Vote Medford 2005

Bruce Kulik

Candidate for Medford School Committee

candidate email:  bkulik@alum.mit.edu
website: www.brucekulik.org

View the complete School Committee questionnaire.

Kulik: Q1 - Why Medford Public Schools?

I've talked to parents throughout the city about why they have chosen private or religious schools or home schooling for their children, and have been told a variety of reasons. In some cases, no public school will ever adequately addressed their concerns, such as a desire for religiously based instruction, or for a particular specialty that a private school might offer.

Sometimes parents have decided to send their children to private schools because of outdated or inaccurate information. For these parents, I would recommend that they visit the schools, speak with some of the school staff, and talk to parents whose children attend the schools. They should also talk to those who have graduated and gone on to prestigious state and private universities, or who are now gainfully employed in a trade or profession. The Medford High School has extensive honors and advance placement programs and the Medford Vocational School is one of the few vocational schools in the region.

Additionally, Medford now has all new buildings for the K-8 schools that are physically accessible. And, while there is still much work to be done, the High School has had some major updates including a new roof, heating system, and elevator. Medford also has several special education programs for children with emotional or developmental disabilities -- something that you won't find in private schools.

Although there are many positive reasons for sending your children to Medford schools, in some cases the schools still fall short of parental expectations. As a member of the Medford School Committee, I would explore these reasons in more detail to see how they should be addressed. No parent should have to feel that they must choose a private school simply because Medford Schools "just aren't good enough".

Kulik: Q2 - Adequate service for gifted and talented?

No. While we have a great honors and advanced placement program at the High School, we do not currently have adequate programs or policies in place for those elementary and middle school students that are academically performing well above their grade expectation. We also do not have adequate art, music, or performance instruction to bring out these skills in gifted students.

Recently Medford has begun to explore how such programs could be put in place. As a school committee member, I would make sure that we thoroughly investigate how we can take advantage of state and private grants to implement gifted and talented programs. I would also look into teacher training, teaching methods, and policies that would enable every teacher to better address advanced students at all levels.

One method that is employed by some teachers is referred to as developmental or constructivist. It allows teachers to work with not only the middle students, but also with those who either excel or have difficulty with the subject material. These are considered best educational practices and should be considered when hiring new teachers and when developing training programs for our current teachers.

Kulik: Q3 - Computer-skills Curriculum

Because of the recent opening of the new school buildings at the K-8 level, Medford has one of the best computers to student ratios in the state, with adequate modern equipment in place. However, it is my understanding that the High School does not have this same level of computer equipment. Additionally, computer equipment rapidly becomes obsolete as more advanced technologies become available. We must be vigilant that our equipment does not become inadequate. As a computer software engineer, I am keenly aware of the advancements in hardware, software, and curriculum integration that are needed to take full advantage of computer technology.

Regarding the computer-skills curriculum, I believe that we can do better than the current instruction. While it is important to learn about word processing and how to research information on the internet, I think that this instruction can be taken much further, and can be better integrated with the mainstream classroom activities. Touch-typing should be taught at the elementary level. Students should be taught and encouraged to build web pages and compose music or video segments. Mathematical and scientific explorations on the computer can go well beyond static textbook presentations. And, students need to be taught how to discern accurate information from misleading or extraneous data that abounds on the Internet.

Kulik: Q4 - On MCAS

There is a business saying that says, "You get what you measure". That's not to say that what you measure is necessarily the right thing. Instead it means that any individual or organization will adapt its behavior to maximize whatever it is that is measured. Customer service representatives who were rewarded based on how short their phone calls were simply hung up on people who couldn't be helped in just a few minutes.

The results of the MCAS tests are similar to that business saying. When teacher or school evaluations are based on how well the student body performs on an individual test, the administration and teachers will try to adjust policies and teaching styles to maximize the number of right answers. This is not good for the overall education of our children. Often, teachers end up resorting to factoid-based instruction rather than exploring the deeper complexity of the subject material.

Instead, as a school committee member, I would recommend policies which have teachers continuing to teach rich subject material, consistent with the state frameworks, with no special emphasis on MCAS preparation beyond a basic review of general test taking skills. I would also recommend a more detailed review of the MCAS results by principals and curriculum directors to determine if there is a trend in a particular subject area that requires changes to the overall emphasis of that area.

Kulik: Q5 - Comparisons with surrounding communities

There are many aspects of Medford schools that are on par or superior to surrounding school systems, which I've touched upon in previous answers. However, in several analyses I've seen in local press, Medford does not perform as well as would be expected when adjusted for its overall demographics. I attribute some of that to the relatively large percentage of families (over 20%) that have opted to send their children to private and charter schools.

