Markling for School Board

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marklingm
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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:12 pm

LTA Questions No. 3

What do you think is the number one issue facing our school district?

Leadership is the number one issue facing our school district as its serves as the foundation of academic excellence and school safety.

As a school board member, I will ensure a leadership system that includes:

• A student-focused environment;

• High expectations for student and organizational performance, individual student and staff development, initiative, innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement;

• An educational environment that supports students’ developmental needs;

• Ongoing analysis by the school district or school of both student and organizational performance; and

• The use of findings from ongoing reviews of student and organizational performance to improve system operations; promote innovation; align the school district’s mission, goals and objectives, strategic plan and stakeholder needs; and allocate fiscal and human resources.

As a school board member, I will:

• Assure that the mission and educational goals of the school district or school reflect the educational needs identified by a broad representation of stakeholders;

• Assure that board policies and the district’s educational goals are available to stakeholders;

• Listen to and appropriately respond to stakeholder concerns about current and future school operations in a timely manner; and

• Model and promote ethical behavior among all stakeholders.


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marklingm
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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:16 pm

LTA Question No. 4

What are your top five objectives if elected to the Board of Education?


My top five objectives if elected to the Lakewood City School District Board of Education are as follows, in no particular order:

• Ensuring open and honest communication with all stakeholders – i.e., teachers, staff, citizens, parents, students, administrators, and board members.

• Ensuring that appropriate resources are provided to our educational professionals – i.e., teachers, staff and administrators – to provide academic excellence throughout the Lakewood City Schools.

• Ensuring that the Lakewood City Schools meets state and federal accountability standards.

• Ensuring that all school safety recommendations of both Student Conduct and School Climate Committees continue to be implemented fully including, but not limited to:
o Total Enforcement of the Student Code of Conduct – including the current dress code;
o Unequivocal Required Display of Photo IDs;
o Smoke-Free and Drug-Free School Environment;
o Extensive Orientation for All Incoming Students – including the middle and high schools;
o Alternative Education for Students Suspended or Expelled; and
o Increase Student Opportunities for Extra-Curricular Activities.

• Highlighting the academic excellence currently taking place in the Lakewood City Schools by (1) taking advantage of the media outlets we currently have (e.g., Channel 74, newsletters, website, etc.) and (2) recognizing both students and parents for their academic accomplishments on a classroom, building, and district-wide level.


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:17 pm

LTA Question No. 5

In a period of tight school funding, how would you rank the following as targets for cost reduction? (Please rank each from 1-11, with one (1) being the first to target for reduction and eleven (11) being the last to target. Please type your numbers right after each hyphen.)

- Supplies / materials
- Remedial programs
- Gifted program
- Class size
- Maintenance/building improvements
- Salaries
- Employee insurance
- Media specialists / aides
- Extra-curricular activities
- Staff size
- Staff development


I must respectfully disagree with the premise of this question. No item can be considered in a vacuum. Nor should any specific item set forth above be considered a “targetâ€Â


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:19 pm

LTA Question No. 6

Please describe areas within the budget, if any, where you feel too much or too little money is being spent?

Since I am not currently a school board member, I was not privy to any of the discussions that lead to the adoption of the current five year forecast by the Lakewood City School District Board of Education. Nor was I privy to any of the discussions that led to the budget recommendations made by the Administration. In light of the Superintendent’s representation at the Convocation that no operating levy will be put on the ballot in 2008, it appears that the Lakewood City Schools is managing its scarce resources well.

To the extent too much is being spent anywhere; I would suggest that cuts could be made in the area of legal services. The rising cost of legal services is an issue I raised with the Administration as early as 2004 when my law firm proposed a flat fee of $10,000 per month for all legal services (exclusive of bond work and administrative/civil litigation). In 2006, legal fees expended by the Lakewood City Schools for all law firms amounted to $524,376.

As a school board member, I will call for a public request for proposal process for all legal work, as well as an analysis as to whether the Lakewood City Schools would be better served through the hiring of in-house legal counsel who are held accountable to the Board of Education directly.


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:20 pm

LTA Question No. 7

What is your position on shifting the use of public tax funds currently supporting public schools to pay for tuition at private and parochial schools (a voucher system)?


As a preliminary matter, it appears that this question is directed toward the voucher system only. There is, of course, a distinction between vouchers and remedial services. While I am not opposed to public monies being expended for remedial services, I would not support a voucher system for the Lakewood City Schools.

