Scott Heinze
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Scott Heinze is an at-large representative on the Tacoma Public Schools school board in Washington. First elected in 2011, Heinze won a new term in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
Elections
2017
- See also: Tacoma Public Schools elections (2017)
Two of five seats on the Tacoma Public Schools school board in Washington were up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. District 3 incumbent Scott Heinze and District 5 incumbent Karen Vialle both ran for re-election unopposed, winning new terms.[1]
Results
| Tacoma Public Schools, District 3 General Election, 6-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Scott Heinze Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 26,515 |
| Total Votes | 26,515 | |
| Source: Pierce County, Washington, "November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed December 1, 2017 | ||
Funding
Heinze opted for mini reporting in this election, according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.[2] Candidates who opted for this had to keep a record of their contributors and expenditures, but were not required to report them. If they raised and spent more than $5,000 in aggregate or received more than $500 from any one contributor, including themselves, they would have had to switch their filing status from mini to full reporting.[3]
Endorsements
Heinze received an official endorsement from the Washington Education Association.[4]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Scott Heinze participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[5] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on August 22, 2017:
| “ | I believe that the top issues facing our School District are: Closing achievement gaps; reducing student discipline rates; and, expanding opportunities after graduation for both college-bound and career-bound students. While we have come a long way since 2011, my job is not done. I look forward to continuing to work with families, partners, stakeholders, and community members in the next six years to close achievement gaps, reduce discipline rates, and graduate even more kids that are prepared and empowered to pursue their dreams in college, career, and the community."[6][7] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Washington. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| “ | When I ran for my first term in 2011, the graduation rate in Tacoma Public Schools was just 55%. Over the last six years, I've worked with my colleagues on the School Board, Superintendent Santorno, and community members, partners, and stakeholders to develop a strategic plan and performance benchmarks for the School District and create a “budgeting by priorities” process to align our budget with our benchmarks.
Our top priority was to increase the graduation rate to 85% by 2020. Through the hard work of teachers, students, families, and the community, in 2016 our graduation rate attained a record high of 85% - four years earlier than our goal – and the drop-out rate decreased to 7%.[7] |
” |
| —Scott Heinze (August 22, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) is the only school district in the State of Washington to be designated as a district wide zone of innovation by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. TPS has been recognized nationally as a portfolio school district for providing a variety of options to students and parents that includes Arts and Science focused magnet Elementary Schools; Montessori Elementary and Middle School; International Baccalaureate (IB) in Middle School and High School; a School of the Arts and a Science and Math Institute; as well as trade skills and apprenticeship programs. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should defer to school board decisions in most cases. State government can have input to determine the educational outcomes that we all want students to achieve and should then provide enough funding and flexibility to support local School Boards and School Districts to help students inside and outside of the classroom be successful. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Kids are more than just a score on a high-stakes standardized test. That is why TPS adopted a multiple-measures accountability system and the Tacoma Whole Child Initiative to ensure that kids’ academic and social emotional learning needs are addressed.
No Child Left Behind falsely equated assessment to high-stakes standardized testing. I trust our teachers, as educational experts, to conduct regular assessment of their students to determine what the student has learned, what the student has yet to learn, and what instruction and intervention will best help the student succeed." |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Offer additional training options. Offer additional training options. Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. We expect our teachers and our students to rise to the demands of the 21st century; it makes sense that we ensure that our pay programs are also delivered through a 21st century mechanism. I am receptive to a review of national models where merit pay for educators has been successfully implemented, as well as a review of models that were piloted and failed. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. I believe that a free and quality public education is one of the most essential principles of a democracy and is the cornerstone to addressing economic inequality, social justice, and a vibrant civic culture. I will continue to be a champion for our public education system and that includes continuing to advocate for more funding and resources being put into the public education system not taken out of it. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| In some cases, state law mandates the removal of students for behavior that is dangerous to themselves or others. Our goal should always be to keep students in class and in school as much as possible by better understanding root causes of behavior and utilizing alternatives to suspension and expulsion like restorative justice. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers. A dynamic composed of highly motivated and competent teachers in front of highly engaged and eager students who have a caring and engaged adult in their life that is committed to the long-term success of the student. |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tacoma County, "2017 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 22, 2017
- ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Local Candidates," accessed October 16, 2017
- ↑ Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, "New Candidates," accessed June 22, 2017
- ↑ Washington Education Association, "2017 WEA-PAC Election Endorsements," accessed November 6, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Scott Heinze's responses," August 22, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Tacoma Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Pierce County, Washington | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | District 3: Incumbent, Scott Heinze District 5: Incumbent, Karen Vialle |
| Important information: | What's at stake? |
