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1. What is your understanding of the role of a school board member? In your answer, explain (1) the level of engagement that a board member should have in the affairs and operations of the district and, (2) the relationship between the board and district staff.
My understanding of the role of a school board member is that of servant leader, serving as a member of a collective body, and not as an individual. The role of a school board member is to govern on behalf of the system (students, parents, the community, and other stakeholders), to provide policy governance, as well as an operational definition for leadership, while assuming responsible management, representation, accountability, and authority for ensuring that the school system achieves its stated goals and objectives. Finally, the role of a school board member is to serve as the overseer of the affairs of the District through policy governance, while allowing the Superintendent, other District leaders, and staff to provide the day-to-day operation and management of the school system. The relationship between the Board and District staff should be an amicable and respectful relationship, recognizing that the Board is responsible for supervising the Superintendent and the Superintendent is responsible for supervising the administration and staff.
2. Explain your views on the current state of transparency of information at DCSD.
The current state of transparency of information in the DCSD has improved tremendously over the past thirteen months, with the new Board and the appointment of Superintendent Thurmond. The District has focused on removing communication barriers that previously existed between students, staff, parents, the community, other stakeholders and the District. All stakeholders now have access to teachers, other staff, and the administration through identified processes and a set chain or command.
All stakeholders now have access to information that transpires within the District, such as information that affects students, staff, administration, parents, and the community as a whole, through the District's enhanced website and Parent Portal. The DCSD has made concerted efforts to regain the trust of all stakeholders by being honest and open about the fiscal state of the District, as well as all matters affecting and pertaining to operational processes and procedures, and the academic achievement and success of students.
The District has addressed communication from the Board to the classroom, and auxiliary personnel, in order to ensure organizational effectiveness and efficiency in public view by presenting more detailed and succinct information at Board Work Sessions, at Board meetings, on the District's website, through the new phone App for parents, families, and other stakeholders, as well as solicited and consistent input from students, staff, parents, families, and other stakeholders in the District's decision-making process. The Superintendent responds in writing to all stakeholders who speak at the community input session of each monthly board meeting. The Board now speaks with one voice, with the Chair serving as the media spokesperson. Workshops and conferences focusing on parent empowerment and parent engagement, navigating the system, are being held. A Parent Engagement Office has been established. Staff and administrative reorganization and realignment with District goals and objectives, a strategic planning process, which includes input from students, staff, parents, and community stakeholders, as well as more citizen oversight for SPLOST has also been implemented.
3. How would you inspire parents and other stakeholders to have confidence in DeKalb schools?
I would inspire parents and other stakeholders to have confidence in DeKalb schools by:
- Continuing the practices establsihed by the new Board and the current Superintendent, as outlined in #2 above
- Encouraging a buy-in through honest and open communication and conversations between the DCSD, parents, and other stakeholder
- Empowering students, parents, and other stakehoolders by holding conferences and workshops, allowing for needs indentificationand , as well as open and honest feedback
- Providing training for faculty, staff, administrators, and other auxillary personnel ondiversity issues and the process for achieving cultural competence with parents and other stakeholders
- Providing training for faculty, staff, and administrators on active listening and effective communication
- Developing active and open "Welcome Centers" in each school for parents and other stakeholders
- Providing open invitations for parents and other stakeholders to engage in the District's strategic planning process
- Holding quarterly parents and other stakeholders recognition events
- Providing training access for parents and other stakeholders to become more media savvy (Twitter, Facebook, instagram, etc.), allowing for diverse and consistent forms of communciation
- Holding quarterly public rallies with motivational speakers and workshops to motivate and inform parents and stakeholders of District policy and programs, as well as information on navigating the system
- Holding honest and open public monthly "chat sessions" with parents and stakeholders at various locations within the communities, in order to keep them abreast of the changing developments of the school system, including reports on the District's successes and challenges, while allowing parents and stakeholders to ask questions and have input
- Providing options and opportunities for parents and stakeholders to become involved in the educational process, at school and at home
- The District doing what it says it will do by accomplishing the stated goals and objectives of the DeKalb School District
4. What skills, talents, and personality traits do you believe that you possess that would make you work effectively with the rest of the board to get things done?