Unfortunately, vouchers have become part of the educational landscape to a limited degree. In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, 536 U.S. 639 (2002), the United States Supreme Court declared the Cleveland-based voucher plan (“Ohio Pilot Project Scholarship Programâ€Â


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:21 pm

LTA Question No. 8

What limits would you place on class size and what recommendations would you make to alleviate class loads?


Within the fiscal constraints facing the Lakewood City Schools, class size should maximize academic excellence and school safety.

As a school board member, I will work to ensure that the ratio of teachers to students district-wide be at least one full-time equivalent classroom teacher for each twenty-five students in the regular student population.

As a school board member, I will work to ensure that the ratio of teachers to students in kindergarten through fourth grade on a district-wide basis be at least one full-time equivalent classroom teacher per twenty-five students in the regular student population.

As a school board member, I will work to ensure that a minimum of five full-time equivalent educational service personnel be employed district-wide for each one thousand students in the regular student population.

As a school board member, I will work to ensure that the minimum ratio of teachers to students with special needs be provided in accordance with state and federal laws.


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:22 pm

LTA Question No. 9

What do you see as a school board member’s role and responsibility in the effective administration of schools?


Theodore Roosevelt said, “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men [and women] to do what [s]he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.â€Â


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:23 pm

LTA Question No. 10

Have you recently visited any of the Lakewood City Schools while school was in session? If so, please list which buildings and describe the impressions / insights you may have gained from your visit(s).


Yes, I have visited all buildings while school was in session.

In general, my impression of each building is that learning is taking place.

I have a concern with student dress code and ID compliance in the high school as my informal survey during class and transition/change periods identified a significant number of noncompliant students. Perhaps most disturbing was the number of students who were openly defiant and hostile toward the school official who raised the issue of their student dress code and ID noncompliance. I understand that “perception is reality;â€Â


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:25 pm

LTA Question No. 11

How would you judge the effectiveness of Lakewood City Schools’ current code of student conduct, and what might be your ideas for improvement?


For the most part, I believe that the current code of student conduct is effective. However, I do have concerns as to its consistent enforcement on an “every period, every dayâ€Â


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:27 pm

LTA Question No. 12

How would you define academic freedom as it relates to students, teachers, and educational materials?


As an assistant professor for the Bowling Green State University College of Education and Human Development, Division of Educational Administration & Leadership Studies, as well as an adjunct faculty member and senior lecturer with the University of Akron School of Law and College of Education, I have a strong commitment to academic freedom.

As it relates to students in the Lakewood City Schools, academic freedom is not easily defined. While there can be no doubt that students may not be required to shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate, the first order of business of the public schools is instruction. As a result, academic freedom issues must yield, where necessary, to legitimate educational concerns. Vulgar, lewd, indecent, racist, and otherwise inappropriate speech is unacceptable in the school setting. Note, however, that students are free to express their religious beliefs in reports, homework, and artwork.

I suspect that nestled within this question is an inquiry on my position with respect to student newspapers and related productions – so here it is. With respect to school-sponsored productions, the Board of Education has broad discretion in controlling the content of such productions. With respect to publications which are not school sponsored and have no nexus to the schools, the Board of Education has very little – if any – right to control the content of such productions.

As it relates to teachers in the Lakewood City Schools, academic freedom may be defined as the liberty of teachers to explore various subjects and teaching methods. However, this freedom is not absolute and must be coordinated with the interest of the Lakewood City Schools to provide a well-balanced educational program and transmit community values. All subjects and teaching methods must be educationally sound, age/maturity appropriate, and relevant to valid educational objectives.

As it relates to educational materials in the Lakewood City Schools, academic freedom may be defined as placing versus removing textbooks and related material. On the one hand, the Board of Education has the sole discretion in determining whether to place such educational material into the school library or curriculum. On the other hand, once placed, the Board of Education may only remove such education material for reasons which are neutral in First Amendment terms and not merely because such books are offensive to the Board.


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:29 pm

LTA Question No. 13

What role do you think religious faith should have in public education?


This is a rather open-ended question that represents an enormous amount of jurisprudence. I believe strongly in the Separation of Church and State within confines of the Constitution. As a result, I do not believe that a school board member should engage in the act of proselytizing or endorsing religion.


