In the November 3 School Board election two candidates — incumbent Michele Kaish and Jordon DeGroote — are vying for one seat in West Windsor. In Plainsboro Board president Tony Fleres and incumbent Rachel Juliana are running unopposed for two open seats.
The candidates were asked for a brief biography and to provide answers to the questions below. Their responses are in alphabetical order by last name.
1.) Briefly explain your background. What experience, expertise, or perspective would be most useful on the board?
2.) Why are you running for a school board seat?
3.) One year later, what have we learned about the common core standards and the accompanying PARCC test? What is next for the district?
4.) Multiple current and former school board members have voiced support for televised or videotaped board meetings. West Windsor has recently made its Council meetings available online. What’s stopping board meetings from being taped?
5.) Beyond the perpetual need to balance quality education with budget realities, what’s the biggest challenge facing the district today?
6.) Are there any other school district issues you feel should be addressed?
#b#West Windsor:
Jordon DeGroote#/b#
1.) Learning has not only been my full-time job for the past four years, it has been my passion. As a heavily involved student at High School South, I’ve come to understand the learning process in a variety of contexts, from the football field to the classroom. The district has the duty of encouraging learning in all aspects of school, and I have first-hand experience on the receiving end.
My perspective as a student provides me with a unique understanding of Board policies. As a citizen and candidate, I attend every Board meeting to listen to the goals of our educational policy, and as a student, I witness the implementation of them. As a result I am well equipped to bridge the gap between the two, and help ensure our educational philosophy better translates into reality.
2.) I am running to make sure that the best interests of the community are kept at heart. There have been several serious changes to the curricula at multiple academic levels, and a few of them have been done without the prior knowledge, input, or approval of the community. As a citizen, I understand the district’s intention to ease the burden of competition within the schools. However, as a student, I have seen the cutting of programs such as Independent Study and the restriction of the Option II pathway significantly limit student influence in their own learning experience.
Due to fixable issues, programs that were largely beneficial to students were cut entirely, not out of disregard, but out of a lack of effective communication with the community. I am running to represent to represent the students and parents of our district, and to ensure greater communication between the board and the community.
3.) Two years ago I was one of the students chosen to take an experimental version of the PARCC test. I experienced an over-complication of basic skills such as reading comprehension, and an emphasis on specific tasks that were largely irrelevant to the actual subject matter. These same issues were once again present when I took the official PARCC the next year, and there is no doubt that it is an ineffective test.
The Common Core standards and the accompanying PARCC test are substantial issues that restrict teachers and prevent an individualized education. However, the reality is that they are issues for the state and the federal government. A single school district has little choice but to accept the unfunded state mandates required of it.
But there are two things WW-P can do to prevent the intrusion of the PARCC into our schools. First, we can join with other districts in encouraging the NJ Board of Education to reconsider the mandates and move toward a more individualized form of education. Second, we can make sure we limit the influence the PARCC test has in the class curriculum. Language arts courses throughout the district have recently adopted the PARCC rubric as the grading manual. Changes like these need to be reversed as soon as possible, not only to limit the influence of an ineffective testing system, but also to not ground our curriculum in a test that may or may not be here in a few years.
4.) I have no clue why the board meetings aren’t taped. And part of that is because the board meetings aren’t taped. A lack of transparency feeds a lack of transparency, and as a result, the public is perpetually left out of the loop. Every board candidate in the League of Women Voters forum last election agreed that board meetings should be televised or livestreamed to the public so that there could be more community participation and involvement. However, no one has taken action on this issue.
With the one estimated cost as provided by WW-P News being a few thousand dollars, there seems to be no substantive reason to prevent the recording on board meetings. I wholeheartedly support televised meetings, and I will actively work to see their implementation.
5.) The biggest challenge facing the district today is the need for effective communication between the school board and the community. A number of policies enacted by the board have brought confusion and disagreement to the students and parents, as we try to understand the rationale behind certain decisions. And though I respect the Board’s right to make sure the schools are well run without the interference of referenda, there needs to be an active discussion with the community of proposed plans before they become policy.
I support the Option II pathway, the final exam structure, and 4th and 5th grade A&E math, but what I am asking for isn’t an acceptance of those policies, but rather more communication on their impact before the decision to cut them. Last year the Option II pathway was restricted so abruptly that many students found they were unable to take planned courses that they needed to satisfy their graduation requirements.
Earlier this year, the shocking announcement that there would be no midterm or final exams caught many students and parents off guard, wondering what prompted this unannounced alteration of a major part of the curriculum. And now, the district is contemplating getting rid of the elementary school A&E program.
