Samantha Adair-White
Samantha Adair-White was the District 3 member of the Indianapolis School Board in Indiana. Her seat was up for general election on November 4, 2014. Adair-White was first elected to the board on May 4, 2010.[1] Samantha Adair-White lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Samantha Adair-White is a resident of Butler-Tarkington in Indianapolis, Indiana. Adair-White has worked as a classroom teacher and her husband, Jeffery White, was the principal of John Marshall High School in the district.[2]
Elections
2014
The election in Indianapolis featured three seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. At-large incumbent Andrea J. Roof ran against challengers Ramon Batts, David Hampton, Josh Owens and Mary Ann Sullivan. Kelly Bentley and James Turner competed with board member Samantha Adair-White for the District 3 seat, and District 5 incumbent Michael D. Brown faced a challenge from LaNier L. Echols. Challengers Mary Ann Sullivan, Kelly Bentley and LaNier L. Echols won the three seats.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Kelly Bentley |
54.6% | 5,109 | |
| Nonpartisan | Samantha Adair-White Incumbent | 26.5% | 2,476 | |
| Nonpartisan | James Turner | 19% | 1,774 | |
| Total Votes | 9,359 | |||
| Source: Marion County Election Board, "2014 General Election Results for Marion County," accessed December 29, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Adair-White reported $1,100.00 in contributions and no expenditures during the election, which left her with $1,100.00 on hand according to the Marion County Election Board.[3]
Endorsements
Adair-White received an endorsement from the Indianapolis Education Association.[4]
2010
| Indianapolis Public Schools, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Samantha Adair-White |
25.9% | 1,525 | |
| Nonpartisan | Josefa Beyer | 25.3% | 1,489 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ramon Batts | 20.4% | 1,200 | |
| Nonpartisan | Roy W. Schroeder | 20.3% | 1,192 | |
| Nonpartisan | Glenn Eric Sandifer II | 8% | 473 | |
| Total Votes | 5,879 | |||
| Source: Marion County Election Board, "2010 Primary Election Results Summary," accessed September 3, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2014
Adair-White provided the following responses to a survey conducted by Chalkbeat:
| “ | 1. Do you support the direction of the school district under Superintendent Lewis Ferebee?
Yes. What, if anything, do you like about Ferebee’s leadership of the district? What would you change? I’m very excited about the direction that our district is going in. 2. Do you believe the operation of IPS’ central office is efficient? Maybe. What is your opinion of the efficiency of IPS’ central office operations? How much money should be spent outside the classroom on high-level district operations? Dr. Ferebee is doing a great job trying to get central office back on track. 3. Should the school district partner with charter schools? Maybe. Do you support the House Bill 1321 “innovation network” law? What is the ideal relationship between the district and a charter school operator? It all depends on the school as long as we do what is in the best interest of all kids. 4. Do you support the state’s voucher program? Maybe. If yes, why do you support vouchers? If not, would you propose ending it? Maybe! 5. The district is moving toward more partnerships with outside groups like The Mind Trust and Stand for Children. Do you support stronger partnerships with school reform organizations? Maybe. If not, why not? If yes, what would you envision those partnerships with charter school organizations look like? It all depends on the school. As long as we do what is in the best interest of all kids. 6. Teachers haven’t received a pay raise in several years. What budget changes, if any, would you support to make this happen? We are in the process of negotiating our teachers contract. 7. What percentage of a teacher’s performance evaluation score should be based on student test score growth? It depends on the school. 8. The state takeover process has been scrutinized recently. What’s your proposal for how to improve schools that have been rated an F for six straight years? It depends on the individual school. 9. Ferebee has identified 11 low-performing priority schools to receive extra support and resources. What is your vision for how to improve IPS’ low-performing schools? My vision is to make sure we get the best resources to help with the needs of our students and improve the low-performing schools. 10. What is your vision for how schools within the district should be governed? What role should principals and their assistants have in leading schools? It depends on the school. 11. What didn’t we ask? Tell us about your platform, or another issue you’re passionate about. I’m a cheerleader for all kids no matter where they come from. All of them deserve a good education.[5] |
” |
| —Chalkbeat survey (2014)[6] | ||
What was at stake?
