Community For Excellent Public Schools Candidate Interview Answers

By Barry A. Snell

School Board Candidate Interview Answers Barry A. Snell Candidate September 2006

Public education is one of the most important institutions in our society. It has always played an important role in my life and the life of my family. Presently, there are many crucial issues before our school district and our State and I believe that I can help create solutions for solving these issues. To give back to my community by serving on the Board is a tremendous privilege and I welcome the opportunity.

2. What has been your personal involvement with education in our community?

I am currently Co-chair of the African American Parent Student Staff Support Group which I have chaired for the past four years. I also served as Vice President for Health and Safety for the SAMOHI PTA and the Council of PTAs for the school district. I took the training provided the district for parents to become a "parent advocate" for the community as part of the "Our Kids Program" and worked with families in the community as a bridge between them and the school district.

3. What makes you stand out among the other candidates? What special attributes, talents, and abilities will you bring to our district?

What makes me stand out among the other candidates is my ability to effectively build relationships with people from all socioeconomic groups. I have the compassion and energy to make a difference in our community and school system. I'm honest, and have the ability to build consensus. I have a willingness to listen, and an understanding that I do not have all the answers. I'm committed to working with other board members to finding solutions that will ensure that every student gets what he/she needs to become productive citizens.

4. What do you feel is the number one challenge facing our schools today?

The number one challenge facing our schools today is too be able to effectively engage in the intellectual development and the academic achievement of all students, irrespective of the advantages or disadvantages with which they may come to us with. With the budgetary constraints that our State and Federal governments have imposed on us, this challenge is even greater.

5. Are you familiar with and do you fully support the agreement negotiated for the City of Santa Monica to provide funding to the School District? What was your role, if any, in crafting, supporting or negotiating this agreement?

I am familiar with the current funding agreement with the City of Santa Monica and fully support the agreement. I sat at PTA council meetings when Dr. Deasy outlined the proposal for our review and approval and I walked the polls handing out literature in support of the agreement.

6. If the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District faced a budget crisis brought on by circumstances outside the District's control, such as by funding cuts from the State of California, would you be willing to advocate for crisis funding from either of the cities beyond the City-School District funding agreement?

Yes, if the district was faced with a budget crisis I would be willing to advocate for crisis funding from our cities. I have always believed that it is simply good government for our city to contribute to our school district. In the long run the benefits to the city having a school system that is financially sound and producing quality human beings out weighs the costs associated with funding the district.

7. Although standardized test scores show increasing improvement in our schools, significant differences among economic and cultural groups still exist. What can the District do to continue the overall success in academic achievement while significantly closing the achievement gap?

The District must create the conditions for academic achievement. These conditions must be based on culturally responsive teaching. Culturally responsive teaching is based on the belief that culture is central to student`s learning. Teachers must have training to be able to use instruction that encourages multiple viewpoints and includes knowledge that is relevant to the student. Teachers, administrators and the school as a whole must have a genuine respect for students and they must be consistent in their messages.

8. What is your view of the redesign of Samohi? What do you think should be future priorities for Samohi?

The redesign at SAMOHI has reduced the overcrowd halls between classes, made it easier for parents and students to navigate their issues within their individual houses, and to some extend I believe has contributed to the increase that we recently have seen in the high school's API scores. Teachers have been able to collaborate easier as to the type of intervention a particular student might need.

Some of the future priorities for SAMOHI should be how we can reduce the student classroom size. Thirty-two to Thirty-five students in a class room is just too large and does not allow for the quality instruction that a teacher can give to each student. Secondly, we must take a hard look at why so many of our male students are disengaged and failing. Our female students have consistently out performed our male students and the gap is widening. Programs and instruction gear toward our male students that build self-esteem and behavioral skills along with reinforced academic support will help turn around this major issue.

9. What are your views on the district Gift Policy/Equity Fund? What is the value of using a student-weighted formula in the distribution of funds? What changes do you think would improve the implementation of the Gift Policy at our schools?

I support the Gift Policy and Equity Fund. Financially supporting our underperforming and disadvantage students is the responsibility of all the citizens of Santa Monica and Malibu. The value of using a student-weighted formula in the distribution of the funds will ensure that those schools with the largest number of disadvantage students will receive the most money.

I am not sure what changes would improve the implementation of the Gift Policy, however I believe we can do a better job at recognizing those schools that contribute the largest amounts to the Equity Fund and look at providing district wide intervention and support programs that could reach targeted students at all school sites.

10. What are your thoughts about how the district and school sites can encourage involvement and participation from families who have felt disenfranchised from their local school communities?

The district and school sites can encourage more participation from families who have felt disenfranchised from their local school communities by truly understanding those families' cultural and socioeconomic differences. This is not going to happen over night; however we must develop workshops, and programs that embrace these families. We live in a society that is still very much racially and economically divided and it affects our schools greatly. By constantly sending positive messages from our teachers, administrator and those families in power "that we are a school District for every family" will help in making those families that feel disenfranchised more willing to get involved.

11. Do you endorse Measure BB, the Santa Monica-Malibu School Safety and Repair (Bond) Measure on the November 7, 2006 ballot and will you actively campaign for its passage?

I do endorse Measure BB and was part of the ad hoc facilities committee that presented the bond measure before the Board. As part of my campaign I will be sending out literature in support of Measure BB.

12. What is a priority concern you might have regarding the district that has not been raised?

My primary concern regarding the district is the constant change in our community due to the rising cost of housing and the decline of the middle class. It will greatly affect our school system if we can not find ways to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens. The beauty of our school system is that we are diverse which allows every student, parent, teacher and administrator the opportunity to be exposed to an educational environment that few communities in our Country experience. I believe this type of environment has unlimited possibilities for each of us to expand our intellectual thinking and will develop the type of socially conscious people that our society so badly needs.