At the possible cost of being accused of fawning over her, weve always loved Pam Kirbys commitment and intelligence. Including the times we argued vehemently and she told us we were nuts. For years shes been the one Board member who would stop the SUSD freight train to demand accountability. From her campaign website, here is her pitch to all of us. From the ROSS perspective, SUSDs Board loses credibility if we lose Pam. COMMUNICATE MORE, AND BETTER Effective communication is the result of listening, understanding, responding - and doing so quickly. I tell people what’s going on in real time, with a commitment to clarity. This brand of open, honest and frequent communication has a way of opening - and maintaining - a healthy dialogue, both internally and externally. This kind of transparency leads to more understanding and trust by voters, parents, teachers and other stakeholders. WIN LOCAL CONTROL AND AUTONOMY We have to foster pride and ownership of SUSD schools and reconnect with all stakeholders. We need to champion a culture where schools, principals, and teachers can advocate for and represent the community they serve. The classroom must be empowered, which does not mean a one-size-fits all curriculum or programming. It does not mean scripted lesson plans. It does not mean more standardized testing. Effective empowerment requires strong campus leadership and a resolve to allow for more teacher autonomy so those working with our children every day can target instruction to meet the needs of the individual child. STAKE OUT A PATH FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION We must stay focused, in everything we do, on our overall goal of preparing students for academic success in the short term and for meaningful and productive lives in the long term. A great teacher, a strong principal, and a caring school environment can overcome the barriers to success. However, we cannot ignore what happens outside the classroom. We need to make clear a set of values and expectations for our families and enlist their support whenever possible. It is our duty to continuously improve on the successes we have achieved. This means advocating for students and developing strong partnerships with community and families in our schools. FUND OUR PRIORITIES AND PUT THEM INTO ACTION Academic achievement happens in the classroom. Re-directing dollars to the classroom means reducing class sizes; Dollars to the classroom means recruiting and retaining the very best in the field of education; Dollars to the classroom means investing in strong campus leadership; Dollars to the classroom creates more teacher pay for quality teachers. MANAGE FINANCES TO SUPPORT OUR PRIORITIES — PROACTIVELY AND RIGOROUSLY These have been, and will continue to be, tough fiscal times. It’s important to continue to advocate with the state legislature for adequate funding. However, more money is not the only solution to better schools. We must explore other alternatives to deliver the quality education our community expects. This means rethinking and reassessing our current dollars; it means zero-based budgeting; it means developing a multi-year financial plan to have a roadmap for the future; it means becoming more proactive and less reactive, it means rigorous oversight of our finances. With fiscal accountability and transparency, our community will embrace and invest in SUSD.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 02:41:25 +0000
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