Issues in the election
Candidate survey answers
All 10 candidates who ran for school board answered a Chalkbeat survey regarding their positions on a range of issues in the district. These tables aggregate their responses to the five questions with "yes" or "no" answers. Click on a candidate's name in order to see that candidate's answers to all 11 questions, along with the candidate's full explanation for each answer.[7]
| At-large candidate positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue | Andrea J. Roof | Ramon L. Batts | David Hampton | Josh Owens | Mary Ann Sullivan |
| Do you support stronger partnerships with school reform organizations? | No opinion | No | No opinion | Yes | Yes |
| Do you support the state’s voucher program? | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Should the school district partner with charter schools, and to what degree? | No opinion | No | No opinion | Yes | Yes |
| Do you believe the operation of IPS’ central office is efficient? | No opinion | No opinion | No opinion | No | No |
| Do you support the direction of the school district under Superintendent Lewis Ferebee? | Yes | No opinion | Yes | Yes | No opinion |
| District 3 candidate positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue | Samantha Adair-White | Kelly Bentley | James Turner |
| Do you support stronger partnerships with school reform organizations? | No opinion | Yes | No |
| Do you support the state’s voucher program? | No opinion | No | Yes |
| Should the school district partner with charter schools, and to what degree? | No opinion | Yes | No |
| Do you believe the operation of IPS’ central office is efficient? | No opinion | No | No opinion |
| Do you support the direction of the school district under Superintendent Lewis Ferebee? | Yes | Yes | No |
| District 5 candidate positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Issue | Michael D. Brown | LaNier L. Echols |
| Do you support stronger partnerships with school reform organizations? | No opinion | Yes |
| Do you support the state’s voucher program? | No opinion | Yes |
| Should the school district partner with charter schools, and to what degree? | Yes | Yes |
| Do you believe the operation of IPS’ central office is efficient? | No | Yes |
| Do you support the direction of the school district under Superintendent Lewis Ferebee? | Yes | Yes |
New majority on the board
In 2012, three new members were elected to the seven-member Indianapolis School Board who each supported education policy shifts, such as school autonomy and charter school partnerships. The 2012 election featured the highest candidate fundraising totals of any school board election in Indianapolis history. The most raised was approximately $65,000, and some candidates received contributions from major national figures such as former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
These new members were Gayle Cosby, Caitlin Hannon, and Sam Odle, and they joined the board incumbents, Andrea J. Roof, Samantha Adair-White and Diane Arnold, to create a new governing majority in favor of policy changes. Shortly after joining the board, the new majority ousted former superintendent Eugene White through a contract buyout and appointed Superintendent Lewis Ferebee as his replacement.[8] Ferebee received praise following his appointment for discovering significant errors in the district budget. Auditors employed with the Indiana State Board of Accounts and the Council on the Great City Schools confirmed Ferebee's assessment that the district had an $8.4 million operating surplus in 2013 instead of a $30 million deficit, which was his predecessor's belief.[9]
According to a report by Chalkbeat, the board majority shifted since 2012. Arnold, Roof, Hannon and Odle constituted the majority, while Adair-White frequently joined the minority along with Michael D. Brown, who supported Eugene White as superintendent and who first joined the board in 1999. Cosby was often the swing vote on the board, although the governing majority was large enough to approve motions and resolutions without her support.[10]
The 2014 election featured challengers to all three incumbents who supported larger changes to policies in the district. The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce endorsed former state Representative Mary Ann Sullivan (D) in the at-large race, former board member Kelly Bentley in the District 3 race and charter school dean LaNier L. Echols in the District 5 race.[11]
October 10 candidate forum
At a candidate forum hosted by the Greater Indianapolis chapter of the NAACP along with the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis on October 10, 2014, nine of the 10 candidates who ran for three seats on the board voiced their opinions on issues such as charter schools and graduation rates. LaNier L. Echols, a District 5 challenger, did not attend the forum.
A state law passed earlier in 2014 allowing the school district to partner with private-sector charter school operators to either operate or take over district schools sparked the former conversation. At-large incumbent Andrea J. Roof indicated that she did not support turning district schools into charter schools, but acknowledged that some low-performing schools may benefit from a partnership. Two of her challengers, Josh Owens and Mary Ann Sullivan, both proclaimed their support for the law and for charter school partnerships in the district.
The District 3 board member, Samantha Adair-White, condemned the law and stated, "Our kids are not for sale. It is a disgraceful attack. I don’t like it and I’m not with it." One of Adair-White's challengers in District 3, Kelly Bentley, indicated that she would approve of any partnership that could improve student performance.