There are a number of programs that have been implemented in nearby districts that I think warrant investigation by Medford. One area in which we are weak is the frequency of general musical instruction at the elementary and middle school levels. Additionally, I would like to see all students encouraged to engage in instrumental or choral groups beginning at the elementary level. In particular, many families in Medford cannot afford the cost of instrument rental. I would like to see Medford pursue grants to assist low and moderate-income families in this area.

Medford should also explore diversification of teaching styles such as is done with public Montessori programs like the River Valley Charter School in Newburyport or Hill View, Haverhill. Another model along this line is the constructivist choice program at Somerville's Healey School.

Finally, Medford should consider the teacher hiring practices of most nearby schools. Earlier this month, the Boston Globe's help wanted pages show aggressive continuing recruitment by Everett, Somerville, Belmont, Stoneham, Billerica and Burlington, amongst other regional districts. When it comes to schools, the ability to attract, retain, and train exemplary teachers is one of the most important considerations.

Kulik: Q6 - Religion in Medford's Public Schools?

I believe that religion belongs with the family and whatever religious institutions that family is a member of. Our society is too diverse for any public institution to dictate or imply that a particular religious belief should or should not be practiced. At the same time, we need to make reasonable accommodation for individuals with bona fide beliefs that may require practices that are outside the mainstream of society.

Additionally, I recognize that certain social studies such as ancient world history, modern geography, and even certain aspects of world history, cannot be fully taught without recognizing the role that religions played in the development of civilization or in historical events.

One concept that has been raised recently is that of "intelligent design". I view this as an interjection of religious ideals into scientific enquiry, and will not support its incorporation into the science curriculum.

Kulik: Q7 - Remaining in touch with school reality

As a parent of two children in the Medford Public Schools, I am in touch with what is happening at their schools every day. I attend all PTO meetings and as many school social events and principal coffees as possible unless I have an unavoidable conflict. I regularly speak with teachers and administration in the school courtyard or at homework and curriculum nights.

I have worked directly with Superintendent Roy Belson to develop solutions to several issues, including bus discipline problems, choice of teaching styles, and problems related to the merging of different elementary school cultures as we transitioned to the new schools. I regularly attend Medford School Committee meetings, and often speak with Mr. Belson and other school officials on an ad hoc basis.

In addition, I participate in several classroom and school email forums. I'm a founding member of the citywide PTO support group and welcoming committee. I was the coordinator of the Medford Math and Science Parent Involvement Project, and still occasionally participate in Math and Science nights at the different elementary schools. I'm on both the Brooks School and Medford High School site councils. And, I'm active with various sub-committees at both the Brooks and Andrews schools.

As a school committee member, I will make it a point to meet at least twice per school year with the parent groups at each of the schools at all levels to discuss issues they may have. I will encourage all the other school committee members to join me.

Kulik: Q8 - Energy Costs

There is no doubt that increasing energy cost will be a major problem with this year's already strained school budget. Unfortunately, like anyone who pays for his or her own heat, we will need to come up with the money somehow. Without cutting programs to pay for heat, there are only two solutions -- receive more money from the state, or run a deficit.

It will be extremely difficult to cut programs, as they have already been cut as much as possible by this year's austerity budget. Our new buildings already have energy efficiency built in, so it will be difficult to squeeze additional cost savings by implementing special energy saving ideas. We could probably cut down on the lights, or run the thermostats even lower, but it will be difficult.

One parent that I know is interested in making a learning experience out of monitoring energy usage. Another group is interested in using school property for alternative energy generation. I support both of these ideas and would continue to explore other ways that we can lower our energy usage.

Kulik: Q9 - Attracting and retaining excellent teachers

I believe that the hiring, retaining, and training of exemplary teachers is one of the most important activities that a school system does. Teachers should be aggressively recruited from local and regional teaching programs. To do this, we must build relationships with the contacts at those programs, and make sure that Medford has a positive reputation within the program.

Most importantly, we need to begin recruiting before many of these teachers have taken positions at other districts. I have been told several stories about teachers who were interested in exploring a position in Medford, but who were either not contacted, or were contacted too late to be hired. As I mentioned in an answer to another question, Medford rarely has postings in the employment sections of Boston's major newspapers.

Another issue that affects Medford's ability to hire expediently is the apparent ability of current teachers to claim open positions before a new teacher is hired into that position. While I understand that this is necessary when a more senior teacher's position has been eliminated, the process sometimes conflicts with state regulations that place hiring decisions with the individual school principals. I would like to see Medford explore the possibility of clarifying these work rules with the teacher's union, so that a senior teacher's job security is intact, while allowing greater flexibility with new hires.

Additionally, we need to make sure that our existing teachers are provided with ongoing training to keep them knowledgeable about current best practices in education. By doing so, they will know that they are valued, and will be less likely to want to change to another school system.