SUMMARY OF BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES FORUMS March 26 and 29, 2012 Frederick Stichnoth,fred.stichnoth@yahoo.

comMarch 30, 2012 A forum for the At Large and District 2 Montgomery County Board of Education candidates was on held March 26, sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County and the American Association of University Women; and for District2 candidates on March 29, sponsored by The Rockville Community Coalition, in cooperation with The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County and The Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville. This is a summary of the candidates statements. March 26 Forum Opening Statement Susan Byrne, District 2. Ms. Byrne would move focus from the budget to quality education, which other jurisdictions accomplish at a lower per capita cost. She has two children in MCPS schools one child not in one of MCPS best schools. There are too many bad schools: we need leadership. MCPS fails black, Hispanic, gifted and talented, and FARMS students. She agrees with Dr. Starr that we have an adult learning problem. Rebecca Smondrowski, District 2. Ms. Smondrowski has children in Grades 6 and9. She has held leadership positions in MCCPTA and has been active in political campaigns. Her goal is to produce well-rounded children. MCPS has lost the definition of the successful student: social and safe. She would expand community outreach, stop teaching to the test, and restore teacher creativity. Topic: overriding challenge for students Byrne. Students are not offered developmentally-appropriate education, but one-size-fits-all. We must fit programs to students reach and teach each individual student. I tcan be done, not through more money but leadership. Topic: discipline. Smondrowski. Every child must be invested in where s/he is and where s/he is going. In every school, every student must be known by at least one adult. They will feel better, and the achievement gap will naturally close. Topic: zero tolerance discipline Byrne. Zero tolerance is problem-centered, not solution-centered. Students need social and emotional learning. Topic: evaluation teachers on the basis on student test scores Byrne. She would rely on MCPS professional growth system. Experienced teachers no longer feel that they are teaching. We must focus on the whole child.

Smondrowski. She would base some, but not too much, of evaluations on scores. Just accelerating students to the next grade doesnt mean they have learned or are ready to function. We must look at where students come from. Topic: charter schools Byrne. Maryland has a bad charter law. Charters offer choice. Smondrowski. Charter schools are not an alternative to failing public schools. Closing statements Byrne. Budgetary issues have been allowed to hold the system back: we need newleadership. As a project manager, she is organized and analytical. Dr. Starr shows great promise. Smondrowski Ms. Smondrowski has substantial experience: she has not just shown up. March 29 Forum Opening Statements Byrne. Ms. Byrne has children, each with special needs, in Cabin John Middle School and Stone Mill Elementary School. She is an organization and systems analyst. She seeks to return Board focus to quality education, rather than the budget and politics. Other systems accomplish more with a smaller per capita budget. MCPS judges its success based on standardized test scores and graduation rates. Even by these measures, it fails black, Hispanic, FARMS, GT and Special Education students: they dont thrive in the MCPS model. MCPS has a high graduation rate, but 42 percent of graduates take remedial math in college. More of the same wont work. She seeks education that is fun and pursued for the sake of learning. MCPS has a fabulous PR department. She offers better leadership. Smondrowski Ms. Smondrowski has two children, aged 15 (Special Education)and 11. She has 10 years experience working in the schools to maintain MCPS top level, and to foster community outreach and mentoring. She has been an executive officer in MCCPTA and worked as a legislative aid. She has worked for school-based legislation and securing additional funding for schools. The truly successful student combines social with academic competence and is safe and secure. Success is not data and test scores, but creativity. Question: how would you, as a new superintendent, begin your work and work with the Board? Byrne. Ms. Byrne would identify strengths and weaknesses. She referred to a Board retreat and frank self-assessment of failings. She would compare MCPS to best practices. Smondrowski.

Dr. Starr has done an excellent job in learning a complicated, majority and minority, County. His community outreach has been good. She would look at programs, understand how they work and determine how best to invest money in those programs. Topic: School overcrowding and portable classrooms Byrne. We need to think outside the box, let go of one-size-fits-all programmingand use technology. (Childrens familiarity with technology is one reason that we have a 40 percent GT identification rate.) Smondrowski. Ms. Smondrowski also favor a boundary examination, along with greater capital funding and better long-range school population growth planning. Topic: charter schools Byrne: Choice engages students, as evidenced by MCPS language immersion and magnet schools (which are somewhat like charters). Smondrowski Smondrowski. While she does not oppose charters, she does not want parents feeling the need for these programs. There should be more options in public schools(especially in Special Education). Question: how do we better serve students with special needs? Byrne. Ms. Byrne has two GT/LD students. MCPS must do a better job with early intervention. Through cost/benefit analysis of the budget, more funds could be reserved for such needs. Smondrowski. Ms. Smondrowskis son is in the Bridge program. He was in GT/LD, but after middle schools was mainstreamed. Such students do not do well in large groups. MCPS needs more options: Topic: Gifted and talented education current state and recommended changes Byrne. Now, to receive services, parents must prove need. We should develop a service delivery model. Ms. Byrne cited information provided by Dr. Starr at the recent Forum on Gifted Education showing a gap between those who are identified and those who actually receive services. Not every family has the muscle to procure the services from the system. Smondrowski. MCPS should expand GT/LD programming. Testing and labeling in Grade 2 is unnecessary because we do not offer GT programming in Grade 3. There is social pressure that all children be gifted. Topic: students who do not go to college, increasing graduation rates Byrne. We have narrowed the definition of success to top scores, and are testing kids in Grade 2 for whether they are college-ready. Parents and educators need to redefine success.

Closing statements Byrne. MCPS needs leadership, not money. She would bring cost/benefit analysis to identify programs meeting needs of students. Her organization and analytical expertise would facilitate analysis of MCPS against known best practices. She is also a project tmanager and an advocate. MCPS can do a better job focusing on students. Dr. Starrs leadership holds promise. We should stop focusing on the curriculum and deregulate the way we are teaching. Smondrowski. Students should be socially, as well as academically, successful. She has worked on developing mentoring programs and has a strong relationship with elected officials (necessary to procuring funding).