Thursday, May 20, 2004
Monrovia School Link ~ Number 82 ~ May 20, 2004
It's been about six months since Clare Chesley and Bryan Wong joined the school board, and I wondered how it's been going, so we got together for coffee. I thought they might be a bit cautious. Maybe I'd ask a question and they'd think, "Hmmm. I better be careful how I answer this. After all, I've got to work with these folks." Well, I needn't have worried. So how are things going? In short, they said things have been getting better - slowly; that Monrovia High is their top priority; and that they desperately need people to show up at the meetings - especially during the next few months.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
One of my main gripes about the board was that the meetings were not - by design or by accident - very open. Things were done in back rooms. The public was theoretically invited but not really encouraged to attend. But since the board election last November the meetings have apparently been changing. The changes haven't been revolutionary, but they've been positive. We'll get to the positive stuff in a moment, but first, there are still some problems...
Clare said, "In meetings we still have the terrible habit of going through the motions and not having much discussion. When [Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction] Joel Shawn gave a report at the last meeting about high school test scores, I expected more round-table discussion, but we didn't get it. It was the same at the GATE meeting. It wasn't, 'Hey, Bryan, what do you think?' We really struggle with having free-flow discussions."
Why?
Well, she said, each board member is given a chance to ask questions, but one at a time, so there is no room for back-and-forth discussion. Also, she said, "There is a reluctance to bring up difficult topics." She said the focus has been more about how everybody can get along. "I can stand that for about five minutes," she said, "then I want to know what they think of the issues."
So, she said, she's been bringing up difficult topics whether people like it or not.
The district had maintenance problems, Clare said, and a lot of people - the board and "lots of others" - "got all bent out of shape" about her bringing it up. "I was told I shouldn't talk about anything negative. Don't air the dirty laundry."
But, she said, "It was what I promised in my campaign. If people don't like it they can vote me out."
She said Superintendent Louise Taylor and Joel Shawn agreed, but said, "'Just don't blindside us.' That's fair," she said, "but I'm going to say it."
Bryan said, "I think it's getting better. To establish change takes a long time. It's difficult. The administration is still the same" [as when they were elected] and "attitudes are still the same."
But, he said,"At least they are open and receptive. Both Louise and Joel made every effort to address all of our questions. You could see on their faces they were not always happy, but I have not sensed any foot-dragging."
"As we're continuing along the path," he said, "things are getting better."
Of the meetings, he said, "The bottom line is that more people are attending." Clare added, "There are a dozen or 15 people who stay after the awards. [When I attended regularly, I was often the only member of the audience.] The best thing," she said, "is I see lots of principals and teachers attending. That's a huge thing!"
Bryan said "There are small things that have improved the meetings, like moving the podium to the side," [and I might add, adjusting the meeting time to make it more convenient]. And, "for the most part," he said, "all study sessions are now in the main room." [This is great! The study sessions used to be hidden off in a back room.]
Another change is having role-call votes. "You can't muffle your responses," Clare said. Before, just the number of votes for or against an issue was recorded in the minutes. Now, she said, each person's vote is recorded individually, so they can be held accountable.
While there've been changes, but it's been a bit rough getting here.
Clare said, "For the first one or two months [after the election], I heard about hurt feelings. It was a big deal, and the implication was that we had been doing the hurting. We kind of laughed. Get over it! This was an election." Bryan added that "they were clearly uncomfortable with us."
Clare said, "There was the unspoken feeling we were out to get Louise. It took a while to communicate that we wanted to have open minds, but that she reports to us."
She said she and Bryan did not have a problem with the administration, but with the board, which needed to take leadership. Bryan said they just want more accountability.
Before, Clare said, the relationship with the administration "was too personal, not professional enough."
But both Clare and Bryan agree that relations have thawed somewhat over the months, and both of them have generally a positive opinion of the district administration.
Of Taylor, Clare said, "I find her very professional, though we've had disagreements. I didn't find her to be Cruella De Vil. I think she has a genuine concern for the district. She knows a lot. But we have to maintain professional objectivity."
Bryan added, "For the second year, she [Louise] opted for no pay raise, without any beating of drums. She did it for the team."
And about Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Joel Shawn, Clare said he put together a great GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program and completely reworked a GATE survey, which was a lot of work, because the parent representatives thought the initial one was inadequate, and then he found the funding to make it work.
"I think it happened," she said, "because we set high expectations. I wasn't surprised, but I think it was a surprise to my fellow board members. These people are very talented. You can set high expectations." Though, she added, "a minority need to go."
"But," Bryan said, "that's no different from any organization. He said he thinks that a lot of people want to be challenged. "They'll naturally go to a certain level," he said, "then they need an external push to exceed it. That may be the biggest benefit we've brought - high expectations and a push."
