• SITE
• HOMES
• MOTORS
• CAREERS
• STUFF

Editor’s note: This is the second of three segments publishing responses from candidates to the League of Women Voters candidate questionnaire. The final segment Thursday will feature responses from Victoria College trustee candidates Ron Walker and Pat McEnroe. The order of candidates on this page match the voting ballot order.

What are your qualifications and reason for running?

Svetlik: As the current District 3 Trustee, I have the experience, energy, and enthusiasm necessary to insure continued progress within VISD. I will continue to utilize my skills, along with community input in making the right decisions that lead to success for our children and bright future for Victoria.

Deuel: I believe my 28 1/2 years as a classroom teacher and over 10 years as a small business owner make me uniquely qualified to serve on the school board — with students, teachers and taxpayers as my reasons for running.

What do you believe are the two most pressing matters for VISD and your thoughts to address?

Svetlik: Supporting our teachers in maintaining discipline in the classroom is a top priority identified by our Leadership Team and Board of Trustees. Results of our efforts are being monitored closely and accountability measures are in place. Bringing new schools on line will increase opportunities for student engagement and discipline management.

Ensuring the quality and equity of our programs and facilities is a high priority as we implement the $159 million bond for renovations and new schools. Our community has an investment in the experience and training of current board members that will be an asset in this process.

Deuel: The two most pressing issues facing the district are attracting and retaining teachers and student discipline. We must continue to develop a competitive compensation package for teachers and support staff. We also must allow teachers to run their classrooms with an expectation of administrative support.

What can be done to better prepare VISD students for college or entering the workforce?

Svetlik: Providing high-quality academic and technical programs that serve the interests of our students is vital. It is essential that we have trained and qualified teachers and administrative staff to design and implement programs utilizing available cutting-edge technology that will promote successful students. VISD continues to support staff and faculty development in these areas, as well as offer competitive salaries and benefits for these high-demand positions. We are expanding career and technology offerings and will continue to develop partnerships with businesses to provide opportunities for students to participate in work-study programs benefiting, both student and business.

Deuel: To prepare our students for the future, whether it is higher education or the workforce, we must offer a well-rounded curriculum that challenges, stimulates and meets the needs of the students. Career and technologies push for workplace certifications is a prime example. Having over 10 percent of our Algebra I students in classes with non-certified teachers is an example of our short falls.

What skills or ideas do you bring to ensure the new-upgraded facilities on the $159 million bond support learning?

Svetlik: The bond proposal that passed by a vote of wide margin comes with expectations for our school facilities to be modern and functional centers of learning. The designs are being developed by the administrative staff and a team of architects, with input from plant maintenance, faculty members, the board of trustees, and community members. I believe the community supports the concept that smaller learning environments are more conducive to learning. I have and will continue to require that all the stakeholders have input, so that these facilities will meet the expectations of the community.

Deuel: My classroom experience gives me some idea of what a well-functioning classroom is. I have watched the changes that have been made on the high school campuses over the last 28 eight years. Some of these changes were great improvements; others were a great waste of money. As a board member, I would want to insure the bidding process was not tainted.

How would you suggest that the district address the drop-out and truancy situation?

Svetlik: VISD is addressing this issue of major concern on several fronts. Staff members have been assigned to implement programs that improve communication and engagement of parents in their child’s education. Much of this problem has been compounded from the current size and configuration of our middle schools and high school that has caused a loss of connection and decrease in opportunities for students to become involved in beneficial character-building activities that serve their interests. Smaller school settings and expanded opportunities in the forecast will promote student engagement in school.

Deuel: Improved student discipline will help these issues. By setting rules and enforcing them fairly, we will be able to get rid of the bad apples, which will keep others from being infected; thereby, (this will help) having them in class and learning instead of roaming around truant until they get so far behind they dropout.

What are your thoughts on separate graduation plans in academics, career and technology, and fine arts?

Svetlik: I think students exercise these choices already, but the choices are not presented in distinct categories as such in our school district. I would not be opposed to the study and presentation of a plan for adoption of the career paths in these categories if it were to be more suitable to the student’s needs. One of the VISD Priority Goals is to address student needs. The team assigned to this goal would be an appropriate group to study this proposal. I would rely on input from all of the stakeholders involved.

Deuel: Separate graduation plans would be no different than the current tracking we are doing now and will be just as bad. In order to specialize, you must slight something else. Right now we are pushing most of our students toward college even though we know for the foreseeable future we will have 20 percent more college graduates than needed and 80 percent fewer skilled workers than there are jobs for.

How best can over-all student, teacher, campus, and district performance be measured?

Svetlik: The TEA annual AEIS reports are the most useful instruments to assess performance. TEA provides rating categories in assessment of excellence and improvement, much of it based on TAKS tests, allowing comparison to schools within and outside the district. Comparisons to ethnicity and economically disadvantaged students are also presented, along with completion rates, ACT and SAT scores and percent of students taking these tests, compared to previous years in all categories. I support a more meaningful assessment of student learning to replace TAKS that allows teachers more flexibility in curriculum delivery and increased job fulfillment.

Deuel: Use of the state plans including testing and completion data as well as Mr. Moore's use of the OHI and other surveys. Then we need to use student follow-up surveys, years one, three and five after graduation.

What can be done to increase academic rigor – especially in GT and AP courses?

Svetlik: It is a District Priority Goal that we continue to identify and present academic challenges to meet the needs of our students. It is essential that we have trained and qualified teachers and administrative staff to design and implement programs with available cutting-edge technology that will promote successful students. VISD continues to support staff and faculty development in these areas, as well as offer competitive salaries and benefits for these high-demand positions. Our facilities available to meet these needs are extremely important, allowing increased opportunity for participation and competition for our students.

Deuel: It is my feeling that this may be one place the district is on the right tract. We have used grants and other funds to better train the teachers. The district is expanding these offerings into the lower grades; (accomplish this) by better training teachers to facilitate these more rigorous assignments in the clustered classrooms.