I possess many skills, talents, and personality traits that I believe will allow me to work effectively with the rest of the Board, in order to get things done. I have served as an educator from grade levels P1-20 for over twenty years, including my work as an elementary teacher, school counselor, curriculum specialist, dean of students, alternative education administrator, college professor, and director of master's and doctoral practicum and internship programs. I wrote the Georgia State TCT Study Guide for school counselors, and I have served as a senior mental health therapist at the post-secondary level. I was the first Support Director for Teach for America in the State of Georgia. I currently provide consulting and executive coaching for major organizations and corporations, locally, nationally, and globally. I provide training; workshop/seminar development and presentations, keynote and motivational speaking, and I serve as a psychotherapist within the community. I also provide strategic planning, business consulting/coaching, and board development for Fortune 500 companies. I have a very engaging and out-going personality, strong interpersonal relations, a sense of humor and I enjoy working people. I am an attentive and effective listener, and I work well as a member of a team. I am culturally competent, respecting differences in people and differences in opinions.
5. How will you enhance the mix of skills and backgrounds on the board and help represent the diversity of the community?
I will continue to enhance the mix of skills and backgrounds on the Board and help represent the diversity of the community, by accepting each Board member as an individual contributor and respected member of the Board and the community. Further, I believe in the adage that 'the whole is greater than the sum of all of its parts'; 'we' is greater than 'I.' I will be able to demonstrate my level of cultural competence through my experiences as parent, a DeKalb County resident, a community leader, an educator, executive coach, psychotherapist, trainer, and consultant, who works with individuals, groups, families, organizations, and corporations, locally, nationally, and internationally. As a product of the public school system, and parent of three daughters who attended public schools (two DCSD graduates), my educational background, my involvement in community service, as well as my experiences as a diversity trainer, will further allow me to enhance the mix of skills and backgrounds on the Board As an educator, I have worked with children and families from diverse cultures and backgrounds for over twenty years. As the first Support Director for Teach for America, in the State of Georgia, I was charged with the task of working with students, educators, families, and communities, throughout the State. Finally, I will be able to help represent the diversity of the community by espousing the 'village' concept.
6. What do you see as the opportunities and threats facing the DeKalb school system?
The opportunities I see facing the DCSD are many. We have the opportunity to continue to capitalize on the growth recognized over the past thirteen months, such as: building on the fact that the DCSD is no longer on accreditation probation; continuing to make necessary budgetary enhancements and cuts to sustain a balanced budget; furthering the Required Actions (RA) as established by AdvancED; continuing to put "students first"; continuing to focus on student achievement and growth; continuing to recognize that all students are capable of growth and achievement; continuing to implement and engage in the developed strategic plan to meet the District's needs; furthering our efforts in the area of parent engagement; continuing to assess, develop, and implement sound policy and practices that allow for successful governance and management of the DCSD; continuing to provide funding for technology advancements; continuing practices that have allowed for successful fiscal oversight; removing all furlough days; to develop creative funding to provide teachers, counselors, staff and auxiliary personnel pay increases; continuing to build upon the human resources reorganizational structure to allow continued recruitment and maintenance of highly qualified and competitive employees; continuing transparency and effective communication with students, parents, families, staff, and other stakeholders
Threats: Repeating the mistakes of the past by not capitalizing on the mistakes of the past, and moving forward, based on the growth and gains made by the District over the past thirteen months with the new Board and Superintendent Thurmond. Further threats include, rushing to hire a superintendent without a comprehensive plan; not having a balanced budget; the lack of sustainability with a new board; the lack of sustainability of a new superintendent; returning to a General Fund budget deficit; returning to a lack of Board governance and Board accountability; and not setting policy which allows the District to capitalize on the opportunities listed above.
7. Describe the achievement gap in this district. What causes it? What can be done?
The achievement gap within the DCSD exists as a result of persistent and continuous disparity in performance results on educational measures such as standardized tests, between high achievers, marginal achievers, and underperforming students. The achievement gap involves students with low socioeconomic status (SES), students of different racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender backgrounds, who are categorized as disadvantaged. The DCSD, as well as most school districts within our nation have not only recognized achievement gaps with standardized test results, but also with student grade pint averages (GPA), end of course tests (EOCT), student graduation rates, student dropout rates, student college entrance rates, and student college retention rates, they have often not provided remedies to address these gaps.
