7/27/2019 Candidates Running for Academy 20 Schoolboard

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Candidates running for Academy 20 School Board

Andrea Van Nort

Larry Borland

Catherine Bullock

Shannon Mendes

Linda Van Matre

Color Coded Answer Key

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

Questions Van Nort Borland Bullock Mendes Van Matre

1 The districts reform efforts at present are not on pace to meet the needs of all of the students. Agree Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

2 The district is moving in the right direction with the districts current leadership. Agree Agree Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

3 Too many students are not graduating with the skills they need to be successful. Strongly Agree Disagree Neutral Agree Disagree

4In determining teacher employment, student achievement (growth test scores, college and career prep)

should play a significant factor (roughly 50%).Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Agree Agree

5In determining teacher pay, student achievement (growth test scores, college and career prep) should

play a significant factor (roughly 50%).Disagree Agree Disagree Agree Disagree

6 Teacher pay should be based primarily upon years of experience and educational attainment. Agree Disagree Neutral Disagree Strongly Agree

7 The district needs more focus on measuring effectiveness of programs and spreading best practices. Agree Agree Neutral Agree Agree

8The district results should be compared to results from districts around the world to assure our

students can compete in the global market.Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Agree Agree

9Turnaround interventions for struggling schools as well as the creation / establishment of c harters and

other new schools are BOTH important strategies to improving student success. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Agree Agree

10Charter schools should receive bond and mill levy funding equal to other public schools (including

funding for facilities).Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Agree Neutral

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The district should welcome and assist high-quality charter schools which include allowing high - quality

charters to operate in one of the districts recently closed facilities, or to co-locate in one of its

underutilized facilities even if it means nearby schools might lose enrollment.

Strongly Agree Agree Agree Agree Strongly Agree

12The district should support high-quality public schools in every neighborhood, regardless of whether the

school is managed by the district or is public charter school.Strongly Agree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree

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13 The district must have more funding to improve academic achievement. Disagree Agree Disagree Strongly Agree Agree

14 The district must find a way for funds to go directly to schools. Disagree Disagree Agree Agree Agree

15The district's finance system needs to be redesigned so that 70% or more of funding follows students to

their public school or program of choice.No Answer Agree Agree Agree Disagree

16 Funding for schools should be weighted to particular needs such as poverty. Strongly Agree Agree Agree Agree Disagree

17

Spending should be more transparent and have "return on investment" measures so that we all have a

clearer understanding of where taxpayer money is spent and what brings the biggest return on publiceducation investments.

Agree Agree Agree Strongly Agree Agree

18 Negotiations with all associations (unions) should be held in the open. Agree Agree Agree Neutral Neutral

Each candidate was asked to answer addition questions. See below.

School Board Candidate Name: Andrea Van Nort

Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise

student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3.

1. Quality Teachers2. Quality curriculum which includes meeting high s tandard, effective literacy and math programs and

effective ELL programs

3. Meeting high standards

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP is

listing their top 3.

1. Reduce class size

2. Reform / revise pension system so that it is sustainable

3. Redesign teacher evaluation / pay to retain the most effective teachers, increase k-12 funding, provider

better support for teachers, expand the number of new high performing district and charter schools,

increase the level of accountability and intervention for low-performing schools, increase on-lineeducation options and other learning technology, revise collective bargaining agreements so that

principals have more authority to hire and hire, ensure that the high school degree is aligned with college

readiness and reward/hold educators responsible for student results.

What do you believe is the most important role a sc hool board member should play in ensuring all

students in the district receive the education they need and deserve?

A school board director should go about every decision-making task with key outcomes in mind as well as

a clear image of the model student we want to graduate. We must assure that teachers are meeting

students at their point of entry, and that they have the proper tools and support to make their courses

meaningful for everyone.

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If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or

type your response.

I have three children who all attended Academy International Elementary School and who are now

enrolled at Mountain Ridge Middle School

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not?

If it actually would do what it says it will, then we can consider it money well spend. I have questions,

however, regarding the funding and allocation of resources.

Were you endorsed by the union?

Not to my knowledge.

School Board Candidate Name: Larry Borland

Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise

student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3.

1. Quality teachers

2. Quality curriculum

3. Quality principals

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP is

listing their top 3.

1. Reward and hold educators responsible for student results

2. Redesign teacher evaluation and pay to retain the most effective teachers

3. Increase k-12 Funding

What do you believe is the most important role a sc hool board member should play in ensuring all

students in the district receive the education they need and deserve?

School board members should listen to the needs and concerns of parents, students and patrons, develop

broad policies to see those needs are met and hold administration accountable for implementing those

policies.

If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or

type your response.

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Frontier Elementary, Timber view Middle and Liberty High

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not?

Colorado generally ranks in the lower half of the states in education funding and in the upperhalf for student achievement. I think we could do better with more funding, properly applied.

