Pam LeSesne
How do you plan to lead the district through the current fiscal crisis?
Foremost to the crisis, is the continuation of promoting excellence and increasing opportunities for each child. We have brilliant members in our school community from teachers, administrators, staff members, teachers union, students and especially parents who collectively are engaged in student education. These collective minds working together can review programs and develop plans to help during this crisis. My focus will be on what implications any change will have on student achievement. Also, I will focus on what will be the impact on teacher staffing now and in the future.
What happens if the funding situation gets worse next year?
We must continue to look forward. Planning for another year of shortfall is ideal in any organization, but I will investigate when we can start to recoup some of the reductions we incurred. Parallel planning also helps to mitigate major crisis if they should occur as well as helps to determine if our reduction will sustain us through the crisis. If educational programs are determined to be cut, then we must identify what is discretionary and what is essential and what implications that will have on student achievement, number and type of teachers and staff affected.
What should the Board do to rebuild trust after spying on a teacher?
I believe that teachers will do their job best with full freedom of thought and expression and with job security. Their professional responsibility should be for a commitment to the welfare, growth, maturity and development of their students. Their focus should be on scholarly inquiry to standards outlined by the district and state. I believe the Board also believes this. If it takes reviewing the Districts Mission Statement and Core Values including the concept of academic freedom, then it should be done. These should then be published and highly visible in the District offices for everyone to see.
Jeff Russell
How do you plan to lead the district through the current fiscal crisis?
I believe the current financial crisis requires school districts to engage in intense goal prioritization and program evaluation. When necessary cuts are identified and enacted they must be done so in a way that minimizes impact on the district’s most valuable assets – personnel. We must avoid losing well-trained high quality teachers and support staff who are the leaders of the future. We must also avoid devastating cuts in the arts, music, and athletics. As a parent and a middle school football coach I know that these programs build community, keep students connected to school, and provide motivation for academic achievement.
What happens if the funding situation gets worse next year?
The Washington State Constitution unequivocally declares that public education is the top priority of state government. Our public school system is the single most important institution for a vibrant democracy and a prosperous economy. As a member of the Everett Public Schools Foundation I am aware of the generous individual and corporate support for our schools. If the funding situation gets worse it is essential that revenues be raised. No more cuts in education; otherwise our state has little hope of keeping the industries we cherish. What is dismantled now will only be more expensive to rebuild in the future.
What should the Board do to rebuild trust after spying on a teacher?
Recently the Everett School District has been stung by a series of administrative missteps that have created unnecessary tensions with student leaders, strained relations with the Everett Education Association, and left the general public bewildered. The only way to rebuild trust is for the board to renew its commitment to collaborative and transparent decision-making. The board and administration must consult with its many important community partnerships and seek out amenable solutions to conflicts; respecting the integrity of the partners and focusing on the shared goal of quality education. In other words, talk and listen to each other!
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