On the subject of graduation rates, District 5 incumbent Michael D. Brown was optimistic about spreading the success of certain high-achieving schools across the district. He added, "There’s no new thing in education. [...] If you really want to improve, you have to replicate programs that are successful." At-large challenger David Hampton stated that raising graduation rates were his highest priority and that he would not support granting waivers to students who could not pass state examinations. Fellow at-large candidate Ramon L. Batts insisted that parent engagement with high school students was the primary issue driving down graduation rates. District 3 challenger James Turner claimed that outside partnerships would not remedy the problem and that only internal improvement would increase graduation rates.[12]
Ramon Batts plagiarism
At-large candidate Ramon L. Batts underwent criticism in October 2014 following the discovery that he had plagiarized certain answers to a survey distributed by the education media outlet Chalkbeat. Internet commentators on the survey article were the first to highlight the alleged plagiarism of materials from organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Batts denied that the plagiarism was intentional and labeled it a "mistake," although he acknowledged that "Certainly, I know better." He added, "That’s what happens when you’re doing things at 1 or 2 a.m." Chalkbeat contacted his opponent, incumbent Andrea J. Roof, for comment on the story, but she declined to issue a statement on the matter.[13]
Issues in the district
Teacher merit pay contract
The Indianapolis School Board approved a new teacher contract on September 23, 2014, for the 2014-2015 school year. Since the passage of an Indiana state law in 2011, teacher salaries must be linked to performance in some manner.[14] In this contract, district teachers who were evaluated as either "highly effective" or "effective" during the 2013-2014 school year will receive a $1,500 bonus. In the 2012-2013 school year, only five district teachers were rated as "ineffective."[15]
Teachers are eligible for a $5,000 stipend if new responsibilities, such as developing curriculum, are assigned. The salary for new teachers is flexible and dependent on whether they are hired to teach in a low-performing school or to teach classes in a high-need subject. Although employee health insurance premiums will rise, the district will also pay the difference between the new cost and the previous year's cost.
Rhondalyn Cornett, who serves as the president of the Indianapolis Education Association, approved the final contract and said in an interview with Chalkbeat, "Teachers are stepping up and doing more things all the time,” she said. "It’s about time they get compensated for it. We wanted to see (an increase to the base salary), but the district explained it was a recurring cost." The Indianapolis School Board voted 6-1 to approve the contract, with District 2 member and former teacher Gayle Cosby casting the only vote against it. Following the vote, she criticized the removal of academic credentials from consideration in the salary schedule and stated that she supported higher teacher salaries than those in the contract. Superintendent Lewis Ferebee praised the contract and insisted, "It’s a move in the right direction."[16]
The contract is split into two separate salary schedules, with the first being for teachers hired before October 1, 2014, and the second being for teachers hired after that date. Both schedules use "years of effectiveness" as the steps for the salary ladder. Effectiveness is determined through teacher evaluations, although every year of teaching experience prior to the 2012-2013 school year is automatically counted as effective. The first salary schedule splits the ladder into seven different lanes depending on a teacher's academic credentials, so that teachers with a bachelor's degree are in the lowest-compensated lane and teachers with a doctorate are in the highest-compensated lane. The second salary schedule does not differentiate teachers by their academic credentials. The lowest possible base salary on the first salary schedule is $35,684 and the highest is $71,042, while the lowest base salary on the second salary schedule is also $35,684 but the highest is $57,702.[17]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Samantha + Adair-White + Indianapolis + Public + Schools"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Indianapolis Public Schools, "Samantha Adair-White," accessed October 1, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Samantha Adair-White," accessed October 17, 2014
- ↑ Marion County Election Board, "Most Recent Campaign Finance Filings," accessed October 17, 2014
- ↑ Indy Star, "What big money in the IPS board race is really about," November 2, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Survey: Samantha Adair-White says more support will improve schools," October 6, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "The Next IPS School Board," accessed October 16, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "The basics of Indianapolis Public Schools: A new beginning," October 30, 2013
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "IPS audits: Ferebee is right on deficit, financial reporting deeply flawed," June 10, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "Outside groups gear up for ‘pivotal’ IPS school board race," August 25, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "IPS school board race heats up as challengers emerge," July 24, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "IPS school board candidates already are pulling in big bucks," September 27, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "IPS school board candidate Ramon Batts says mistake led to plagiarism," October 8, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "The basics of teacher evaluation in Indiana, part 2: Ratings formulas and merit pay," November 18, 2013
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "IPS rates just five teachers ineffective," April 7, 2014
- ↑ Chalkbeat, "New IPS teachers contract pays bonuses based on performance," September 24, 2014
- ↑ Indianapolis Public Schools, "IEA Contract 2014," accessed October 16, 2014
| 2014 Indianapolis Public Schools Elections | |
| Marion County, Indiana | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Andrea J. Roof • Ramon Batts • David Hampton • Josh Owens • Mary Ann Sullivan District 3: • Incumbent, Samantha Adair-White • Kelly Bentley • James Turner |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
