SCHOOL BOARD VACANCY SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
Candidate’s Name: __Charlie Wilson__________________________
Contact Address: __1116
Contact Telephone Number: __(614) 433-7940________________________
Contact Email Address: __wilson.49@osu.edu__________
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
Member, Superintendent’s Task Force (May
2004-Sept. 2005).
Member,
Member, Worthington Estates Parent Advisory Group
(1990-1996).
Officer, Perry Middle School PTSA (1997-2000).
Representative to Wolves Inc. (1999-2005).
President, WKHS Cross Country Parents’ Support
Group (2003-2005).
Treasurer, WKHS Cross Country Parents’ Support
Group (1999-2003).
Treasurer, WKHS Basketball Parents’ Support Group
(1999-2002).
President, WKHS Baseball Parents’ Support Group
(2000-2001).
Volunteer, WKHS Mock Trial Team (2001-2005).
Volunteer, Worthington Estates Field Days
(1990-1996).
Volunteer, Bluffsview Field Days (1997-1999).
Speaker, Numerous Classes at
Volunteer, Numerous WSD Bond & Operating Levy
Campaigns (1986-2006).
2. What personal traits,
skills, or experiences would you bring to the position that you feel would make
you an effective board member?
Extensive knowledge and background in accounting and public
finance.
Almost 30 years representing or consulting with management in both
the public and private sectors in labor negotiations with unions.
Teacher and scholar in dispute resolution including mediation,
conciliation, and facilitation.
Extensive knowledge of state and federal education laws including
state funding formulas.
Long-time subscriber to Education Week.
More than 10 years coaching youth sports for Worthington Youth
Boosters organizations.
8 years refereeing youth soccer games for WYB, Worthington United,
MOSSL, & GOYSL.
A deep and abiding passion for education.
3. What do you think is the
most pressing issue in the Worthington Schools?
Getting all students in K-12 excited about learning. The district must work to make sure that it
is providing a high-quality education to all its students, not just the best
students. The district must make certain
that the schools fit the student, not make the student fit the schools.
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?
First, I don’t accept the premise of the question; I don’t believe
that the majority of the voters in the district want substantial cuts in
expenditures for cost-effective education programs. Second, the Superintendent’s Task Force spent
substantial time studying the district’s programs and didn’t find any program
that was not cost-effective.
My review of the district’s budget and expenditures leads me to
believe that the district should focus on determining whether it is possible to
reduce expenditures on legal fees. If
further cuts are necessary, the focus would have to be on moving toward state
minimum standards. For example, reducing
busing including eliminating busing for high school students and increasing
average class size. If funding becomes
extremely tight, the district would have to seriously consider closing a middle
school, changing elementary school attendance boundaries, and reconfiguring
elementary schools so that they no longer have K-6 in every building. I repeat, however, I don’t believe that a
majority of the voters want this and I believe that with careful stewardship of
the district’s revenues, such drastic cuts will not be necessary.
I firmly believe that co-curricular activities are vital to a quality
education. I would seek to preserve
funding for music, drama, sports, etc. I
firmly believe that it would be a serious mistake to cut or eliminate band,
orchestra, theatre, or sports. Without a
strong co-curricular program, the district cannot be a high-quality district,
and home values will decline. Also,
threatening to eliminate the marching band, the orchestra, and sports rarely
works and tends to merely make voters angry and suspicious.
5. If it were possible to add new programs to the district, what
programs would you seek to add?
Economics courses in middle and high school.
Arabic, Mandarin, Farsi and other vital foreign languages.
Elementary school foreign languages.
All-day kindergarten.
Pre-K education.
An International Baccalaureate Program in the high schools.
More professional days for faculty. Several studies show that the single most
important step that a district can take to improve the quality of education is
to provide its faculty with more teacher training.
More preparation time, especially
for elementary teachers, to prepare and revise lesson plans.
6. What do you see as the
impact of “No Child Left Behind” on the Worthington
Schools? What about the Ohio Core legislation?
Frankly, the impact is somewhat minimal for our district because
of the high quality of our schools. The
major impact is more unfunded mandates, more bureaucratic red-tape, more costly
reporting requirements, and the infliction of more standardized tests on our
children (time which would be much better spent on instruction instead of even
more tests). Most of our students
already take the required core courses, so the Ohio Core legislation will not
have much impact on our district. I am,
however, disturbed by the blunderbuss approach of this legislation causing a
few students to be even more alienated from school. As for NCLB, it has one very insidious
effect: causing teachers to focus on underperforming groups delineated by the
law, rather than treating each student as a unique person.
7. If selected, what do you
see as your role in influencing state education laws and policies that affect
the Worthington Schools?
First, I would carefully follow all legislation introduced in the
General Assembly to determine its effect on the district. I am prepared to stay in close contact with
Senator Goodman and Representative Bacon to make sure that they fully
understand the impact of proposed bills and amendments on the district.
Second, I am prepared to testify before legislative committees
considering legislation that would affect the district.
Third, I would be willing to lobby the executive branch.
Fourth, I would be willing write columns and letters to the editor
to make certain that voters in the district are aware of the impact of state
laws and policies on our district.
Finally, however, I would not undertake any of the above
activities without the approval of the Board and the superintendent. I believe that all these activities should be
carefully coordinated to be effective and that there must be a consensus that
any such activity would not have a negative impact on the district. I would not submit any column or letter to
the editor without the approval of the Board and the superintendent. I believe that it is critical that I, as just
one Board member, do not act unilaterally in any such activity.
8. What do you see as the
roles and responsibilities of a school board member?
First, be a very careful steward of every dollar that the voters
make available. Both the students and
the taxpayers are cheated if every expenditure is not cost effective.
Second, serve as a role model for all students for how a
responsible citizen should conduct herself.
I would strive to always act in a manner that I would want every student
to emulate.
Third, establish broad district policy and leave implementation
and managing to the administration. The
Board’s duty is to select a superior superintendent and leave administration to
her. We currently have a superior superintendent;
the Board should support her.
Fourth, not allow personal philosophy or ideology interfere with
doing what’s best for the district. Once
the board has made its decision, I will support it even if I spoke or voted
against it.
Fifth, be a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for the district
and the students. Communicating with and
educating the community about board policy, district practices, and the value
of education are crucial given the size and the geographical challenges of this
district.
Sixth, be available and accessible to all residents of the
district. I would have an e-mail address
dedicated to district matters. I would
regularly attend numerous concerts, plays, competitions, assemblies, etc., that
our students are involved in so that students, parents, and residents will have
easy access to me.
9. What evidence do you
believe shows the Worthington Schools are adequately, or inadequately,
preparing students for their lives after graduation?
By all objective measurements, the district schools are doing an
excellent job. As a volunteer in the
schools, however, I see too many students who are not excited about
learning. I fear that there is too much
cookie cutter education occurring, and not enough individualized instruction. The schools must be made to fit the student,
not the student to fit the schools.