Every Student. One Voice.

Every student. One voice.

Dearborn PTSA Council 2009 Voters Guide

Every student. One voice.

October 25, 2009 The Dearborn PTSA council, made up of representatives from the city’s 25 local chapters, recently submitted a list of questions to the candidates for the upcoming Dearborn School Board and Dearborn City Council election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Candidates were asked to limit their responses to each question to 50 words. On behalf of the entire PTSA Council, I’d like to extend our appreciation to the candidates who responded for taking part in the questionnaire.

Sincerely,

Thomas Trimble Dearborn PTSA Legislative Chair http://ptsa.dearbornschools.org/

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Dearborn PTSA Council 2009 Voters Guide Candidates for Dearborn School Board (2 open seats)

Question #1

What are your top priorities for improving public education in Dearborn?

Pamela Adams

Raise student achievement above the state averages. We need accurate assessment of test results to choose effective programs. Expectations for students, parents, teachers and staff must be raised. With funding cuts, we must consolidate services with others, assess programs for effectiveness, consider new efficiencies, and implement what is most effective.

Hussein Berry

Did not respond.

John Corbin

Priority 1 would be to look into how much time the teachers actually spend educating the students and how much time they are doing other things. If we allow teachers to spend more time educating our students, they will definitely benefit and so will the overall achievement of the district.

Roxanne McDonald

We must ensure every Dearborn student is challenged to reach their full potential and prepared to compete in a global economy. It’s imperative our community continues to have access to quality, affordable higher education through HFCC. We must share ideas, collaborate on solutions and be good stewards of our resources.

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School Board Candidates

Question #2

How should teacher quality and school and teacher performance be evaluated?

Pamela Adams

Teachers and administrators are now being evaluated annually. Principals evaluate teachers and Associate Superintendents evaluate administrators. There can be input from parents and students. If there are performance issues, a work plan should be started with close follow-up. Buildings have School Improvement Plans that are reviewed annually by district staff.

Hussein Berry

Did not respond.

John Corbin

Evaluations should be based on individual and district goals set for each year. To base evaluations on student performance alone is very difficult due to the fact that every student has varying abilities to learn.

Roxanne McDonald

MEAP scores offer a limited view of a school’s success. By adding a short survey for parents to evaluate both the teacher and the school, which would be weighed in as a small percentage of the overall scores, this could then help ensure a more accurate evaluation.

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School Board Candidates

Question #3

In a time of ever tightening school budgets, can you identify a specific program that you have either tried to protect from budget cuts or would work to protect if elected?

Pamela Adams

I would undo most program cuts. With multimillion dollar cuts annually for the last 5 years, many worthwhile programs have been lost. State required graduation requirements allow fewer options for high school electives. The core curriculum has to be protected as well as required federal mandates

Hussein Berry

Did not respond.

John Corbin

Music would be my choice of beneficial programs to keep. Research has shown that students who are in programs such as music have actually performed better than those who are not. In addition, I feel that this is another way to provide our students with a well rounded education.

Roxanne McDonald

Knowing that our first cuts wouldn’t be in academics, I believe music and the arts are vital in developing well rounded students. Music has a tremendous impact on thought processes as it stimulates the creative areas of the brain. Offering electives also allows students the opportunity to explore other interests.

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School Board Candidates

Question #4

What is your opinion of current funding for public education? If there is a problem, can you identify one specific solution that should be explored?

Pamela Adams

Current funding is unreliable. Our foundation grant must be sufficient to cover expenses without the categorical and at-risk money previously used for extra resources. We should seriously explore Speaker Dillon’s health care proposal he claims could save millions of scarce education dollars.

Hussein Berry

Did not respond.

John Corbin

Funding for public education is going to be an issue for years to come. Currently, I feel that the administration is progressing in the right direction, making cuts where appropriate, asking employees for input on how to save money, and having an outside entity study other areas for possible changes.

Roxanne McDonald

Mandates that aren’t properly funded are a problem. Dearborn being a “donor district” is another concern. It’s vital that tax revenue generated in Dearborn remain in Dearborn. Changing government policies is difficult, however Dearborn has a large voter base and strong PTSA’s which can be rallied to lobby our representatives.

