Santa Barbara News Press Candidate Questions & Answers

By Valerie J. (Cronk) Kushnerov

The News Press asked the candidates to answer the following questions. The complete answers were printed on the front page of the paper on Sunday, September 12th. The following answers are those provided by Valerie Kushnerov.

2. What is one decision the board has made with which you agree? What is one decision with which you disagree? I have agreed with most of the decisions of the board. While at times we have spirited discussions, we always work collaboratively for the good of the children. I was extremely pleased when my fellow board members voted to move forward with the construction of the Brandon Multipurpose Room, a project on which I had worked for four years. I cannot recall a specific action that I opposed. I dislike the school calendar. The question I am asked most frequently is why school starts in August and ends in early June. As a district that feeds into the secondary schools that are part of Santa Barbara School District, we recognize the benefits of aligning our calendar with theirs. I would strongly support a move to start classes after Labor Day if we could continue to align with the secondary district calendar.

3. What is an immediate measure that can be taken to improve the budget climate in the district? The best way for the budget climate to improve is for State Legislators to work together and keep the interests of the children of the State of California in the forefront rather than letting partisan politics get in the way. The Goleta School District is fortunate to be financially sound. As a basic aid district, virtually all revenue comes from local property taxes rather than distributions from the State. The board has always taken a conservative approach to budgeting and watches spending closely. My goal is to keep any budget cuts as far away from the classroom as possible and to be consistent in the programs we offer. We have accomplished those goals by maintaining funding for science, music, art, PE, and GATE instruction and we have not had to lay-off any permanent teachers in the four years I have served on the board.

4. What is your stance on Robles-Wong v. State of California as it relates to Goleta Union? Our board voted in favor of a resolution in support of Robles-Wong vs. State of California. California lawmakers know the school financing system is broken, yet they refuse to fix it because the people most affected by it cannot yet vote. As a parent of a 6th and 7th grader, and as a school board member, I see this suit as a way for those who support high quality public education in California to stand up for our younger residents and future generations. Enough is enough.

5. Under what circumstances should inter-district transfers be allowed in GUSD? As a district we have a duty to offer the best education possible to every elementary school child that lives within the district boundaries. As a basic aid district, the cost of educating any students we accept from outside our boundaries must be paid for by reducing programs for the students in our district since the district receives no funding for inter-district transfers. For us to consider an inter-district transfer student there would have to be very compelling circumstances. If State financing was less complex and convoluted, I would be open to looking at some type of arrangement with other districts to transfer or exchange students.

6. Is the district doing enough to lose its Program Improvement classification? Our teachers, staff and administrators have been working very hard to continue providing the best education. When the district was classified as a program improvement district last year, it was based on a few tests scores for three sub-groups in two categories of students. Over the last year, we refined our approach, as we do each year, to help these particular groups of students continue to improve.

Our recent summer school program focused specifically on the children who needed additional help in English language development and the initial results indicate that it was very successful. Based on our internal analysis, our test scores have increased between 28 and 71 points per school site, meaning that we've met all of our targets and will move into "safe harbor." Our focus remains on differentiated instruction and we have continued professional development in this area to help all of our students.

7. Should parents of children enrolled in under performing schools in the district be allowed to transfer to the higher performing schools? I don't consider any of our schools "underperforming." Internal analysis indicates that eight of our nine schools achieved scores of over 800 (the State target) and our ninth school is at 794. Three of our schools have scores of over 900. While I've been on the board, our district has seen a 62 point increase on the API and I'd like to see this progress continue.

Research has shown that schools do even better when students and parents are involved and engaged in the school communities. I would encourage any family that is dissatisfied with their experience at a particular school to work with the teachers and principal first before applying for a transfer. I want the district to do whatever we can to motivate families to be involved at their schools and I believe this is more likely to happen if they are satisfied with their school.

8. Are API scores an adequate method in determining the effectiveness of individual schools, policies or leadership? No. Student learning is not reflected solely in test scores. Student growth can be seen in a number of areas and test scores are only one measure. As part of our strategic plan we are moving toward portfolio assessments that would include a variety of work to show progress throughout the year. While this doesn't replace test scores, it gives a more complete picture of individual student progress.

9. Education vouchers, yes or no and why? Seven years ago, I would have said yes. We sent our child to a private kindergarten because we thought that would be the best fit for him. It would have been nice to have a voucher that helped offset some of the cost. However, we quickly realized it was not the best fit and moved him to Brandon School for 1st-6th grade. We are so thankful we did because the public school afforded him many more opportunities and experiences we believe were beneficial.

Public school may not be the best option for every family, but the role of government is to offer an education to each child. The means by which we do this is the public school. I'm not convinced that vouchers would make the public schools better but I know that taking money away from public schools would make it harder for school districts to educate children.

10. Do children enrolled in the Goleta School District benefit by the Union representing the majority of teachers in the district? Yes. The United Teaching Profession of Goleta (UTPG) works with the administration of our district on a regular basis to discuss and resolve issues. When we work in a cooperative fashion, as we have a tradition of doing, teachers are able to perform to the best of their ability. The union provides a mechanism for addressing problems so the individual teacher does not have to handle it on their own. Our students benefit from a cooperative environment where our teachers are valued and respected.

11. Should future union contracts be linked to the funding that school districts receive? School funding has been so erratic in the last few years that I would not want to put the teachers and staff in a position where their compensation and benefits were also so variable. In the years when districts have money to spend, it is up to the district and the union to negotiate what portion of the funding will be spent on salaries and benefits. In years where funding is tight and cuts are being made, we do our best to manage the cuts. In the four years I've been on the board, we have not had to lay-off any permanent teachers.

12. All levels of government are facing a huge unfunded pension liability, how will the Goleta School District deal with this increasing financial obligation? I don't believe that our district is facing a huge unfunded pension liability at this time. We contribute a percentage of our payroll toward retirement each year and this percentage has remained relatively constant. As with all of our financial commitments, we watch them very closely and make adjustments at the first and second interim budget reviews.

13. What do you see as the new future model for public education in Goleta? When I visit the classrooms in each of our schools and talk with the teachers, staff and parents, I see new ideas and research-based best practices being implemented. I see small class sizes and differentiated instruction as the means by which we will continue to enhance our learning environment.

Community partnerships are critical to our future success. Over the last few years we have strengthened relationships with UCSB, Rancho La Patera and Stow House, First 5, Goleta Boys and Girls Club and the City of Goleta. This year the City provided funding for energy-efficient upgrades for lighting and motion sensors. It's this type of creative collaboration that I will continue to encourage.

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