In order to lower or make targeted efforts to ameliorate the above-identified gaps, the DCSD has implemented several programs. The District's Bridge Initiative Program and the Growth and Achievement Model (GAM) puts 'students first,' focusing on student growth and achievement, teacher and leader quality, teacher administrator, and staff professional learning, as well as parent engagement. The Universal Screener, which not only allows for student assessment and diagnosis in math and reading, also allows for a student-specific prescriptions and to treat the identified deficiencies. The addition of language interpreters, along with other diagnostic needs assessment tools, as well as the Common Core framework, along with the State's 17 Career Pathway Clusters, and the District's Jobs for Georgia Graduates Program (JGG), will also allow the DCSD opportunities to bridge the economic and disadvantaged divide that have grossly hindered the educational growth and achievement of our students, allowing them to compete in a global society.
8. The next school board will likely be tasked with selecting a new superintendent. What will you look for in a candidate?
There are several factors I will look for in hiring a new superintendent. First, an identified committee to include representatives of the Board, the administration, teachers, auxiliary personnel, parents, students, and other community stakeholders, must be formed in order to develop a comprehensive recruitment plan, including candidate criteria and to select a search firm. The ideal candidate for superintendent should possess the skills of our current Superintendent...puts students and families first; possesses excellent and highly effective communication skills; has the intent of District sustainability, based on the gains and growth and the strategic plan put in place by the current Board and the current Superintendent (especially AdvancED Required Action (RA) items and accreditation; is a change agent-based on need and not for the sake of change; is a constructive leader and uses current growth as building blocks and stepping stones; knows how to use past mistakes and failures to encourage present and future growth, but not as a place to be stuck; has a 360 degree vision of education (parent, educator, administrator, community leader); has a strong educational background; is a proven leader; is media savvy; is not afraid of challenges; will take a stand when necessary--even in the face of opposition; will not bend under pressure; has high morals and ethics; can lead a large urban school district of almost 100,000 students; is respectful of differences; values parents, teachers, and administrators; is not a dictator; is not intimidated by large budgets; will do whatever it takes to ensure the best interest of students and the community is always at the top of his/her list; works cooperatively, collegiately, and collaboratively with the Board; has a strong sense of self; understands and follows the District's mission...
9. What is your experience with reviewing complicated budgets? How will you approach the district’s budgetary process from a policy perspective?
My experiences with reviewing complicated budgets are many. I have been a member of the DCSD BOE for thirteen months. I have had to not only review the annual budget of over $750,000,000.00 on a monthly basis, I have had to make budgetary decisions, based on funds totaling more than a billion dollars. I helped to rid the District of a 2012 audited General Fund deficit, recognizing a 2013 unaudited General Fund surplus; and I helped to set policy for spending and for a balanced budget. I currently serve as treasurer of the National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation Board of Trustees (NBCCF); I served as treasurer for the Feminist Women's Health Center Board of Trustees (FWHC); I served two terms as President of the Atlanta Branch of the American Association for University Women (AAUW) and the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, where I was responsible for oversight of the budgets of each of these organizations. I will approach the District's budgetary process from a policy perspective by ensuring effective financial oversight, ensuring a balanced budget, and ensuring responsible spending and funds allocation.
10. What needs to be done to ensure the district regains full accreditation, without probation, and what is the role of the board in ensuring DCSD remains in excellent standings with SACS?
In order to ensure that the DCSD regains full accreditation, without probation, it is imperative to implement practices, polices, and procedures to ensure Board sustainability, as well as the sustainability of the position and role of the Superintendent. It is important to recognize that the District is no longer on probation, but operating under a "warning." To that end, not only must the District and the Board exhibit rigor in continuing the efforts and practices put forth in rectifying the eleven Required Actions (RA) identified by AdvancED, the District and the Board must also address the additional Required Actions identified by AdvancED. The BOE must ensure that it follows its own established norms, operate as servant leaders and as a collective unit, working in the best interest of the boys and girls and families of the DCSD, while continuing to establish and follow policy, which allows the mission, goals, and objectives of the District, to provide board governance, as well as fiscal oversight, remembering, it's "STUDENTS FIRST."[9]
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Joyce Morley Incumbent (unopposed)
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