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School Board Candidates

Question #5

Do you support a state law that would tie increases in education funding to the annual rate of inflation? If so, why? If not, why not?

Pamela Adams

In the current economy, that is not possible. We operate on negative budgets. Schools have to advocate for every dollar available in the state budget. We need to tie expenses to the rate of inflation. We must operate efficiently, consolidate services, and make structural changes for lasting savings.

Hussein Berry

Did not respond.

John Corbin

No. I feel that funding needs to stabilize in its current form before a law of that magnitude can be passed. I don’t see how the state could guarantee us a 2 percent increase when they have trouble keeping the funding at the same level it was at previously.

Roxanne McDonald

Yes absolutely, as our per-child funding continues to decrease each year, our utilities and related expenses increase, which adds to the budgetary hardships we face. Such a law would relieve a small portion of the strain on our districts budget. We need all the help we can get.

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School Board Candidates

Question #6

What do you see as the proper role for a member of the Board of Education?

Pamela Adams

Board members set policy and employ the Superintendent and college President to carry out those policies. Board members approve the budget and oversee that it is carried out. Board members are representatives of the community in the governing of the school district and HFCC.

Hussein Berry

Did not respond.

John Corbin

Board members are the liaison between the administration and the community. Also I see them as the administration oversight, the board makes the policy and it is their responsibility to make sure the administration implements it, in order for our students to receive the best all around education possible.

Roxanne McDonald

Technically the school board responsibilities are hiring and firing the superintendent, setting policy and seeing that it’s implemented. We must also provide quality education for every Dearborn child while being fiscally responsible. Listening to citizens concerns, identify problems areas and working together to find appropriate solutions is also extremely important.

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Candidates for Dearborn City Council (7 open seats)

Question #1

What role does city government have in making sure that Dearborn has excellent public schools?

Thomas Patrick Tafelski

Did not respond.

Nancy A. Hubbard

Dearborn city government and Dearborn public schools each have their own governing body and administration. However, the city of Dearborn insures that families with children what to live in Dearborn. The city also provides special services to support activities and is collaborating on operations to save costs for both organizations.

George T. Darany

The City Council needs to engage the school board and superintendent more often. I suggest that we meet at least quarterly to discuss how we can partner to save money on supplies and services that both the City and Schools both use. These savings could be used in the classroom.

Suzanne Sareini

I currently serve on a committee of school and city representatives. We recognize the need to pool our resources in these difficult financial times. Great schools are the backbone of any successful community and I am committed to continue to explore ways to make Dearborn even better.

Mark C. Shooshanian

City government and the schools are two separate entities. They can help each other by finding ways to share some of their facilities to cut costs. Also, by communicating with each they can share a vision in what is the best for the citizens of Dearborn.

Sharon Dulmage

City government and Dearborn schools should work collaboratively to purchase supplies and services in order to save tax dollars. Coordination of community education and offerings to reduce duplication would produce a cost savings to both. The city and schools are separate entities but need to work together to maximize resources.

Brian C. O’Donnell

Government plays a role by being a partner in education. This means assuring students commute in a safe environment, providing ancillary services, and a realization of the line between where the city government stops, and the board - administration starts. Increased property values means an increase in resources for schools.

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Doug Thomas

Did not respond.

Robert A. Abraham

Did not respond.

David W. Bazzy

I believe that schools and city government need to remain separate, however the need to create a safe neighborhood environment is key to establishing excellent public schools. The city needs to foster home ownership which will lead to greater parental involvement and improved school performance.

George Hart

Did not respond.

Patrick M. Kiernan

Did not respond.

Patrick D’Ambrosio

Did not respond.

Ali Sayed

It is the cities role to insure that our school district sustains the standard and quality of the students. Setting the standard of living within Dearborn can and will attract families that will appreciate the city and the school district. Maintaining clean and healthy neighborhoods and parks will assist in property values and the growing taxable value of properties within the city.

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Dearborn City Council Candidates

Question #2

What is your position on paid parking in Dearborn?

Thomas Patrick Tafelski

Did not respond.

Nancy A. Hubbard

Someone has to pay for providing the parking lots that support businesses. Paid parking requires that either the users of the parking lot pat or businesses pay by validating their patrons’ parking. Otherwise, general tax payers would have to pay resulting in less money for other services.