It is not too late to engage in the necessary discussion. I encourage the district to hold a public forum to allow residents to voice their concerns on the policy, and afterward issue an official response to the most pressing questions. This is the level of communication we need for proposed changes as significant as the ones listed, and this is the precedent we need to set for all proposed changes going forward.
6.) One issue the district must address is the imbalance of educational opportunities in certain subjects or interests.
As a district, we need to promote all types of learning. If a student excels in and is passionate about math, then there should be an Accelerated and Enriched math class for that student. By that same token, a student who finds their interest and skill set lies in writing should have advanced learning opportunities in that subject. Unfortunately, we fall short on that balance. At the middle school level, there is not a single club or team that competes interscholastically in the liberal arts, while there are several that do so in math and science. A 7th grader is provided with a variety of class options for their math skills, but there is only one class each for history, writing, and science.
While the opportunities for students interested in math and science are successful and should be maintained, we need to provide equal opportunities for advancement in other fields as well. At both the high school and middle school level, there should be school-run clubs that provide academic engagement in subjects ranging from science to social studies and math to music.
Likewise, there need to be equal curricular opportunities in various subjects so that no student is required to restrict their academic interest to a specific subject. Our district has an expressed commitment to the “whole child,” and we need equal educational opportunities to ensure that.
#b#Michele Kaish#/b#
1.) As the parent of three children who have attended WW-P schools since kindergarten, I understand the K-12 experience. As a community volunteer for almost 20 years, I have extensive knowledge of the issues that come before the board. As a taxpayer, I realize the importance of leveraging resources for optimal outcomes. As a school board member, I have a thorough understanding of the challenges facing our schools. I bring to the board a long and successful history of representing all WW-P stakeholders and advocating for what serves our students best.
My husband and I moved to West Windsor in 1994 for the schools. I have two sons who graduated in 2010 and 2014, and my youngest son is a member of High School North’s Class of 2018. Since 1997, when my oldest son started kindergarten, I have been volunteering consistently in the school district.
Since my election to the school board in 2012, I have made balanced and informed decisions focused on what is best for students. Currently I am Board vice president and the Administration and Facilities Committee chair. I have served on two board negotiating teams with the WW-P Service Association, most recently as the chair. As the board’s liaison to the district’s PTAs and the WW-P Education Foundation, I connect to day-to-day happenings in all 10 district schools and participate in discussions regarding innovative programs and strategic initiatives.
After many years and countless hours spent helping, organizing and fundraising for classrooms, clubs, teams, and PTAs, I have developed a deep understanding of our school district as well as strong relationships with many stakeholders in the community. My unwavering, long-term commitment to our district gives me the experience, expertise, and perspective to be a productive and effective school board member.
2.) I care deeply about our schools and the educational experience of our students and staff. I am running for re-election to continue advocating for the best educational opportunities for all learners. In my second term, I will continue to use data analysis to inform improvements in our schools. I will promote what is in the best interest of students while always remaining cognizant of the economic realities faced by our district and our taxpayers. I will support initiatives that focus on the “whole child” and that challenge our students to think strategically, work cooperatively, communicate effectively, and act responsibly. I will continue to define goals for our school district based on a vision of high expectations for all students and staff.
3.) Last year the New Jersey Department of Education required the PARCC test as the statewide assessment for all public school students in grades 3 to12. For the first time #2 pencils were not necessary as the test was administered electronically over two separate testing periods in the spring. Individual schools developed plans to maximize test-taking devices and schedule students efficiently. While the district worked hard to minimize the impact on instruction, the number of hours students spent testing was too long and disrupted learning.
Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the 1800s. I believe there is value in an assessment that requires all test-takers to answer the same questions and that is scored in a manner that makes it possible to compare the relative performance of students and school districts. But interrupting our schools’ most important function — classroom instruction — for weeks of standardized tests is unacceptable.
A number of modifications have been made since last year to improve PARCC administration this year. The biggest change is that the two testing periods have been consolidated into a single time frame in the spring, significantly reducing the number of hours a student will test. Students in 11th grade who are enrolled in an AP Language Arts class and take the AP exam will no longer be required to take the Grade 11 Language Arts PARCC exam. And because the state needs additional time to gather and interpret data, NJDOE extended to the class of 2019 (this year’s high school freshmen) the same graduation requirements that are in place for the classes of 2016, ’17, and ’18. Passing PARCC will not be a graduation requirement for any current high school student.
