Arlene Silveira
Madison School Board, Seat 1
MTI Voters
2006 School Board Election
Questionnaire
January 10, 2006
Yes
Yes. I was one of
the main leaders on the Steering Committee for Madison CARES, the
community-based group supporting the 3 referenda in Spring 2005. I made presentations to numerous groups,
staffed the referendum table at the Farmer’s Market, and helped organize press
conferences and lit drops.
2b. Did you support the 2005 referendum to exceed the State’s repressive
revenue controls in 2005 for general operating expenses, including staffing
levels (so that class sizes don’t increase and to provide wage increases)?
Yes
2c.
Did you support the 2005 referendum to enable school construction to
alleviate overcrowded schools?
Yes
3.
If the School Board finds it necessary to change school boundaries
due to enrollment, what criteria would you use as a Board member to make such a
judgment?
As a member of the West-Memorial task force, I had given this
some extensive thought. My first
consideration is to avoid creating schools with high concentrations of low
income families. Following this, my next
consideration is to keep bus routes no more than 45 minutes, one way. My third consideration is that every effort
should be made to keep geographically and historically defined neighborhoods
together and to consider the proximity of students to a school when redrawing
boundary lines. However, I must also
say that due to the differences in the geography of the school attendance
areas, as well as the distribution of low income students in relation to a
school, the third consideration is important but may not always be possible.
4.
If the School Board finds it
necessary to close a school/schools due to economic reasons, what criteria
would you use as a Board member to make such a judgment?
First, I must say that philosophically I am not in favor of
closings schools because I support neighborhood schools. If the recommendation of closing a school
was brought to the Board, I would want to know the information listed below
before making a decision. I would use
this information to construct a cost-benefit analysis.
i.
In the
big picture, why was a certain school chosen
ii.
Financial
savings associated with closing a school
iii.
Additional
costs associated with moving children to a new school
iv.
Are
the “new” schools set up to support the needs of the incoming students
v.
Demographics
of families that would move to a new school
vi.
Plan
for staff at school being closed
vii.
Projected
growth for the attendance area of the recommended closed school as well as for
the new school
viii.
Future
numbers (capacity, low income, etc.) for new school
ix.
Affect
of changes on the middle and high school tracks
5.
If the School Board finds it
necessary to make the $6-9 million in budget cuts for the 2006-07 budget which
Supt. Rainwater is mentioning, what criteria would you use as a Board member to
make such a judgment?
In general, my first priority would be to keep as many cuts
as possible away from the classroom. I
believe we have to look at all areas being funded by the District’s
budget. I support the $100 budget
process because it will engage the community in the budget process. This will, in turn, help the Board to
determine priorities. It may also build
greater understanding of the difficult choices that the district is facing.
6.
Identify specific MMSD programs
and/or policies which you believe should be modified, re-prioritized, or
eliminated, and explain why.
At this time I have no specific MMSD programs and/or
policies which I believe should be modified, re-prioritized, or
eliminated. My first step would be to
seek input of staff and parents on programs, before making such decisions.
7.
What should the District do to
reduce violence/assure that proper discipline and safety (of the learning and
working environment) is maintained in our schools?
I believe a consistent (equitable) behavior support system
should be in place across the district at all school levels. In addition, any response to a behavior
incidence needs to be done in a fair and timely manner.
I am in favor of the new restorative justice-based system
being implemented in the elementary schools.
It is a cooperative approach that focuses on community building and a
culture of mutual respect. The focus is
on the behavior as a bad choice, not the student as a bad person. With the high mobility of the MMSD, a
consistent program like this, implemented across the district, is needed so
children will understand rules and behavior, irrespective of attendance area. I
also strongly support on-going staff training on how to respond to difficult
situations.
Engagement in school is critical. Many discipline problems arise because students lack a “sense of
belonging”. In the budget times, we
must carefully evaluate programs in their effectiveness at keeping students
engaged at school and in their ability to help build and strengthen positive
social skills and community belonging.
It is important to continue partnerships with the community
such as the Dane County Narcotics and Gangs Task Force.
8.
Explain any concerns/proposed
solutions you have about the District’s minority achievement efforts.
The School Board must continue to address the differences in
proficiency levels and graduation rates between racial and ethnic groups. In addition to continuing what has been
working, including Schools of Hope and cultural training opportunities for teaching
and support staff, we must develop and expand partnerships with community
groups and use a variety of venues for parents to come together to help the
district find ways to allow all children to succeed. With the high mobility rate of some students, we should look at
ways to help stabilize students’ school experience by ensuring supportive and
consistent enrollment processes across the district.