Under SB 213, additional funds generated by Amendment 66 would go to full day kindergarten,

improve at risk funding, provide state equalization for charter schools and provide for more

professional development for teachers, among other things. District 20 would see increased

funding of about $20 million under the amendment. I believe personal income tax to be a

proper source of funds for public education. While I am troubled by the timing of the

amendment relative to the economic recovery of the state, I will vote for Amendment 66. I trust

the voters of Colorado to determine if the timing is right or wrong.

Were you endorsed by the union?

No.

School Board Candidate Name: Catherine Bullock

Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise

student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3.

1. Quality principals

2. Quality teachers

3. Community involvement

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP islisting their top 3.

1. Provide support for teachers

2. Increase accountability and intervention for low performing schools

3. Reduce class size

What do you believe is the most important role a sc hool board member should play in ensuring all

students in the district receive the education they need and deserve?

The key to a quality education is a high quality teacher. As a school board member, my greatest role is to

make sure we have the best principals in place, who will then attract the best teachers and make sure

they feel valued so they will stay.

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If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or

type your response.

I have 5 children and they have attended or are currently attending all of the following district 20 schools:Pine Creek High School, Discovery Canyon High School, Challenger Middle School, Discovery Canyon

Middle School, Antelope Trails Elementary, the da Vinci Academy and School in the Woods.

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not?

I am not in favor of Amendment 66, as I believe the lon g term impact will be to decrease revenue toschools by discouraging people and businesses from relocating to Colorado. Increasing taxes does not

always translate into increased revenue. States that continue to raise taxes, have seen revenues decrease

due to residents relocating to more tax friendly states. I also believe that this amendment will cost District

20 residents far more than we will receive back in increased funding and when the increased funding

comes back to us, it will come back with strings.

Were you endorsed by the union?

I do not know.

School Board Candidate Name: Shannon Mendes

Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise

student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3.

1. Quality principals

2. Quality teachers

3. Quality curriculum

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP is

listing their top 3.

1. Ensure that the high school degree is aligned with college readiness

2. Increase the level of accountability and intervention for low performing schools

3. Expand the number of new high performing district and charter schools

What do you believe is the most important role a sc hool board member should play in ensuring all

students in the district receive the education they need and deserve?

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I believe the most important role as a school board member is to ensure that the districts actions and

decisions are beneficial to our students. That the overall result provides our children with the high quality

education and opportunities they deserve.

If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or

type your response.

I have two sons. One who attends Prairie Hills Elementary and one who attends Timberview Middle

School.

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not?

In a case where no one wishes for increased taxes, I support the nearly 1 billion dollar tax increase on the

ballot this year. Where our district has maintained its high performance with the needs of our children, it

has been a struggle being one of the lowest funded districts. With our projected growth, I am confident

that the increase in funding will be measured entirely to continue our development in maintaining our

high standards and performance in the community.

Were you endorsed by the union?

I was not endorsed by the Union

School Board Candidate Name: Linda Van Matre

Please rank what you believe are the most important areas of concentration for the district to raise

student achievement. AFP is listing their top 3.

1. Quality teachers

2. Quality curriculum

3. Effective literacy and math programs

Please rank what you believe are the most important priorities for K-12 education in this district. AFP is

listing their top 3.

1. Redesign teacher evaluation and pay to retain the most effective teachers

2. Reduce class size

3. Reward and hold educators responsible for student results

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What do you believe is the most important role a sc hool board member should play in ensuring all

students in the district receive the education they need and deserve?

The role of the school board member is to work collaboratively with the full board to develop

policies which set high standards for student achievement and character development, and tohold the superintendent accountable for the resulting student outcomes through proper,

consistent monitoring.

If you have children who do or did attend schools in the district please list those schools. Please print or

type your response.

My husband and I have three children who have all attended Academy International Elementary,Mountain Ridge Middle School, and Rampart High School. Our two oldest are recent Rampart

graduates who are both attending universities, while our youngest is a junior at Rampart.

Do you support the nearly one billion dollar tax increase on the ballot this year? Why or why not?

As much as I would like to give my unqualified support to an initiative which would quickly restorethe $24 million Academy District 20 has lost since 2009 and provide much-needed funding to

advance student achievement, I simply cannot. As a matter of principle, I find amending the

constitution to be a poor method of making tax policy and determining program funding levels.In addition, there is no guarantee that the legislature will not amend SB 213 in the near future

and change the funding formula so that disproportionate levels of f unding leave the Academy 20

community without returning to benefit our students. While I applaud the effort to overhaul theschool finance act, passage of this amendment will do nothing to address the constitutional

conflicts between Tabor, Gallagher, and the requirement for a balanced budget, which I believe

are the root of our current funding problems. However, the voters must decide if the benefitsoutweigh the potential pitfalls. If voters were to approve this amendment, I would willingly work

with the Board and the administration to set priorities and ensure the best possible stewardship

of the estimated $21 million per year which would flow into Academy 20 as a result. My prioritiesfor these funds would include enhancements in technology, such as a 1:1 computing initiative for

every middle and high school student and infrastructure improvements which could truly make

the 21st

Century learning environment a reality for our students.

Were you endorsed by the union?

No, I have not been endorsed by any union.