In “testing the test” last year, the district learned a lot about our electronic infrastructure and the logistics of administering an online test to so many students. Whether it’s PARCC or another assessment, our students are going to be tested electronically from now on, so these are important lessons for the district.
Unfortunately we have not yet learned anything about how our students performed on these tests. Ultimately the student performance reports should show student growth from year to year. The state expects to release information on student performance — which will serve as baseline data moving forward — to the district in November. At that point the district administrative team will analyze the results to determine curricular areas of strength and where improvements need to be made. We can expect to receive our children’s test results in late November or early December. Information sessions will be held district-wide in December to help parents and students understand the test results.
The PARCC test is designed to align with the Common Core Curriculum Standards. Since 2010 all public schools in New Jersey are required to adopt the Common Core. Standards give educators the goal for their lesson plans, assessments, and professional development. The standards define what students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade in math and language arts. They are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared for success in college and career.
There are differences between standards and curriculum. Curriculum in WW-P is developed within our district tailored specifically to the needs of our students. Our district decides how best to help students reach the benchmarks set by the standards. The curriculum in WW-P is continuously reviewed and revised to improve our student outcomes.
In May, 2015, Governor Christie called on the NJDOE to present a plan to review the Common Core State Standards. Over the summer the public was invited to provide feedback to NJDOE. The NJ Standards Review Survey must be completed by today — the deadline is October 9. The survey can be found at https://njstandardsreview.statestandards.org. If it is possible to meet this rapidly approaching deadline, I encourage WW-P stakeholders to have their voices heard and to complete the survey today.
4.) Everyone wins when the public is informed on school board business and decisions. I would support the videotaping of meetings if, procedurally and financially, it improves the board’s communication with the community and does not cause a reduction in important services for students. I need to better understand the issues surrounding the broadcasting of school board meetings. Specifically, I would like to learn the costs (one-time and recurring) involved with broadcasting meetings.
I would like to reach out to districts that recently began broadcasting meetings to get feedback on whether or not taping meetings compromised the board’s effectiveness or the meeting’s decorum. In reaching out to districts that do videotape, I would like to understand and evaluate what they see as the pros and cons of their decision.
5.) The biggest challenge facing the district today is long-term planning. As a board, we must be forward-thinking and make decisions that will position the district for sustainable success. Data must be closely monitored and used to drive continuous improvement in our budget, curriculum, and facilities.
From an enrollment standpoint, we need to continue to work with both townships to stay informed about future residential development, which is definitely on the horizon. While the status of two of the largest properties — the Howard Hughes tract and the Transit Village area — is unclear right now, full build-out of these properties will have significant impact.
But even smaller properties could pose challenges for some of our schools that are already at or near enrollment capacity. As chair of the Administration and Facilities Committee, I know that we will continue to evaluate the demographic studies that are conducted and responsibly prepare for potential increases in student enrollment. Short and long-term planning is necessary for managing the budget and adapting to changing enrollment projections.
From a facilities standpoint, planning is essential for the preservation of our 10 school buildings and properties. Capital improvement needs must be assessed and prioritized to maximize our dollars and prevent maintenance issues that could cost us even more in the future.
From a curriculum standpoint, our goals should always target improving student achievement. We should support that vision by developing policies that promote equal instructional opportunities and equal access to the district’s educational programs and activities. Through data analysis, specific student learning needs should be identified and used to inform decision-making. Professional development is essential for teachers to align their instruction with district goals.
6.) Other school issues to be addressed are:
1. “Whole Child, Every Child.” Teaching should be centered on the whole child, with attention paid to all of a student’s needs: academic, social, and developmental. We can effectively teach core subjects, critical thinking skills, and problem solving while remaining mindful of our students’ emotional health.
A strong foundation in reading, writing, math, and other core subjects is obviously important, yet by itself, is insufficient for lifelong success. We need to maintain the depth and breadth of our extra-curricular activities. If our students are truly going to graduate ready for college and career, we need to support education initiatives that develop students who are knowledgeable, motivated, empathetic, well-rounded, and engaged.
In a high performing school district teachers will always challenge their students and students will always feel pressure to be successful. But in preparing our students for college and career, rigor does not necessarily mean more work and attention paid to social/emotional needs does not necessarily mean less work. We need to understand that children grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually, and that good school districts address all these areas of growth. WW-P must deliver curriculum in a way that both challenges our students and respects the balance that is needed for a well-rounded education.