9.
Explain your position regarding
four-year-old and all-day kindergarten programs.
I fully support all-day kindergarten programs. I believe it provides a tremendous value to
children and families. I support the
concept of four-year-old kindergarten although there are issues that need
resolution. I think this would be
instrumental in addressing academic achievement for all students and would
certainly play a vital role n helping to close the achievement gap. However, I do not think we should embark
upon this new initiative until we are ensured of adequate funding.
10.
Would you support the Early Learning
Initiative, if it violated the MTI/MMSD Contract ban on contracting out?
I would not support violating the MTI/MMSD Contract ban on
contracting out.
11.
Should planning time for elementary
teachers be increased? If yes, how
could this be accomplished?
I strongly feel that elementary school teachers need more
planning time. I would like to see an analysis of how planning time is actually
used. This may provide an opportunity
for the development of some efficiencies regarding other requirements that take
up the teacher’s time and thereby free up planning time for planning.
12.
Given that the Wisconsin Association
of School Boards rarely supports the interests of the Madison Metropolitan
School District, do you support the District withdrawing from the WASB?
At this point in time, I do not have enough information to
make a decision. I would like to know
how much it costs and how much district time is required for membership. Some
thoughts. In the Legislative portion of
this survey there are a number of questions dealing with WASB. If we could actually influence and work with
WASB in the manner indicated in these questions, then there may be an important
reason to remain a member. Also, I see
the need for communities and school districts to work together to work on
changing the funding laws. I think
membership in this type of organization could be beneficial.
13.
From what sources do you believe
that public schools should be funded?
I believe that public schools should be funded with tax
dollars. I believe we should look at a
system funds schools with tax dollars beyond property taxes.
a.
Do you support further increasing
student fees?
In general I do not support increasing student fees because
of the financial burden it places on many families. As a result, we may see students not participating in certain
activities based on fee decisions.
However, in this difficult budget time, I would not rule out the
evaluation of fee increases as long as the financial benefit of the increase is
weighed against the impact on families and the effect of student participation.
14.
Do you support class sizes of 15 or
less for the primary grades?
Yes
15.
Do you oppose:
a.
The use of public funds (vouchers)
to enable parents to pay tuition with tax payers’ money for religious and private
schools?
Yes
b.
The expansion of Charter schools
within the Madison Metropolitan School District?
No. My primary focus is on the support of the current
schools in the MMSD. However, if there
are specific needs that Charter schools address (i.e., Wright Middle School and
the effect of small class sizes on achievement in a low income school), then I
think they are worth evaluating.
c.
Senate Bill 377 which creates a
charter school in Madison and Milwaukee under the direction of the University
of Wisconsin system?
Yes
16.
List MMSD staff and Board member(s)
from whom you do or would seek advice?
I would seek advice from any board member if they were
working on an issue of interest. Most
recently, I have sought advice from Carol Carstensen, Juan Lopez, Bill Keys and
Johnny Winston Jr. Being actively
involved in the PFO/PTO at Leopold and Cherokee and also having worked in
support of the referenda in May, I know many teachers and MMSD staff from whom
I seek advice. I also regularly seek
input from retired MMSD employees as well, such as Marj Passman.
17.
Is your candidacy being promote by
any organization?
No
18.
Have you ever been employed as a
teacher? If yes, please describe why
you left the teaching profession.
While not formally “employed” as a teacher, I did receive a
BS in biology, chemistry and secondary education. I was certified to teach in Massachusetts and had completed my
student teaching. At that time, I made
the decision to pursue more advanced science training and received my MS in
molecular biology. I was a teaching
assistant in graduate school and have kept involved in education at Promega,
the company at which I work.
19.
Do you support the inclusion model
for including Title 1, EEN and ESL students in the regular education
classroom? Why/why not?
Yes, I support the inclusion model as stated above if it is
determined to be in the best interest of the child. I believe inclusion maximizes individual growth and affords a
sense of belonging to all involved. I
once read, “Children that learn together, learn to live together”. That is the
benefit of inclusion. I think inclusion is a philosophy that must be shared by
the district, school and community members, if it is to work properly.
I believe
in order to have a strong inclusive program, there must be good communication
between administration, staff and parents; there must be an adequate number of
staff to handle a given classroom
situation; staff must have appropriate training and resources to deliver a differentiated,
yet challenging curriculum, so all children benefit.
