Question 3: The BOE is essentially the board of directors of our schools. In a corporate setting, board members bring best practices from the outside world to the company they serve. What one best practice would you like to share with the Verona BOE?
Timothy Alworth: School districts are made up of many different groups with their own needs and goals. The needs of the students and parents at the different levels, from elementary through high school, may be very different. Likewise, teachers have needs that also must be served by the Board. While the needs and goals may differ, the Board must lead and serve all groups. In my experience, I’ve found that successful school districts are those that set clear expectations for their teachers and students, and collaborate effectively throughout the district to align common goals. These are the best practices that I would share with the board.
Collaboration sounds simple but it takes work. Teachers must be given time to articulate issues and share goals and objectives with their colleagues. Elementary teachers must align their lesson plans and strategies with middle school and high school teachers who teach the same subjects. Curriculum must align and be properly sequential so that each year can build on the previous years. Teachers must have time to share strategies to support student development at all levels, from students whom may be at-risk to students whom may benefit from more advanced curriculum. I would bring my experiences collaborating with parents, students, teachers, board members, administration and the community to the board and work with the administration to provide the teachers time and resources to develop a cohesive plan.
Community involvement is critical in school collaboration. The parents, community, and school must communicate to strike a balance, so the kids are challenged but not overwhelmed. The strategic plan was an excellent way to start the process, and we can continue to develop on that and provide more opportunities for parents to partner with the BOE and share concerns and ideas. I would work towards providing avenues of communication for discussion on larger topics and keep an open mind on how to deal with issues, while being flexible enough to alter decisions and plans should they not be working.
A successful school board will take into account all of the needs of its students, teachers, parents, and community in creating its goals and objectives. It must continually consult all groups to make sure their needs are met and be flexible enough to meet those needs. The school board must have strong leadership that can recognize those needs and develop strategies and objectives to keep the district at the forefront of today’s educational system, and I think I can be a great addition to the leadership team.
