Vote Medford 2005

Paulette Van der Kloot

Candidate for Medford School Committee

candidate email: STR0007@aol.com
phone number: 781-488-3366

 

View the complete School Committee questionnaire.

Van der Kloot: Q1 - Why Medford Public Schools?

My job as a member of the Medford School Committee is to work to ensure that our schools offer to families a strong competitive choice for families considering educational opportunities for their children. The first thing I would suggest to families is that they come visit our schools! When I spoke to parents who have chosen Charter Schools, I have consistently asked them if they visited our schools and they reply no. Thus, their choice is made not on the realities of what the public schools offer, but either on misconceptions or personal preferences. Most private schools carry with them a reality of a substantial price tag which many families cannot even consider. As the Headmaster of Medford High School says, Medford High school offers a wide variety of opportunities to meet the needs of our students at a very attractive price! I believe that our public schools, even with the fiscal realities of this year, offer attractive class sizes, a multi-cultural environment, provide many opportunities for students and families to participate in a wide variety of activities, and most importantly, a learning environment which supports strong achievement by students.

Our new schools are completely accessible and an elevator was added to the High School to ensure accessibility to all students. An extensive special education program exists to meet the needs of students who require special services to meet their needs.

I have worked hard to make the Medford Public Schools an attractive choice for parents although at the same time, I respect those who choose other alternatives. It is a parents' responsibility to consider the unique needs of their child, it is my responsibility to make sure the public school option is a strong and viable choice.

Van der Kloot: Q2 - Adequate service for gifted and talented?

Gifted and talented programs took a hit in many school systems, including ours, in recent years. However, Medford just recently co-sponsored the Massachusetts Gifted and Talented Planning Summit which was convened because of a concern that teacher/classroom initiatives alone were not adequately meeting the needs of all students. This year, the Medford Public Schools will apply for a grant to expand Gifted and Talented programs.

At the High School, honors and advanced placement classes challenge students capable of advanced work. While individual schools offer after school enrichment activities and special opportunities, there is certainly room for increasing challenging opportunities for our students. It is my personal belief that we should always strive to increase and improve opportunities for our students.

I am also a strong advocate for music and art programs which I think benefit all our students and offer some students an area in which they may particularly excel. Over the years, I have certainly noticed a high correlation of students in our High School music programs being amongst the top academic achievers.

Van der Kloot: Q3 - Computer-skills Curriculum

A few years ago, I was actively involved with this issue because I was getting feedback from parents and students that the then required computer class at the high school was a waster of time because the students already knew the material offered. Our computer savvy kids were completely ahead of us. Course content has been updated and students can now opt to take a variety of classes from novice to those offering more advanced skills.

At the middle school, the technology labs enable students to have a variety of experiences which serve to allow students to expand the basic computer skills learned in elementary school. Medford has a good computer to student ratio of one computer to every 2.3 students placing us within the top 10% of school districts in the state. Of course, equipment needs to be constantly updated which in tough economic times is difficult.

In service training is contiually offered to teachers and our Tritec Collaborative has received many grants which has enabled faculty members to produce project-based lessons that incorporate technology. More than 50 lessons are available to our teachers.

Governor Romney recently proposed that an inexpensive laptop program be implemented. As a parent who has dealt with my own daughter's laptop repairs, I wonder about the feasibility of this. Access is key, but only if the access is dependable. We might be far better off by spending that money on more updated equipment and computer labs that are staffed and remain open into the evening. What do you think?

If anybody would like to discuss this or any other issue with me, please feel free to call me at 781-488-3366  or email me at STR0007@aol.com.

Van der Kloot: Q4 - On MCAS

When the MCAS was first proposed, it never was intended to be the only basis for evaluating students. Rather, multiple assessments were envisioned which included portfolio's of student work. I believe the current emphasis on high stakes testing drains an enormous amount of time and energy which might better be used implementing curriculum which encourages critical thinking. Increased MCAS tests were recently approved in science. Does this mean that a hands on, lab based subject area could fall victim to a paper and pen approach? And, I am concerned about students who can excel but their strength is not traditional testing.

MCAS statistics do not compare "apples to apples" as the student cohort changes every year. A more useful assessment of achievement could be achieved by measuring a students growth from year to year.

It is not fair to judge a teacher on the MCAS performance of their students. Student achievement is cumulative and not based on a single year or on a single test.