20.
The Board of Education has moved
from the development of policy to becoming involved in implementation of
policy; i.e. matters usually reserved to administration. Some examples are when it:
Decided to hear
parent’s complaints about a teacher’s tests and grading.
Decided to modify the
administration’s decision about how a State Stature should be implemented.
Do you believe that
the Board should delegate to administration the implementation of policy which
the Board has created and the implementation of State Statutes?
The Board should create policy and then delegate to the
administration the implementation of the policy. The Board should be responsible for, and be held accountable for,
ensuring that policy is implemented in a manner consistent with the
goals/direction of the Board.
Do you believe that
the Board should delegate to administration the implementation of State
Statutes?
The Board should create policy and then delegate to the
administration the implementation of the policy. The Board should be responsible for, and be held accountable for,
ensuring that policy is implemented in a manner consistent with the
goals/direction of the Board.
Would you support the
Board exploring a means to make their meetings more efficient?
Yes as long as the efficiencies do not preclude a format for
public feedback and a time for discussion and thorough review.
21.
Do/did/will your children attended
private or parochial schools during their K-12 years? If no, and if you have children, what schools have/will they
attend?
No. My daughter attended Leopold Elementary School, K-5; she
attended Cherokee Middle School, 6-8 (currently in 8th grade); will
attend West High School.
22.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation to eliminate the revenue
controls on public schools?
I am unsure of what is involved with the “introduction of a
motion” at WASB. Therefore, I cannot comment
on that part of the question in #s 22-33.
23.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to oppose
any legislation which would authorize a tax freeze and/or taxpayers bill of
rights (TABOR)?
I oppose TABOR.
24.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation to eliminate the Qualified
Economic offer which restricts free and open collective bargaining for teachers
and would enable teacher wages to be established through negotiations between
the parties?
I believe that teachers and support staff need to be paid
fairly and would support collective bargaining.
25.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation to prohibit the
privatization of schools via the use of tuition tax credits (vouchers) to pay
tuition with taxpayers’ money to private or religious schools?
I do not support the use of tuition tax credits to pay
tuition with taxpayers’ money to private or religious schools.
26.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation which will maintain or
expand the benefit level of the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act?
I support the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act as
should the District. It is a law that
supports family values.
27.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation which will increase the
retirement formula multiplier from 1.6% to 2% for teachers and general
employees, i.e. equal that of protective employees?
I would require more detailed information on what this means
before answering.
28.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation which will prohibit public
employee residency requirements?
I do not support having public employee’s residency
requirements for district employees.
29.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation which will eliminate and
forbid restrictions to free and open collective bargaining for the selection of
insurance for public employees, including the naming of the insurance carrier?
I support health insurance being mutually agreed upon by the
District and MTI.
30.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation which will guarantee free
and open collective bargaining regarding the establishment of the school
calendar/school year, including the right to begin the school year, via
negotiations between MTI and the District?
I believe the start of the school year should be determined
between MTI and the District and should not be a directive from the State.
31.
Will you introduce and vote for a
motion which would direct the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to request
the introduction and promote passage of legislation to forbid the work of
employees organized under Wis. Stat. 111.70 (collective bargaining statute) to
be subcontracted?
I would not support subcontracting if it violated the collective
bargaining statutes.
32.
Will you introduce and vote for
legislation which will mandate full State funding of any State mandated
program?
I favor State funding for State mandated programs.
33.
Will you introduce and vote for
legislation which will provide adequate State funding of public education?
I will work hard in dealing with the inequality in the State
funding structure. My goal is to work
with the community to address school financing. I commit to working to lobby the government for reform in
education financing.
34.
Are you, or any of your campaign
committee members, active in or supportive of the “Get Real”, “ACE” or “Vote No
for Change” organizations?
I am not involved in these organizations. No one from my campaign committee, to my
knowledge, is involved.
35.
Name of campaign
committee/address/phone #/treasurer.
List the members of your campaign committee.
“Silveira for School Board”, 5760 Barbara Drive, Fitchburg,
WI, 53711; phone: 516-8981
Treasurer: Tammy
Peyton
Campaign Committee: Tammy Peyton, Marisue Horton, Beth Zurbuchen, Joan Eggert, Janet
Morrow, Robert Godfrey
36.
Do you accept PAC contributions?
At this point I am leaning toward not accepting PAC
contributions.