2. Consistency. Our district should have clearly defined standards and expectations in all classes, regardless of teacher or building. Students across the district should receive equitable educational opportunities and building policies and procedures should be consistent.
With the elimination of midterms and finals, classes will have more common assessments. Curriculum must be paced so that consistency can be achieved across classrooms and grade levels. For common assessments to be fair and effective, it is essential that all students are tested on material that has been taught.
3. Special Education. Following the recent retirement of the director of special services, the district hired Richard Flamini as interim director for this school year. His 30+ years of experience in guidance and special education will serve us well. The district is also looking to hire a special education consultant with the goals of enhancing service to students/families and compliance with state and federal guidelines. The consultant will review the Special Education Program Review Action Plan to ensure that the recommendations were followed. Additionally, the consultant will give guidance for improvement to the Department of Special Services and the programs that are offered.
As we look to appoint a new, permanent director, I support hiring a person who will be a transformative leader with a vision of inclusion in classrooms, clubs, teams, and activities, and who embraces the value of differentiated learning. The new director must be aware of the importance of transparency in decision-making and partnership between the district and parents.
#b#Plainsboro:
Anthony Fleres#/b#
1.) My wife, Marcia, and I moved to Plainsboro more than 20 years ago and both of our children have graduated from WW-P. As a parent and homeowner, I understand the challenges facing families in our district. My professional experience is in engineering and project management. Working with organizations that have large unionized and professional work forces has provided me with insight that is directly relevant to WW-P.
Since first being elected to the board in 2006, I have participated in preparing nine budgets, negotiating three rounds of labor contracts and hiring two superintendents. I have chaired the Finance Committee, served as vice president and am now in my second year as Board president. I bring a knowledge of the working of the district and an historical perspective to the board. This is especially important when you consider the high turnover of board members in recent years. Of the other eight members, only two, Dana Krug and Michele Kaish, have served three or more years.
2.) When I initially ran for the Board, I answered this question by saying it was my way of serving the community I live in. That reason still exists.
3.) There has been so much public discussion, and a lot of misinformation, about Common Core and PARCC that it might be helpful to first clarify the terms. What is commonly referred to as the “Common Core” is a set of standards developed by the National Governors Association and state education officials to define the skills and knowledge students are expected to master at each grade level.
The state Board of Education sets the standards for local school districts. Twenty years ago it established the Core Curriculum Content Standards in nine subject areas. About five years ago the state adopted the Common Core standards for math and language arts. WW-P has and will continue to align its curriculum to the adopted state standards.
PARCC — Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers — is a consortium of states established to assess student achievement. New Jersey has decided to replace the NJASK with the PARCC exam. In the future it will also be used as a measure of eligibility for high school graduation, replacing the HSPA.
There has been significant public discussion and controversy about the PARCC exam. It relies heavily on electronic media instead of traditional paper and pencil, which strains the resources of many districts, WW-P included. It is also administered over an unusually long period of time, which disrupts the normal school schedule and decreases time for regular instruction. Taking the lessons learned from this past year, PARCC will revise the exam so that its administration is less intrusive. WW-P will also use experience gained to better administer the test.
It should be pointed out that, as the district administration has said in the past, until we have more experience with the test and its results, WW-P will not use an individual student’s scores for placement decisions.
4.) The simple answer is that board meetings are not being taped because a majority of the members have not seen an educational benefit or a public demand for it. In all of my conversations with residents and friends during my nine years on the board, this has never been raised as a priority by more than a handful of people.
All board meetings are open to the public and reported on in the local newspapers. Meeting minutes, including each individual board member’s vote, are published on the district’s website. As I have said in the past, I am concerned that taping and broadcasting meetings would change the tone as speakers, board members, and public tailor their statements to how they would be received by the general public rather than address the business at hand. You only need watch a single U.S. Senate hearing on C-Span to understand what I mean.
As pointed out in the question, the West Windsor Township Council, like a number of public bodies, broadcasts its meetings. At the same time, a number of other public bodies, including the Plainsboro Township Committee, do not. If someone can make a convincing argument that televising school board meetings would be a net benefit to our students and community, I would be willing to revise my opinion.
5.) WW-P is fortunate to have a dedicated and extremely qualified group of teachers, staff, and administrators. Most of all, we have parents who value education and are extremely supportive of their children and their schools. Even if your question didn’t take the subject of finance off the table, I believe the district is well situated for the near future.
