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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Top Priority,
Use of facilities
Click on a name for other candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. How would you implement your top priority?
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Answer from John J. Gilligan:
To accomplish the effective transformation of our schools will require an unprecedented effort, involving scores of people and organizations, who will need to gain a new insight into the problems that confront our schools (pupils and teachers) and who will join forces to deal with them. This effort is already underway in many of our neighborhoods but we need to invest a good deal more civic energy to develop the momentum we need for final success.
Answer from Alan S. Coleman:
Parental involvement is the key to a child's success. We have seen that where parents are actively involved in the children's education, the child will more likely than not, be successful. Recruit parents for decision-making teams when possible. Provide sensitive professional outreach in schools where parent involvement is low. Bring Board meetings to the neighborhood schools to inform parents of all educational options (magnet school programs, charter schools, advanced placement and special programs)
Answer from Roy L. McGrath:
: Reduce truancy by having full-time police/beginers working with juvinile courts, capturing deliquent offending parents; taking onitation training of negligent child and upgrading! Give parents more choice/options for charter schools to concentrate on individual difference/needs; in older-safe buildings, but not "modernized/computer enhanced" barriers, but saturated with subject matter techniques (modern "McGuffie Reader"), with one-on-one teaching first two semester.
Answer from Rick Williams:
New federal legislation increases the opportunities, rights, and responsibilities of parents choosing public education for their children. To take advantage of this, parents must be aware of this legislation and their child's educational needs. I will develop with staff annual Parent Forums to present these opportunities, train parents to assess the needs of their child, and assist their child by subject. Math would be the first subject due to low test scores.
Answer from Robert Killins, Jr.:
I would work with the CPS board to set-up a series of training sessions on proactive parental involvement with schools. There are a number of school districts that are models for this type of program.
Answer from Derry L. Hooks, II:
Raise student academic performance by working with parents to increase student attendance; by supporting the Superintendent's quarterly assessment of students and by providing the curriculum and resources for teachers.
Answer from Florence Newell:
The academic achievement of all students will be
improved by:
raising the expectations of everyone who is involved in
educating our students;
improving relationships with parents and other care
givers;
expanding and improving partnerships which will
positively impact student achievement;
communicating frequently and openly with all members
of the school district;
acknowledging excellence in teaching and
provide appropriate professional development
opportunities for teachers; and
cultivating a community of learners in each school and
across the district.
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2. How can the School Board work with local government and the community on use of school facilities for after school programs and recreations?
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Answer from Florence Newell:
The School Board should develop a comprehensive
"Use of Facilities Plan" in collaboration with local
government and school communities. The plan should
be based on an assessment of the needs and assets
of each community, utilizing information gathered from
a variety of sources, including surveying individuals in
each community. We should evaluate and work to
strengthen present partnerships. We should offer
stimulating activities in which senior citizens can
facilitate and/or participate.
Answer from Robert Killins, Jr.:
The CPS Board can start with the design phase and make sure that the schools are designed in such a way as to make them be of maximum use by the community outside of school hours. There can be an on-going program to assure proper use and maintenance of the facilities.
Answer from Rick Williams:
As president of the Board of Education (BOE) I joined Mayor Luken to co-chair the first joint meeting of the BOE and City Council. It was a presentation of our committment to work together with neighborhoods to create extended use school facilities. Since then I have been a member of the BOE External Relationships Committee that works directly with City Council's Education Committee. There are many examples of the positive results of this collaboration.
Answer from Derry L. Hooks, II:
Each school will become a community-learning center and will have a school-community planning team, complete a needs assessment identifying the programs for each location. Representatives of community councils and local government will participate on the school-community planning teams. The School Board will support development and coordination of each school-community learning center.
Answer from Roy L. McGrath:
Enhance/upgrade "after-school-programs" with Cincinnati's Recreation facilities by using school buildings for home-work/coaching/cramming for tests/standardized test, et.al., use advanced placement courses for grade schoolers to accelerate to high school. And college "prep" for 9-12 grades, by having special part-time school teachers-not same teachers from regular classes! Include Senior Olympic coaching! New schools concentrate on year-round "CAMPS"! Avoid too much on sports, unless it is for State-USA-Global Olympics targets, i.e. Swimming-biking-triathlon-horseback riding/canoeing!
Answer from Alan S. Coleman:
The school system can make area school gyms, classrooms and facilities in general to the city recreation commission. Programs such as "lighted schools" in which the facilities are available 3 hours after the close of school would be helpful in keeping our young people off the streets. Also the latchkey program can be expanded to each school for parents who cannot pick their children up at the regular dismissal time.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. The answers will not exceed 75 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
