Sept. 8, 2015

Seven candidates for three at-large seats on the CMS Board of Education addressed the Forum today. All nine were invited;  Angela Ambroise did not attend, and Larry Bumgarner said he would be out of town and would come to a later Forum.

Two decisions made the Sept. 8 Forum unusual.

First, the first three questions were posed by the facilitator, Mary Johnson, after a initial statement. The second video below begins with her statement.

Second, the Forum that normally closes out at about 9:50 a.m. went on until about 10:30.

Below are the eight videos from the session, the first of the presentations, the remainder from the Q&A that followed.

Presentations

Q&A

Q: How important to you is it that classrooms in CMS be diverse, and what are you going to do to make that happen?

Q&A

Q: What are your plans for holding the superintendent accountable for staffing and leadership in high-poverty schools?

Q&A

Q: What are your plans for improving academic outcomes for students in high-poverty schools, in addition to afterschool programs?

Q&A

Q: For nonincumbents, how can I advocate for you? What distinguishes you from the others?

Q: Would you support having the current superintendent continue in her post?

Q&A

Q: North Caroliina has some of the worst schools anywhere. What should we do to improve them?

Q: What is your solution to high-poverty schools, and what as a school board member will you vote to do about them?

Q&A

Q: What’s your position on renewable energy and using it in the curriculum?

Q: Spanish immersion programs seem dominated by Latin American families. My kids didn’t get in. Is the lottery to be trusted?

Q: The CIAA plays here. Would you consider partnership with the CIAA schools to give students a path toward college?

Q&A

Q: Would you open CMS to more agencies that could provide social-emotional services to the children who need them?

Q: What changs would you make in the process the county uses in funding school facilities?

Q: School failure is not only about money. It’s about will. Most of us grew up in poor schools. But our teachers didn’t think they would fail.