My biggest concern is the possible residential development of certain properties in the area that could result in a large growth in enrollment. While land use and development is a function of the local township governments and I trust their ability to work in the best interests of their residents, the Board and district administration must be prepared for potential spikes in enrollment in the not too distant future.
#b#Rachel Juliana#/b#
1.) I moved to the U.S. from the Philippines when I was 15 years old, and due to my family’s circumstances, I moved around quite a bit during my high school years. As a result, I went to three high schools in three different states: Connecticut, California, and Oregon. I then received my undergraduate degree at U.C. Berkeley in 1992, and my law degree at the University of San Francisco in 1997. I have been an attorney for more than 15 years, and I am admitted to practice law in both California and New Jersey.
My husband and I moved to Plainsboro from Northern California in 2007 so that we could raise our children near our family. We specifically chose to live in this area because of the reputation of the WW-P district.
While living in Northern California, I had the privilege of serving on a school board in San Mateo County for five years. The issues we faced in that particular community were a lot different from the ones we face here, but the experience did provide me with some insight on how a school district is run and the challenging issues that a school board can face.
I believe that my experience as an Asian-American who studied elementary school in a different country but went to high school in the U.S. provides with me a unique perspective that is shared by other immigrant families in this community.
2.) Having been on this school board now for almost two years, I feel that I have a much better understanding and appreciation for the issues that are faced by this district, the concerns that are raised by the community and what needs to be addressed by this administration and the Board. I think it is very important to have varying perspectives on a school board so that all sides of an issue can be fully explored and varying points of view can be heard.
As an attorney, I feel that I can draw on my professional experience by being objective and listening and evaluating both sides of an issue before coming to a decision. As a parent of young elementary school children (grades 1 and 2), I not only have an understanding for the matters that come up that impact our younger students, but I also have a strong interest in the matters that impact our upper elementary and high school students since this represents the future of our children.
3.) I think the issues pertaining to Common Core and PARCC that existed one year ago, including the arguments for and against it, still exist today. While in this past year the PARCC test has been administered in our schools, the state has not yet released the results, so it is difficult to assess the impact of the test and how well it reflects student achievement in our district.
As I stated last year, I generally agree with the stated goals that the Common Core State Standards were meant to address and achieve. I believe it is important to have a consistent set of goals and a framework for how our curriculum should be set for all grade levels.
I do also believe, however, that there have been problems with the drafting and implementation of certain Common Core standards and that those concerns need to be addressed by those officials who are in a position to make changes. Until such time as those issues are addressed, we as School Board members are required by law to implement the Common Core State Standards and the PARCC test.
4.) I don’t agree with the premise of this question since it assumes that the idea of taping board meetings has been “stopped.” I think the more appropriate question is what information does the Board need to evaluate whether meetings should be televised or videotaped. As reported in this paper (The News, December 5, 2014), there could be some significant costs to the district to broadcast or stream live the board meetings, ranging from several thousand dollars to $70,000.
However, not all options have been discussed and explored yet, and I would be open to discussing the options. I am supportive of transparency and providing the community with the information it needs to stay fully informed on all matters impacting the district, but I also believe that the financial impact should be minimal.
5.) I believe that the primary challenge faced by our school district is to determine how to provide our students with the best education that lives up to the academic excellence that this district is known for while at the same time ensuring that we keep the emotional well being of our students a priority.
Based on recent board meetings and comments from the community, there are clearly some fundamental ideological differences on how this challenge should be handled, and I welcome the opportunity to work with the other Board members to address this challenge.
I believe that one can be achieved without sacrificing the other, that we can find a way to continue to achieve a strong academic program while also addressing the emotional needs of our children. Finding these solutions may take time and be difficult, but I am committed to working with the administration and the Board to address this challenge. While the members of the community and the district may have differing viewpoints, it is important to keep in mind that everyone has the same goal, and that is to do what is best for our children.
6.) There have been a lot of comments made regarding the results of the Gifted & Talented Program Review, and the recommendations made by both the outside consultants and the internal team. Having been a member of that program review, I can attest that a lot of time and effort was put into collecting the information, understanding and evaluating it, and coming up with recommendations that the team felt would improve the program.
The results of the program review were just recently reported to the Board as a whole, and it is now time for us to evaluate these recommendations and determine what next steps to implement. No decisions have been made and work is still needed before any steps are taken.
I welcome all the feedback from the community on these recommendations, and would certainly like to hear from others at our board meetings, whether you are for or against the recommendations. I would like to emphasize that this program review was a review of the G&T program and not just A&E math, so any other feedback on other recommendations in the report would also be welcomed.