George T. Darany

I believe the user paid parking system needs to be revamped to be more user friendly. The way it is set up now, the user’s rate is based on what day it is, what time of day, and the location of the lot. The system needs to be more consistent.

Suzanne Sareini

My goal would be to eliminate paid parking. At the time it was implemented our parking lots were in dire need of improvement and no one could have predicted today’s economy. Unfortunately, we did not consider what might happen if the developer did not complete their project.

Mark C. Shooshanian

There is a cost for maintaining our parking lots. There are three ways to pay for this, business pay, taxpayers pay or users of the system pay. Just as the users of our pools pay and users of the community center pay so should the users of the parking lots.

Sharon Dulmage

Paid parking is user unfriendly and unpopular. It was voted on and supported by taxpayers but things have changed. The elimination or restructuring of the paid parking would reduce revenue needed to support the structures so the logical thing to do is to create revenue from the structures by alternate usage as other cities have done.

Brian C. O’Donnell

I am not a fan of paid parking. It unfortunately must remain in some way, shape, or form to cover the debt service of the two parking structures. New buildings between the current parking decks will alleviate some financial burden. Paid parking is broke and needs to be fixed.

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Doug Thomas

Did not respond.

Robert A. Abraham

Did not respond.

David W. Bazzy

Paid parking needs to be reviewed and that is currently what is occurring by the parking task force. Everyone would like paid parking to just go away, but all that would do is to put the strain of the bond repayment on the sole back of the Dearborn citizen. We need to work out solutions here and stop pointing fingers.

George Hart

Did not respond.

Patrick M. Kiernan

Did not respond.

Patrick D’Ambrosio

Did not respond.

Ali Sayed

It is time to listen to the residents and business owners. We don’t want it. It’s affecting our most important business district, the heart of our city.

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Dearborn City Council Candidates

Question #3

Are you in favor of closing some of the city’s underused swimming pools?

Thomas Patrick Tafelski

Did not respond.

Nancy A. Hubbard

Did not respond.

George T. Darany

Surveys that were taken last year indicate that the eight pools are used about the same throughout the city. I might be in favor of possible converting one or two of the pools into “splash parks” where the surveys indicated usage to be mainly children under ten years old.

Suzanne Sareini

I am in favor or updating our recreational facilities not eliminating them. I would like to see if the residents of Dearborn would like to have splash parks for toddlers in some cases and regular pools in others. This may increase the usage of the underused pools.

Mark C. Shooshanian

I feel we can reduce some of the costs of maintaining our pools by having neighborhoods volunteering to help defray some of the costs or finding alternatives to the pools themselves. I and my children grew up at the pools, so anyway possible I would like to keep them open.

Sharon Dulmage

Everything is on the table when it comes to reducing the budget except for those that are mandated by the city charter. Prioritizing must be done first and everything examined so choosing one thing to eliminate without going through the review process is difficult.

Brian C. O’Donnell

As a candidate, I am not privy to the all of financial information used to make these decisions and I would need more information. At a first glance, I would prefer a variable shortening of daily hours of operation or selected daily pool closings versus seeing them closed altogether.

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Doug Thomas

Did not respond.

Robert A. Abraham

Did not respond.

David W. Bazzy

I am not in favor of reducing community recreational facilities, these short term cost savings often lead to higher costs in the area of children without outlets for energy. Reallocating some resource dollars and defining some type of co-operative arrangement between the schools and the recreation department would be favorable.

George Hart

Did not respond.

Patrick M. Kiernan

Did not respond.

Patrick D’Ambrosio

Did not respond.

Ali Sayed

No! As a youth my best memories came from those hot summer days at the parks and pools. They offer an outlet to so many youth. If the pools are underused then the city is doing something wrong in the marketing of the pools and the programs held within.

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Dearborn City Council Candidates

Question #4

Dearborn has a number of quality summer recreation programs for kids but almost no summer programs for kids in their early teens and teenagers. Is this a problem? If so, what can the city do to fix it?

Thomas Patrick Tafelski

Did not respond.

