Annie Lyman
Did not respond.
Karen Madsen
How do you plan to lead the district through the current fiscal crisis?
As a board, we will continue to work to optimize services to students to support their continued academic growth and services to staff to support their continued professional growth focusing on what we can do within the current economic situation. We will continue to work with staff to explore ways to reduce costs while maintaining crucial services to students. Personally, I will serve as chair of the levy committee, a group of community members who work to support the passage of our school levy on February 2, 2010 which provides about 18 to 19% of the revenue to the district.
How do you plan to lead the district through the current fiscal crisis?
Should the funding situation worsen, the Board will work through the Superintendent and his staff to pursue a similar course in the budgeting process that we did this year: seek input from the public as to what is important to them; evaluate each and every program and position for potential savings; explore the most cost-effective and efficient ways to provide necessary services; and make the very difficult decisions required of public servants in trying economic times.
What should the Board do to rebuild trust after spying on a teacher?
Continue to honor the agreement with the EEA regarding legal use of cameras to protect the public’s interest in legal and ethical conduct in schools, in the very rare situation where such use is necessary.
Jessica Olson
How do you plan to lead the district through the current fiscal crisis?
The Everett School District made $15 million dollars from investments in 2008, and have ample cash reserves. Therefore, any cuts made under the auspices of a fiscal crisis should be viewed with extreme scrutiny. The federal stimulus dollars alone provide more than enough money to prevent any cuts from Special Education or Title 1. If I am elected, I will advocate for a thorough forensic financial audit of the district to see where all the money is going — and after reporting the findings to the public — will take action, with citizen input, from there.
How do you plan to lead the district through the current fiscal crisis?
If after a thorough forensic fiscal audit of District finances it becomes evident that cuts must be made, it should come from administrative areas first and student services last. For example, do we really need a Public Relations Specialist in the form of a “Communications Director”? Should taxpayers be paying for the legal services of high priced legal firms who defend dubious district practices, or should the District instead avail themselves of the services of our county Prosecutor’s office, which is statutorily obligated to represent school districts? These are questions that must be answered by the people running our district.
What should the Board do to rebuild trust after spying on a teacher?
The Board should adopt a policy not only prohibiting the selective surreptitious recording of a classroom, but also containing mandatory discipline provisions — to include dismissal — if any district employee ever violates said policy. To restore good faith with the teachers and the public, the Board should issue an apology, and those guilty of having made such decisions should be exposed and reprimanded and/or disciplined.
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