitor our finances closely, finding efficiencies where we still can. All departments will be reviewed. A united, committed and experienced School Board will be critical in weathering these lean times.

Question 3: What would you like to see emphasized or strengthened in the curriculum?

Shoreline has established an adoption schedule (2009-2015) to review curriculum in all academic subjects. This fall newly published 9-12 math and 7-12 world languages curriculum were adopted. Elementary math and writing will be considered in the current year.

More than specific subject matter, I believe school communities must work toward curriculum alignment within and between schools. We should be confident that children throughout the district receive same core information and skills. We must have tools to assess whether they have learned the material presented, and then take action with proven strategies in response to a student’s obstacles in learning.

Question 4: What is your position on the future of the Ronald School?

As School Board Director, I respect the Historical Museum’s importance to community, but am bound to act in the best interests of Shoreline students. A new Shorewood High School building is needed and will require all 26 acres (compared to Shorecrest’s 38 acres) for academic, performance, athletic and support facilities. Several options have been suggested including re-situating the Ronald Building or incorporating it into the high school design and renting space to the Museum. If remaining at its current location, Ronald School will be retrofitted and upgraded, respecting its historical landmark status and significance as Shoreline’s oldest remaining school building.

Corey Murata

Age: 42

Family status: Married, 2 sons ages 2 and 4 years

Residence: Shoreline, Ballinger Neighborhood

Education: Bachelor of Arts in History, Masters of Library and Information Science

Occupation: Librarian

Political experience: None

Question 1: How do you plan to advocate for school financing solutions?

I will work with our partners in Olympia from our district, with School Board Directors from other districts, with educators, parents and the community to build a broad base of support for fundamental reforms to generate the revenue needed to fund the schools for success. In addition to building a coalition to advocate for funding reform, we also need to pull together data and tell the story of how years of declining funding for education has affected local taxpayers.

Question 2: What will you do if the funding situation gets worse next year?

We need to protect the core function of educating our students. That means protecting the teachers and educational support professionals that enrich the lives of our students on a daily basis. Everything outside of that core function will need to be reviewed to identify any possible efficiencies and all available funds and sources of revenue will need to be put on the table. We also need to be thinking long-term and look for ways to reduce our operational costs by incorporating environmentally friendly practices in water use, waste management and heating, cooling and lighting our school buildings.

Question 3: What would you like to see emphasized or strengthened in the curriculum?

We first need to ensure that students are developing the core skills necessary for lifelong learning. These are reading, writing, math and critical thinking skills. I don’t think these can ever be emphasized or strengthened too much. These are skills that permeate every other subject in school and everything they will encounter in life.

Beyond these core skills, students need to develop an understanding of the world around them through history, science, civics, literature, philosophy and the history of thought. Students also need access to an array of enrichment opportunities such as the arts, music, foreign language and vocational programs.

Question 4: What is your position on the future of the Ronald School?

I would like to see the Ronald School building continue to occupy its current location and the Shoreline Historical Museum continue to operate and fulfill its unique educational role from this historic building.

Position 3

David Wilson

Question 1: How do you plan to advocate for school financing solutions?

The state constitution proclaims that it is “the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children.” There is no quick fix to the situation in which we currently find ourselves. The answer will require thoughtful examination of all our current revenue streams. It will also require a self-examination of the values and priorities that we deem important as a state wide community. We will then be able to move forward to fund these priorities.

I plan on working with our state representatives to insure that education funding is a priority in these discussions.

Question 2: What will you do if the funding situation gets worse next year?

The preliminary projections indicate that the state funding situation will be worse next year. The one thing we know is that state agencies like the Shoreline School District cannot operate with a negative fund balance. Changes will have to made in the School District but what those change will be, can only be determined, once we have an understanding of the dimension of the funding problem.

Question 3: What would you like to see emphasized or strengthened in the curriculum?

I would like to see continued emphasis placed on our new homework club / support groups that function in all four of our secondary schools. The leaders of these programs seek out students who are at risk and encourage them to join these (after school or during lunch) support groups before they get too far behind and face possible class failure. In many cases, students in these groups get themselves back on track and are able to perform successfully on their own. “Failure is not an option” is the new mantra.

Question 4: What is your position on the future of the Ronald School?

There are a number of options for the Ronald school. One that I feel is interesting is to incorporate the building into the design of the new Shorewood High School. I believe that education is the cornerstone of both the Shoreline / LFP communities. The Ronald School is part of the history of the educational community. If we were to integrate it into the new Shorewood High School we would be able to retrofit it against seismic activity and return it to almost its original look. It would be a way of honoring the past while building for the future.