During the last six months, Clare and Bryan have also gotten to know their fellow board members, who apparently loosen up a bit behind closed doors.
Bruce Carter, Clare said, is "terribly funny," in an intelligent, dry-humor sort of way. "I think he's a hoot."
She said he is "our government guru" and "he cuts to the chase." And Bryan added, "It's good to have one person keep track of legislation. He also brings an historical perspective."
Where she differs with Carter is about how meetings are conducted. She said he doesn't want the open meetings to be about discussion, but would rather vote and go home.
And Betty Sandford, Clare said, "is absolutely driven." She said they had lunch - at Betty's invitation - and discussed the campaign. Clare said Betty "has emerged as absolutely committed. She's tougher behind closed doors" and is "a lot more polite and diplomatic than I am." Also, she said, she's very generous.
Clare and Bryan said their top priority now is improving Monrovia High School. The high school's scores, you may remember, were the one dark spot in an otherwise very positive report.
Clare said that after the initial report about the scores, she and Bryan wanted an in-depth report on MHS, but "the administration did not want to review the test scores." She said, "it takes a lot of work to prepare a report, and people don't like to talk about bad news. But," she said "we can't forget the high school, and it's suffering."
Bryan said that while "it's human nature to avoid talking about bad news, it is the board's responsibility" to address problems.
Clare said that when she went to Board President Betty Sandford and said that the board needed to hear a full report about MHS, Sandford agreed. "I don't think she would have done it before," Clare said. "It took some nudging," Bryan said, "but we didn't get any resistance."
Since we're on the topic, I (Brad) was hiding in the back during the meeting when Shawn presented the school scores, and no board member said a thing about the mediocre high school scores. Why?
Clare: "I had so many questions I knew there wouldn't be time for them all. I wanted a special discussion about it. I didn't know how to even begin to ask questions."
Bryan: "I figured it would take a lot of time. We needed to tackle it later."
Clare: "We should have said something."
Bryan: "It's a bad habit. We need to bring these things up under New Business."
But anyway, Clare said she thinks "there is strong agreement that the high school is high priority, if not the highest." The entire high school needs to be improved, she said: Scores, teacher training, facilities and image.
Bryan said that "from the best gauges we have, the high school is in need. It has been on the back burner for the last couple of years, which is okay because everything can't be top priority. But now it's top priority. If the elementary schools can do it, then the high school can do it. It's the same community. There's no excuse not to be able to make some improvements."
That's not to say that there aren't some good things going on at the high school. Clare and Bryan mentioned Ed Gililland's work to build a new snack bar and restrooms [If you want to help, I'm sure Ed would appreciate it], the band's hard work to raise money for new uniforms, Shawn's great work gathering parents for a meeting about the California Exit Exam, the Interact Club reviving the Astronomy Club, and counselor Oscar Ibarra's heroic efforts getting MHS students into college. As Bryan put it, "Oscar Ibarra is smoking."
Clare said the district needs to highlight the good things that are happening at the school and take care of the bad things. "The high school," she said, "should be a distinguished school."
She said the next few months "are critical." She said the board needs parental involvement because it is about to set its priorities for one or more years, and, "How can we set goals if we do not hear from parents about what they want and need? If parents think they can sit back because they elected a couple parents to the school board," she said, "they're wrong."
Well, what should parents do?
"Say something!" she said. Come to the board meetings and speak up. "Compliments, Concerns or Criticisms. The three C's." Even if the criticisms are aimed at her, she said, that's fine, as long as they're professional.
For example, she said when she publicly agreed with Cyrus Kemp's comment that bringing in snow for school children was wasteful, some district employees were angry and planned to object at the next meeting, but the administration smoothed it over. But Clare said she didn't want it smoothed over. "I want people to speak their minds. I'm a public official." So if you want to blast Clare, go ahead, as long as you blast her position on an issue and don't call her "a dumb blonde."
The May 26 meeting, Clare said, will include discussion about the high school, so if you have any thoughts on that or anything else, mark it on your calendar and show up and speak up! I'll send out a notice of the meeting, so check your email.
