SCHOOL BOARD VACANCY SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
Candidate’s Name: ANITA DORAN
Contact Address:
Contact Telephone Number: 614/848-8762
Contact Email Address: sadoran@wowway.com
Please answer all questions and send a completed questionnaire by January
16 via email to:
1. Please state your
professional or volunteer activities with K-12 education, either in the
Volunteer Activities @
Artworks Committee (9 years, 7 years as Co-Chair)
Book Fair volunteer (9 years)
Bulletin Board Chair (3 years)
Cafeteria volunteer (9 years)
Classroom Representative (4 years)
Family Fun Committee (6 years)
Library Aide (4 years)
Market Day volunteer (3 years)
Musical Scenery Committee (6 years)
PTA member (9 years)
PTA Bylaw Revision Co-Chair (2 years)
PTA Council (1 year)
Science Committee (6 years, 2 years as Co-Chair)
SWEPP Member (6 years)
Weekly Messenger (2 years)
Volunteer Activities @ McCord Middle School (MMS):
Awards volunteer (1 year)
Book Fair volunteer (3 years)
Boys Sports Concession Co-Chair (1 year)
Cross Country & Track volunteer (2 years)
Canteen Chaperone (3 years)
Library Aide (2 years)
PTA member (3 years)
PTA Council (1 year)
SWEPP Member (1 year)
Volunteer Activities @
Activity Club, including Freshman Day, Wolves for Cubs,
Adopt-a-Family (1 year)
Band Boosters volunteer (2 years)
PTA member (2 years)
2. What personal traits,
skills, or experiences would you bring to the position that you feel would make
you an effective board member?
I would be an effective member of the
Worthington School Board of Education (the “Board”) because I am a good
listener, a quick learner, work well with others, and have good sense of humor
which I suspect will be important at some Board meetings. My legal
training and work experience as a contract/fraud attorney at the
3. What do you think is the
most pressing issue in the Worthington Schools?
The most pressing issue is clearly fiscal stability. During the ten years that I have resided in
the district, the Board has been increasingly forced to deal with declining
revenues, and numerous state and federal mandates over which it has little
power to foresee or control. It has
presented at least four levy issues in the past ten years to balance the
District’s budget, and each time, these requests for more money have been more
and more skeptically received by the community.
A lot of this skepticism based on
the belief that the District is wasting or has wasted money in the past. Over the last several years though, I think
the Board and the administration has made difficult decisions and made
substantial cuts to its budget which have better positioned the District for
financial stability.
Despite these budget reductions, I foresee that financial
stability will continue to be a problem.
The complexity and changing nature of Ohio’s funding formulas and tax
frameworks that force the District to return levies to the ballot every two or three
years. in addition, state and federal
educational mandates, such as the
4. If it were necessary to
make substantial cuts in the expenditures of the district, what areas would you
cut first, and what areas would you seek to preserve?
Without figures specifying the expenditures for each budget item, nor
the size of the budget reduction need, I cannot answer this question fully. I can explain how I would approach the problem.
Obviously, the Board has to preserve budget amounts for those budget
items mandated by law, such as providing and meeting Individual Education Plans. After that, I would identify potential cuts by looking at
areas would have the least amount of direct impact on the student’s
educational experience including class sizes, depth of curriculum, fine arts,
and sports. I would explore other potential
revenue sources in lieu of cuts, for example improving operational
efficiencies. I would also look for
creative ways to cuts costs, such as the District’s recent change to health
savings accounts.
I believe that input from District staff,
especially teachers, and the community is critical in determining what budget
reductions should be made. In fact, over the past week, I have asked my
friends and neighbors about areas they thought could be cut, and they had several
suggestions including reducing transportation costs, especially at the high
school level, reducing maintenance costs at our facilities, and further cuts to
administrative staff. I would
investigate these types of suggestions as potential areas to cut. Only as a last resort, would I want to
consider closing a building.
As to areas I would seek to
preserve, I feel that we have to maintain our quality education and the unique
educational opportunities it provides. Worthington
Schools are known for its strong schools.
The strength of our school district enhances our community, as well as
our property values. We cannot have quality education without
quality teachers. Therefore, a competitive
salary for teachers is absolutely necessary to attract and retain the high caliber
of teachers we want. I would also
preserve the neighborhood format of our schools to the greatest extent
possible.
5. If it were possible to add new programs to the district, what
programs would you seek to add?
At the elementary school level, I would add a foreign language
program as many studies have shown that young students grasp new languages more
easily than older ones. In
middle school, I would additional gifted services, such as an advanced science
class, and a keyboarding class to better prepare them for High School and
College. At high school, I think it would be
appropriate to add a standardized test preparation class in light of the
current state and federal testing requirements, as well as the ACT/SAT tests.
6. What do you see as the
impact of “No Child Left Behind” on the Worthington
Schools? What about the Ohio Core legislation?
The No Child Left Behind Act (the “NCLB”) mandates that states eliminate the academic
"achievement gap" which exists between different groups of students,
paying particular attention to the progress of students who historically have
not been well served.
This is a
laudable goal, but has negatively impacted the
I believe the impact of the recently passed
In addition to the financial burden on the school district, I am
concerned that this standardized curriculum is too rigid to meet the needs of
all
Notwithstanding
the above criticism of the NCLB and OCC, I understand that as a Board member I
am obligated to uphold the law and ensure that the District is operating within
the bounds of the law. As a lawyer, I
understand the importance of these obligations.
7. If selected, what do you
see as your role in influencing state education laws and policies that affect
the Worthington Schools?
I plan to have an active role as an advocate for the District as I
believe the
8. What do you see as the
roles and responsibilities of a school board member?
The roles and
responsibilities of a
“Description: Employs and evaluates the district
superintendent and treasurer; establishes
policies
to govern and give guidance by which the district will function; evaluate
and,
if appropriate, approve administrative regulations which carry out board
policy;
through positive public relations, promote educational issues in the
district.”
Numerous “Essential Functions” are also listed in the job
description, but are “not ranked in order of importance.” So to further answer this question, I would
rank the following “Essential Functions” as most important:
Additionally,
it is clear to me that parental and community involvement in schools is an
essential component of a strong and effective school district, and I would work
to encourage increased involvement.
9. What evidence do you
believe shows the Worthington Schools are adequately, or inadequately,
preparing students for their lives after graduation?
In talking with