I believe the implementation of the Curriculum Frameworks served to enhance education throughout the Commonwealth and the MCAS certainly increases pressure on a district to make sure that every student is included in the learning process. However, it is the tendency of the state and federal D.O.E. to implement more and more testing without the funds to support the costs inherent in these programs. My greatest concern about the emphasis on MCAS is that music and art education may be adversely affected as more and more resources are needed to support the MCAS. As a school committee member, I will continue to ensure that our students receive a well-rounded education.

Van der Kloot: Q5 - Comparisons with surrounding communities

Part of this question should be "Does Medford have programs and initiatives which serve as models for other school districts?" The answer would be an emphatic yes. The Family Network  and Community Partnership for children are extremely successful initiatives which have served as models for other communities. Tritec is a joint technology collaboration with Everett and Malden. One exemplary program which Tritec put together was with the Museum of Science. Twelve of our outstanding math and science high school students attended a program this summer at the Science Museum with students from Everett and Malden. In addition to the fabulous learning experience afforded to these students, they were also each given a stipend which was grant funded that encouraged them to participate in the program. A fine lesson for our students who will someday enter the working world; not only can you do something you find interesting, you can earn a living doing it!

Several other Medford initiatives have been implemented in other communities including STARS (School Threat Assessment and Response System), district based licensure programs, teacher mentoring programs, and numerous partnerships with industry and universities. Medford aggressively goes after grant money which funds new initiatives and allows us to provide more opportunities for the students and for the community.

I very much favor looking to other communities for ideas. One way a school committee member can do this is by participating in the annual school committee conference which is held every Novemeber. I have attended the conference every year I have been on the school committee and have benefited by interacting with school committee members and superintendents from across the Commonwealth.

Van der Kloot: Q6 - Religion in Medford's Public Schools?

As a school committee member, I believe it is my duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States which mandates the separation of Church and State.

Van der Kloot: Q7 - Remaining in touch with school reality

I am a very active member of the school committee and make every effort to be a familiar face at every school. At the outset, it is important to note that it is the role of the school committee to make policy NOT to micromanage the schools. Thus there is a fine line of being respectful to the schools, parents, and staff and allow the schools to function without inappropriately inserting oneself. However, that being said, I think one of the strengths that I bring to the school committee is being visable and being able to assert appropriately. For example, last year, the parents at the Roberts Elementary School were becoming increasing frustrated by traffic and other concerns. I attended a PTO meeting and heard their concerns. After I relayed the issues to the Superintendent, both he and the asst. Superintendent got involved the very next morning and issues were resolved.

I also make it a point to attend sports events and concerts on a regular basis. This allows me the opportunity to see our students progress and also keeps me attuned to concerns that arise. Perhaps the best example I can give is the most recent. When my mom was at the hospice just a few weeks ago, I returned a phone call from a PTO member who needed some help setting up a candidate's forum. After I had a discussion with the Superintendent, the city-wide PTO was given permission to set up the forum which will take place on Nov. 1 at the McGlynn School. I very much appreciate being invited to events and make every effort to attend. By being visable, I am able to learn the concerns of students, teachers, administrators, and parents and work to resolve issues that arise.

Van der Kloot: Q8 - Energy Costs

Ms. Van der Kloot was unable to complete this questionnaire fully due to a death in her family.

Van der Kloot: Q9 - Attracting and retaining excellent teachers

I have worked with a group of parents who are greatly concerned about this issue and want to make sure that we are hiring the best teachers available. To them and to me, I think that begins by attracting a large diverse pool of applicants. I have advocated for and will continue to work for an opportunity for parents to be involved in the hiring process. I believe we want to seek teachers who are able to present material in a variety of ways so that they connect with students with different learning styles. At present, the hiring practice differs between schools. I think the inclusion of parents in the process alleviates concerns that a weak candidate might be hired. It is important to note that we have a strong faculty and I hear very good things about our new hires. In order to help teachers, Medford has many professional development programs and provides mentor teachers to new faculty members.

There are times when either a reduction of staff or some other district need means a teacher is moved from one building to another. We have contractual obligations to the staff by which we must abide. The goal is to make every new hire an excellent one so that any movement of staff between buildings is seen as a positive move.

I maintain an open dialogue with administrators about teacher effectiveness. The goal is to foster improvement and excellence. If a teacher is falling short, it is important that administrators hear concerns from the parent constituency and listen to students as well so they can intervene appropriately if necessary.