CORRECTION ~ I got this note from Kristin Mariconda, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent: "Dr. Taylor thanks you for your publicity about Monrovia Schools. However, as a point of information, in the April 25, 2004 Monrovia School Link #80, it was reported that 'Bradoaks, Mayflower, and Plymouth were recognized as Achieving Schools.' It should have read, '*Monroe*, Mayflower and Plymouth were recognized as Achieving Schools,' not Bradoaks. Monroe and Plymouth have received this distinction now for two years in a row, and this year Mayflower also received a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award, which is the correct complete title for 'Achieving Schools.'" Well! I must say I'm flattered, even if it is a correction. I think this is the first time that anybody from the district has - in an official capacity - written in. I guess we've just never made a mistake before now. :-)
The Monrovia School Link is also available on line at www.monroviaschoollink.com
It's been about six months since Clare Chesley and Bryan Wong joined the school board, and I wondered how it's been going, so we got together for coffee. I thought they might be a bit cautious. Maybe I'd ask a question and they'd think, "Hmmm. I better be careful how I answer this. After all, I've got to work with these folks." Well, I needn't have worried. So how are things going? In short, they said things have been getting better - slowly; that Monrovia High is their top priority; and that they desperately need people to show up at the meetings - especially during the next few months.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
One of my main gripes about the board was that the meetings were not - by design or by accident - very open. Things were done in back rooms. The public was theoretically invited but not really encouraged to attend. But since the board election last November the meetings have apparently been changing. The changes haven't been revolutionary, but they've been positive. We'll get to the positive stuff in a moment, but first, there are still some problems...
Clare said, "In meetings we still have the terrible habit of going through the motions and not having much discussion. When [Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction] Joel Shawn gave a report at the last meeting about high school test scores, I expected more round-table discussion, but we didn't get it. It was the same at the GATE meeting. It wasn't, 'Hey, Bryan, what do you think?' We really struggle with having free-flow discussions."
Why?
Well, she said, each board member is given a chance to ask questions, but one at a time, so there is no room for back-and-forth discussion. Also, she said, "There is a reluctance to bring up difficult topics." She said the focus has been more about how everybody can get along. "I can stand that for about five minutes," she said, "then I want to know what they think of the issues."
So, she said, she's been bringing up difficult topics whether people like it or not.
The district had maintenance problems, Clare said, and a lot of people - the board and "lots of others" - "got all bent out of shape" about her bringing it up. "I was told I shouldn't talk about anything negative. Don't air the dirty laundry."
But, she said, "It was what I promised in my campaign. If people don't like it they can vote me out."
She said Superintendent Louise Taylor and Joel Shawn agreed, but said, "'Just don't blindside us.' That's fair," she said, "but I'm going to say it."
Bryan said, "I think it's getting better. To establish change takes a long time. It's difficult. The administration is still the same" [as when they were elected] and "attitudes are still the same."
But, he said,"At least they are open and receptive. Both Louise and Joel made every effort to address all of our questions. You could see on their faces they were not always happy, but I have not sensed any foot-dragging."
"As we're continuing along the path," he said, "things are getting better."
Of the meetings, he said, "The bottom line is that more people are attending." Clare added, "There are a dozen or 15 people who stay after the awards. [When I attended regularly, I was often the only member of the audience.] The best thing," she said, "is I see lots of principals and teachers attending. That's a huge thing!"
Bryan said "There are small things that have improved the meetings, like moving the podium to the side," [and I might add, adjusting the meeting time to make it more convenient]. And, "for the most part," he said, "all study sessions are now in the main room." [This is great! The study sessions used to be hidden off in a back room.]
Another change is having role-call votes. "You can't muffle your responses," Clare said. Before, just the number of votes for or against an issue was recorded in the minutes. Now, she said, each person's vote is recorded individually, so they can be held accountable.
While there've been changes, but it's been a bit rough getting here.
Clare said, "For the first one or two months [after the election], I heard about hurt feelings. It was a big deal, and the implication was that we had been doing the hurting. We kind of laughed. Get over it! This was an election." Bryan added that "they were clearly uncomfortable with us."
Clare said, "There was the unspoken feeling we were out to get Louise. It took a while to communicate that we wanted to have open minds, but that she reports to us."
She said she and Bryan did not have a problem with the administration, but with the board, which needed to take leadership. Bryan said they just want more accountability.
Before, Clare said, the relationship with the administration "was too personal, not professional enough."
But both Clare and Bryan agree that relations have thawed somewhat over the months, and both of them have generally a positive opinion of the district administration.
Of Taylor, Clare said, "I find her very professional, though we've had disagreements. I didn't find her to be Cruella De Vil. I think she has a genuine concern for the district. She knows a lot. But we have to maintain professional objectivity."
Bryan added, "For the second year, she [Louise] opted for no pay raise, without any beating of drums. She did it for the team."
And about Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Joel Shawn, Clare said he put together a great GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program and completely reworked a GATE survey, which was a lot of work, because the parent representatives thought the initial one was inadequate, and then he found the funding to make it work.
"I think it happened," she said, "because we set high expectations. I wasn't surprised, but I think it was a surprise to my fellow board members. These people are very talented. You can set high expectations." Though, she added, "a minority need to go."
"But," Bryan said, "that's no different from any organization. He said he thinks that a lot of people want to be challenged. "They'll naturally go to a certain level," he said, "then they need an external push to exceed it. That may be the biggest benefit we've brought - high expectations and a push."
During the last six months, Clare and Bryan have also gotten to know their fellow board members, who apparently loosen up a bit behind closed doors.
