League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA May 19, 2015 Election
	Bennett Kayser Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Los Angeles Unified School District; District 5

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What is the single most important issue facing LAUSD today? As a Board Member, what would you do to deal with it?

LAUSD continues to face a fiscal deficit. Our declining enrollment is a major factor in our deficit and Bennett Kayser actively addressed this through parent, student, teacher, and school engagement. As a teacher at Irving Middle School in Glassell Park, Bennett and the rest of the staff were responsible for educating over 1800 students daily. However, when elected in 2011 Irving Middle School had a student population of only 600. Bennett talked with parents, students, teachers and administrators to find the root of the problem. In response, Bennett led the community and faculty in creating a magnet school at Irving, and less then 3 years later total enrollment grew by over 33%. The Board must remain open and responsive to all communities and stakeholders in order to build programs that parents trust and promote student growth.

2. What is the role of the Board, and what is the role of the Superintendent? How should they interact?

The Board of Education is responsible for setting district policy, and the Superintendent's roll is to carry out those policies effectively. A cohesive Board of Education and Superintendent is integral to the effectiveness of a district that serves all students. The Board and Superintendent must trust one another and have a mutual respect that allows both bodies to pro-actively meet the needs of LAUSD students and communities. The Board must hold the Superintendent accountable for his/her actions and abilities to carry out the policies of the Board.

3. What are your criteria for an effective teacher evaluation plan?

An effective teacher evaluation plan involves more than test scores and periodic assessments. A true effective teacher evaluation plan involves productive observation and feedback, peer to peer mentor-ship, a quantitative component based upon several test and/or evaluation scores, and effective professional development. As a teacher and a Board Member, Bennett Kayser challenged past and present administrations to create fair and effective methods to evaluate our employees.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' answers are presented as submitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: April 6, 2015 14:15
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