White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Observations On Board of Education Election Forum

WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. By "A White Plains CitizeNetReporter." May 28, 2003:At the Candidate’s Forum held on May 20, 2003 for the School Board election, the five candidates for the four positions emphasized their experience and background, rather than any differences in policy. Each candidate made a thoughtful and effective presentation and this observer agrees with the conclusion in yesterday’s Journal News editorial that White Plains is “fortunate” to have a field of candidates displaying such interest and enthusiasm.

Incumbents Bank on Experience.

Incumbent board members Donna McLaughlin and Michelle Trataros emphasized the importance of their board experience. Currently the Board has three members with less than one year’s experience on the Board and a vacancy that will guarantee at least one new Board member.

McLaughlin detailed her experience, beginning with her service on the Citizen’s Budget Committee, before she was elected to the Board, as well as her six years on the Board, including two years as Board President. She stated that during her term she had overseen the High School construction project, numerous updates of important policies and collective bargaining negotiations.

Trataros emphasized the many programs she had advocated during her first term on the Board including all day kindergarten. Board member Peter Bassano, appointed last July, stressed the importance of his skills as an attorney which he brings to the Board and the massive amount he has learned about the school district since being appointed.

Challengers Speak.

First time candidates Terence McGuire and Michael Seymour described their work experiences and community involvement as important factors they would contribute to the Board. McGuire, who has 2 children in the school district, displayed his familiarity with many District programs and pointed to his experience as an accountant.

Mr. Seymour, whose oldest child will start kindergarten in the fall, emphasized the importance of having a member of the Board who has young children.

No Axes to Grind.

The first time candidates did not state any policy or operational disagreements with the existing Board, nor did they articulate any specific changes that they would advocate if elected.

All candidates praised the appointment of Tim Connors as the District Superintendent and the excellent job he has done since arriving last year. Mr. McGuire specifically praised Mr. Connors for developing a specific measurable plan to address the “achievement gap.”

Questions From "The Floor:" State Testing Challenge.

The first question to the candidates was from the League of Women Voters, asking what the candidates would do to improve performance results on State testing. Mr. Seymour seemed unprepared to answer this question. He did not respond with any suggestions for the District but rather suggested that the State examine its testing process.

Ms. McLaughlin outlined efforts that the District had undertaken and that are ongoing to address the issue. Specifically, she pointed to the alignment of the curriculum with the new State standards and teacher training. She also stressed the need for evaluation of various programs, to see if they are succeeding in accomplishing their goals. Ms. Trataros echoed Ms. McLaughlin’s comments and also emphasized the work that Mr. Connors had initiated in specifically identifying the “body of knowledge” that students need to know at each grade level.

"Most Pointed Question"

Perhaps the most pointed question of the evening came from community activist Ron Jackson. He asked if the Board was pleased with last year’s test results, which were disclosed recently, particularly in comparison to New Rochelle’s.

Mostly, the responses from the candidates were that you cannot compare “apples and oranges” by citing other districts’ results. Mr. Seymour implied that since the tests are graded by the teachers in each district, other districts may not be grading their tests as stringently as White Plains does.

Ms. Trataros candidly acknowledged that the test results of minority students were “dismal”. Only Ms. McLaughlin said that the District should examine what New Rochelle was doing and learn from it.

Drop Out Rate Concerns.

The most curious question of the evening concerned the federal “No Child Left Behind” requirement that school districts disclose names and addresses to military recruiters. The questioner’s statement suggested that this requirement might act to increase high school drop out rates when coupled with the new State graduation requirements. This question was posed by a woman who obviously disagreed with the federal requirement but her actual question was limited to how the candidates would address the “high school drop out rate”.

Most candidates answered this by addressing only the issue of the high school drop out rate, which is comparatively low in White Plains. Mr. Bassano also commented that he doubted that the military was looking to recruit high school drop outs.

Concern About Minority Achievement on Everyone's Mind

As has been the case in recent years, most of the discussion centered on improving achievement on the State tests. What was different this year was the more specific discussion as to how to improve the performance of minority students on the tests. This, no doubt, is as a result of new reporting requirements by the State that discloses test results by race.

No longer is the discussion focused on how White Plains does not need to be compared to Scarsdale or Larchmont, but rather why it is that New Rochelle and Port Chester are showing more improvement in test performance by minority students.

Observations

In listening to the discussion, this observer wonders how many people who discuss the tests (including some of the candidates) are actually aware of their content and structure. How many have taken any of the numerous public opportunities to see examples of what the test contains? If they did, they would learn that the New York tests are not computer graded; they are not written by private testing companies; they are not simply multiple choice questions, and they require more than just rote memory. If people took the time to educate themselves as to what the tests actually test, discussion of how to improve results on the tests might be markedly different.

McLaughlin conveyed the most understanding of content of the tests and the challenges that they present to the District, having been on the Board since the tests were first implemented by the State. Trataros and Bassano also demonstrate familiarity with the tests and the strategies that the District is employing to address the achievement gap. McGuire demonstrated an involved parent’s familiarity with the tests and stated the need for more accountability. Seymour, although well intended, demonstrated a complete lack of familiarity with the testing standards and the curriculum of the District.

In addressing the issues presented in White Plains, while we are indeed fortunate to have candidates with “interest” and “enthusiasm” some of the candidates clearly have more informed knowledge and experience in addressing these challenges than others.


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