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Postby marklingm » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:30 pm

LTA Question No. 14

Should we choose to endorse you, what does being a candidate endorsed by the Lakewood Teachers Association mean to you? If you are elected to the board with our support, what does that mean to you?


For me, being endorsed by the Lakewood Teachers Association means that the Association agrees with my platform of academic excellence, school safety, and leadership, and would certainly be an honor.

If I am elected, with or without the endorsement of the Lakewood Teachers Association, I will work collaboratively with the Association to maximize academic excellence and school safety throughout the Lakewood City Schools. An endorsement does not affect my view of the Lakewood Teachers Association as a key stakeholder.


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Postby marklingm » Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:19 pm

Lynn Farris wrote:Please read the thread on Lakewood's Zero Tolerance Policy. What if any changes do you think should be made in regards to this?

1) Should defending yourself be subject to suspension?

2) Should giving a friend some tylenol when they have a headache be subject to suspension?

3) Should bringing a paring knife to school in your lunch to cut your apple be subject to suspension.

Who should make the decisions about where the line is drawn? A teacher? The principal? Should it be handled on a case by case basis - or does that offer preferential treatment?


Dear Lynn and Fellow Observers,

Thank you for your question. On the one hand, I believe that all rules must be followed. On the other hand, I believe that we should not have rules that we do not want to enforce.

I also believe that every disciplinary decision – even those in your hypothetical – made by the Lakewood City Schools needs to be made on a case-by-case basis in light of the rules currently in place. As a school board member, I will support the legal, disciplinary decisions of the Administration.

The Lakewood City Schools has no option but to adopt a policy of “zero toleranceâ€Â


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Postby marklingm » Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:22 pm

Jim O'Bryan wrote:If you are running this is for you!

I hate to make you pay for the words of Bill Call, and other supporters, but please tell me and everyone right here, right now.

What plans do you have from stopping two twenty year olds that know each other from getting into a fight and shooting each other?

What plans do you have that will stop, teens from taking advantage of a another teen passed out?

WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR STOPPING AN ADULT FROM BUYING BEER FOR KIDS.

tick, tick, tick, tick

waiting for answers

tick, tick, tick, tick




.



Dear Jim and Fellow Observers,

The instant calling out appears to be directed to mayoral and council candidates, as well a mutual frustration that Lakewood’s good name is getting tarnished from the inside-out. Nonetheless, I would like to take a moment to answer your call since I am running for the Lakewood City School District Board of Education on a platform of improving school safety. Please understand that my answers will be limited to school related issues due to the fact that I am a school board candidate. If this reply is not appropriate for the instant thread, please feel free to move my post to another topic.

If we are honest with each other we will all agree that no school can guarantee that it will stop “two [students of any age who] know each other from getting into a fight and shooting each other.â€Â


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Postby marklingm » Wed Sep 26, 2007 1:53 pm

Dee Martinez wrote:Thank you for your response Mr Markling

I have a question regarding "cyberbullying"

The code you so helpfully linked to specifically sets down policies regarding school or school-sponsored activities. However, the "cyberbullying" section refers to activities such as instant messaging, personal web sites, etc, which are often done off school property and during non-school hours, including summer vacations and holidays.

It seems like there is a bit of a contradiction there?

If Billy says on MySpace that "I hate Johnny and plan to kill him" is that a school matter or a police matter? And if the schools agree to investigate, do they not then "own" the issue, at least partly, from a legal standpoint?
If Billy meets Johnny at Burger King in the middle of July, two months after graduation, and follows through on his threat, are the schools liable because they knew about it?

The idea that schools should be responsible for student behavior that takes place off property and outside school hours is somewhat new. I guess I can understand how some school people would be unclear of their roles.

Interested in any legal opinions on this??


Dear Observers,

Dee asks an excellent question. While I am not in the position to provide a legal opinion, I can share the fact that a school board does have the general authority to discipline students for off-campus misconduct provided there is a nexus/relationship between the misconduct and the school. For example, Board Policy 5500 provides that “[s]tudents may be subject to discipline for violation of the Code of Conduct/Student Discipline Code even if that conduct occurs on property not owned or controlled by the Board but that is connected to activities or incidents that have occurred on property owned or controlled by the Board, or conduct that, regardless of where it occurs, is directed at a Board official or employee, or the property of such official or employee.â€Â



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