Q&A from Santa Barbara News-Press

By Edward "Ted" Urschel

Excerpt from Q&A from Santa Barbara News-Press

1. Do you agree with the recent reorganization of administration at the Montecito Union School District? What might you have done differently, if anything?

The reorganization was triggered by the retirement of former superintendent Dick Douglas and was influenced in several respects by the strategic plan that was developed by members of the Montecito Union community. The reorganization addressed several chronic problems at Montecito Union, including clarifying roles and responsibilities between the superintendent and principal positions, and it involved some very difficult changes. I would like to evaluate the new structure over a reasonable period of time, perhaps three to four years, so that we can learn whether it has been effective and fiscally responsible. However, I do not believe that it is in the best interest of the district to argue about the past. Instead, I am committed to bringing the board and the community together to guide and support the school and the new superintendent, so that ultimately we can ensure that our students have the best education possible. This is one of main reasons I decided to run for this position.

2. What would you do to restore the confidence of parents who say the board has not been listening to them?

One of the board's primary obligations is to keep the district focused on student learning and achievement, and to set direction and establish a structure for the district that will maintain that focus. Before coming to any decision, the board certainly needs to listen to parents. However, it also needs to listen to the interests of others in the community, and it needs to consider its financial obligations, its legal obligations, what is good for the community as a whole, and, most of all, what is best for the children. The board did a lot of difficult work this past year, and I am confident that the board members worked deliberately to make what they thought were the best possible long-term decisions for the district and the children.

Going forward, the board needs to work together effectively and show that it is engaged with the public. I have the experience and the demeanor to do that. I have eight years of experience as a parent at Montecito Union. I also have 17 years of experience as a corporate attorney, and I counsel boards about governance. Finally, people who know me know that my temperament lends itself well to building consensus.

3. Do you anticipate having to take severe measures with the current declining enrollment? If so, how would you approach the issue. If not, why?

Enrollment at Montecito Union has actually been pretty flat over the past several years, and has even increased a bit this school year. It is true that a school board has to be prepared to make adjustments for changes in enrollment, and a board needs to reexamine its spending when enrollment grows or declines to ensure that the district is making the best possible investment in education. In a community-funded or basic aid school such as Montecito Union, the amount of money the district receives is not tied to the number of students, but instead it is based on local property taxes. Therefore, the district has a bigger challenge when the number of students increases rather than decreases, because then the district has the same amount of money to spend on a greater number of students. One of the things I am hoping that the new superintendent and board will do is to take a fresh look at how some of the programs at Montecito Union are administered to ensure that those programs are being delivered efficiently and effectively.

4. Who do you believe should become the State Superintendent of Public Instruction this November: Larry Aceves or Tom Thorlaksen? Why?

While I am generally familiar with the two candidates, I have not yet decided which of these two is better qualified to do the job.

5. What is one decision the board has made with which you agree? What is one decision with which you disagree?

The board really made a great decision in hiring the new superintendent, Tammy Murphy. Her experience, leadership style and communication skills are just what the district needs. I have spoken with Ms. Murphy several times, and I believe that she will take Montecito Union to a new level for every child at our school. That's really what should be the prime focus of Montecito Union -- the kids.

I disagree with the board's engagement of a consulting firm to assist it with the reorganization. Generally, I have found that management consultants fail to fully understand the organization that they are hired to study, and tend to offer solutions that do not quite fit the problem that needs to be addressed. They are also expensive. I believe all this was the case last year when the board engaged the consulting firm. I do not mean to imply that the firm or individuals at the firm were not competent in their field or that their recommendations were not valid. My point is that the board, by itself or with the input of an experienced superintendent such as Ms. Murphy, could have reached similar conclusions without using consultants at all, and without the expense.

6. Are API scores an adequate method in determining the effectiveness of MUS, policies or leadership?

API scores are just one of many indicators that a district needs to look at to determine its effectiveness in teaching the state standards for English/Language Arts and Math. There are other components to a rich and beneficial curriculum, and we need to pay attention to those too. However, we must acknowledge that our children should be, at the very least, proficient in their mastery of the state standards in order to succeed in today's world. The administration needs to examine student scores carefully and ask itself how well the students are learning each of the state standards. This then leads to valuable conversations among the teachers, and between the teachers and administration, about what changes they may need or want to make in order to help students improve in these important areas.

7. Do children enrolled in MUS benefit by the union representing the teachers, assuming, of course, that the union represents the teachers.

The Montecito Teachers Association represents the teachers at our school, and the MTA affords the teachers the opportunity to speak with one voice during collective bargaining. How well any bargaining unit represents its members is a function of the quality of the discussions and the leadership within that unit. It seems to me that the MTA does a pretty good job of representing the wishes of the teachers at Montecito Union, and I look forward to helping to represent the district in negotiations this coming spring. However, it is not the MTA's primary objective to improve the educational experience of the children of Montecito Union. The MTA's objective is to negotiate the best possible terms and conditions of the teachers' employment. Instead, it is the administration, the board and the individual teachers in the classrooms who are focused on education. I think we have fabulous teachers at Montecito Union, and I want to help support them in their work.

8. What do you see as the new future model for public education in Montecito?

We have a great model for public education in Montecito right now. We have what every district ought to have. We are a community-funded school in which the administration has the ability to direct funding for programs and opportunities that are tailored specifically to our children. Of course, we need to spend carefully, and make sure that every program that we adopt or maintain provides an actual and commensurate benefit to the children in the classroom. From an educational perspective, we are already one of the best elementary schools in the state. My hope is that our strong administration, our excellent teachers, our involved parents and our board will work together to help Montecito Union provide the best education possible for our children.