Bruce Carter, Clare said, is "terribly funny," in an intelligent, dry-humor sort of way. "I think he's a hoot."
She said he is "our government guru" and "he cuts to the chase." And Bryan added, "It's good to have one person keep track of legislation. He also brings an historical perspective."
Where she differs with Carter is about how meetings are conducted. She said he doesn't want the open meetings to be about discussion, but would rather vote and go home.
And Betty Sandford, Clare said, "is absolutely driven." She said they had lunch - at Betty's invitation - and discussed the campaign. Clare said Betty "has emerged as absolutely committed. She's tougher behind closed doors" and is "a lot more polite and diplomatic than I am." Also, she said, she's very generous.
Clare and Bryan said their top priority now is improving Monrovia High School. The high school's scores, you may remember, were the one dark spot in an otherwise very positive report.
Clare said that after the initial report about the scores, she and Bryan wanted an in-depth report on MHS, but "the administration did not want to review the test scores." She said, "it takes a lot of work to prepare a report, and people don't like to talk about bad news. But," she said "we can't forget the high school, and it's suffering."
Bryan said that while "it's human nature to avoid talking about bad news, it is the board's responsibility" to address problems.
Clare said that when she went to Board President Betty Sandford and said that the board needed to hear a full report about MHS, Sandford agreed. "I don't think she would have done it before," Clare said. "It took some nudging," Bryan said, "but we didn't get any resistance."
Since we're on the topic, I (Brad) was hiding in the back during the meeting when Shawn presented the school scores, and no board member said a thing about the mediocre high school scores. Why?
Clare: "I had so many questions I knew there wouldn't be time for them all. I wanted a special discussion about it. I didn't know how to even begin to ask questions."
Bryan: "I figured it would take a lot of time. We needed to tackle it later."
Clare: "We should have said something."
Bryan: "It's a bad habit. We need to bring these things up under New Business."
But anyway, Clare said she thinks "there is strong agreement that the high school is high priority, if not the highest." The entire high school needs to be improved, she said: Scores, teacher training, facilities and image.
Bryan said that "from the best gauges we have, the high school is in need. It has been on the back burner for the last couple of years, which is okay because everything can't be top priority. But now it's top priority. If the elementary schools can do it, then the high school can do it. It's the same community. There's no excuse not to be able to make some improvements."
That's not to say that there aren't some good things going on at the high school. Clare and Bryan mentioned Ed Gililland's work to build a new snack bar and restrooms [If you want to help, I'm sure Ed would appreciate it], the band's hard work to raise money for new uniforms, Shawn's great work gathering parents for a meeting about the California Exit Exam, the Interact Club reviving the Astronomy Club, and counselor Oscar Ibarra's heroic efforts getting MHS students into college. As Bryan put it, "Oscar Ibarra is smoking."
Clare said the district needs to highlight the good things that are happening at the school and take care of the bad things. "The high school," she said, "should be a distinguished school."
She said the next few months "are critical." She said the board needs parental involvement because it is about to set its priorities for one or more years, and, "How can we set goals if we do not hear from parents about what they want and need? If parents think they can sit back because they elected a couple parents to the school board," she said, "they're wrong."
Well, what should parents do?
"Say something!" she said. Come to the board meetings and speak up. "Compliments, Concerns or Criticisms. The three C's." Even if the criticisms are aimed at her, she said, that's fine, as long as they're professional.
For example, she said when she publicly agreed with Cyrus Kemp's comment that bringing in snow for school children was wasteful, some district employees were angry and planned to object at the next meeting, but the administration smoothed it over. But Clare said she didn't want it smoothed over. "I want people to speak their minds. I'm a public official." So if you want to blast Clare, go ahead, as long as you blast her position on an issue and don't call her "a dumb blonde."
The May 26 meeting, Clare said, will include discussion about the high school, so if you have any thoughts on that or anything else, mark it on your calendar and show up and speak up! I'll send out a notice of the meeting, so check your email.
CORRECTION ~ I got this note from Kristin Mariconda, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent: "Dr. Taylor thanks you for your publicity about Monrovia Schools. However, as a point of information, in the April 25, 2004 Monrovia School Link #80, it was reported that 'Bradoaks, Mayflower, and Plymouth were recognized as Achieving Schools.' It should have read, '*Monroe*, Mayflower and Plymouth were recognized as Achieving Schools,' not Bradoaks. Monroe and Plymouth have received this distinction now for two years in a row, and this year Mayflower also received a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award, which is the correct complete title for 'Achieving Schools.'" Well! I must say I'm flattered, even if it is a correction. I think this is the first time that anybody from the district has - in an official capacity - written in. I guess we've just never made a mistake before now. :-)
The Monrovia School Link is also available on line at www.monroviaschoollink.com
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