Nancy A. Hubbard

Many of Dearborn’s summer programs are available to early teens and teenagers. We feature open gyms and less formal individual activities as well as organized sports such as baseball, basketball, and soccer. I am open to discussing any gaps in our service mix if they exist.

George T. Darany

This is another area where the City and the Schools need to work together to develop programs that would benefit those age groups that need more summer activities. I suggest collaborating with the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center and the schools to expand the youth programs already in place.

Suzanne Sareini

Yes it is a problem. The city and the schools are working in partnership towards restoring “Recreation Nights” in the schools similar to the program we enjoyed growing up in the city. We hope to enhance the program by adding an educational component to recreation.

Mark C. Shooshanian

It has been hard to develop programs for this group because they have been spending more time in their houses playing video games. It seems they having been gravitating towards sport organizations such as Dearborn Soccer, Dearborn Dolphins and Dearborn Baseball. I feel sport camps would be a possible solution.

Sharon Dulmage

Many early teens are involved in summer activities such as swimming and tennis. Many older teens have part time jobs so without review to determine need I don’t know if this is a problem. Certainly summer opportunities could be expanded to include this age group if there is a need and it is cost effective.

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Brian C. O’Donnell

This is a problem. It is my understanding that there are some activities, for example sports camps, that not only help the students, but their activity fees help the host school athletic programs. Activities which are cost effective could be expanded with new offerings added based on student interest.

Doug Thomas

Did not respond.

Robert A. Abraham

Did not respond.

David W. Bazzy

Many of the summer programs should be linked with the schools, so that the city can utilize existing resources the school has as well as the knowledge from the teaching and coaching base in the city. A possibility would be a funding arrangement with student teachers in physical education earning credit while teaching a variety of activities.

George Hart

Did not respond.

Patrick M. Kiernan

Did not respond.

Patrick D’Ambrosio

Did not respond.

Ali Sayed

I know directly that there are programs that are offered to teenagers in Dearborn. I founded an organization that solely dedicates it mission to serving the youth in Dearborn from ages 6 -17. We need more counseling, mentoring, tutoring, recreation and career development programs.

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Dearborn City Council Candidates

Question #5

Do you favor the privatization or regionalization of city services to save budget dollars?

Thomas Patrick Tafelski

Did not respond.

Nancy A. Hubbard

I favor providing the finest public services we can afford to provide. If privatizing a service allows us to offer it at less cost we owe it to our taxpayers to evaluate this option. I feel the same about regionalization. We need to find creative approaches in these challenging times.

George T. Darany

City workers are the backbone of Dearborn! Privatization would weaken us. Regionalization might work in certain instances, but not for Police, Fire or Public Works. We need the stability those departments bring. There’re other ways to save budget dollars that include reducing services that are redundant or only benefit few.

Suzanne Sareini

Not at the expense of our way of life. We’ve built proud traditions, a great service mix, and a special way of life. We currently contract out a number of services; however they are not services that are related to Public Safety such as Police and Fire.

Mark C. Shooshanian

I am not in favor of privatization as long as our city workers can provide the services our citizens are accustomed to. We have excellent police and fire departments, a possibility would be for other communities to pay for the use of these departments.

Sharon Dulmage

No, I do not support privatization of city services. I believe there is pride in ownership and it would put many people out of work who live in our city. I do support looking for ways to be more cost efficient in providing services.

Brian C. O’Donnell

It is my job to be a good steward of the taxpayer's money. There are areas in the city budget that need to be examined for efficiencies. In my experience, privatization is a short term gain that in the long run may not yield desired outcomes for the parties involved.

Doug Thomas

Did not respond.

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Robert A. Abraham

Did not respond.

David W. Bazzy

Some services it may make great sense to regionalize. Dearborn with its efficient system could possibly be the provider to collect and distribute taxes in the metro region. As for privatization you need to be open to reviewing and weighing options.

George Hart

Did not respond.

Patrick M. Kiernan

Did not respond.

Patrick D’Ambrosio

Did not respond.

Ali Sayed

To chose of one or the other I would chose regionalization without a doubt. I actually encourage it; so long Dearborn leads the effort. Trash collection, Road Maintenance can be cost saving measures that will benefit out city and the neighboring cities that we partner with.

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