2009 Pittsburgh School Board Candidates
*Read a description of the role of School Board members here.
School Board District 1
- Sherry Brooks (D)
- Christine Stone (D)
- Sharene Shealey (D/R)
School Board District 3
School Board District 5
- Theresa Colaizzi (D/R)
School Board District 7
- Jean Fink (D/R)
School Board District 9
- Floyd L. McCrea (D/R)
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 1
Sharene SHEALEY
Sharlene Shealey
1. How do you think the school district should handle declining school population and declining tax revenue?
First and foremost we need to ensure that our expenditures are aligned with our revenue.
We need to find more ways to leverage the economy of scale by purchasing common materials centrally and combining services with the city to the greatest extent possible.
The school district can play an integral part in stopping the decline in city population, and in fact reversing the trend, by strengthening the academic and extra-curricular programs offered. Increasing academic performance of our students throughout the district will make our schools more attractive to families concerned with quality education. Expanding and improving our extra-curricular programs is important because it is critical in community building and will allow us to compete with neighboring suburban districts for middle-class families.
2. What do you believe are the most important environmental issues that the School Board faces, and how do you believe they should be addressed?
As we move toward more school closings and restructurings in the District, we need to ensure that we are considering the environmental impacts of these decisions, and we need to minimize these impacts.
For air quality, we need to consider school location (is the ‘new’ school located in an area with a high amount of diesel vehicle traffic which might negatively impact the health or our children?), the effect of school bus additions (are we eliminating walking to school as an option?) and longer bus routes, and the condition of air pollution sources, such as school boilers, in the buildings. These factors need to be addressed so that our District’s impact on the overall air quality of the city is minimized.
In school renovations, we should first look at deconstruction of the structure before demolition. Adding time to the front-end of construction schedules is well worth the reduction of landfill waste, which not only is an issue of space, but an issue in the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas. Deconstruction techniques would allow us to salvage materials from school buildings for reuse, and that’s something we should do.
There is not a uniform recycling program in the district, though there is one in the city. Our children learn to recycle at home, but are not provided the same opportunities at every one of our schools. We should promote recycling in a way that is consistent with the City of Pittsburgh’s recycling program.
3. To help reduce health risks, do you support the installation of diesel particulate filters on buses used by Pittsburgh schools and/or replacing older buses with new buses already equipped with this technology? Please explain your answer.
Yes. Diesel particulate filters reduce the amount of particulate matter exhausted from school buses and hence reduce our children’s exposure to particulate matter, a cause of asthma. The Pittsburgh Healthy School Bus Fund has money available for bus companies that serve the District to retrofit their buses with diesel particulate filters (DPVs) and closed crankcase ventilation systems (CCVs) at no cost to the district or the bus company. It is estimated that the installation and operation of DPVs and CCVs on district buses would reduce particulate matter emissions from buses by approximately 90%. Again, this is at no cost to the district or the bus company because money is available from foundation and government grants.
4. Do you support age-appropriate comprehensive sex education in the school district?
Yes, with parental permission. It has been demonstrated that comprehensive sex education reduces teen pregnancy and occurrences of sexually transmitted diseases. I am in full support of the comprehensive sex education program approved by the Board in February 2009.
5. What will be the most important thing for you to accomplish as a member of the School Board?
My first and most important goal is to increase the amount of parent involvement in the schools. I believe that this is vital to increasing the academic achievement of all students. We need to engage parents in meaningful ways and the district must value parents as full partners in the education process.
My own experience as an involved parent of children in Pittsburgh Public Schools has shown me that the district is not engaging all parents to bring all interested parties to the table to attack our problems. I am certain that the district can do more, and I am committed to working on this problem.
Christine STONE
Christine Stone
1. How do you think the school district should handle declining school population and declining tax revenue?
We need to restore confidence in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. We know that stronger schools will mean a vibrant Pittsburgh!
We need to increase student achievement across the board. A renewed focus on the basics in math and reading will be the start of working to reduce the achievement gap across all racial and social boundaries. Further, we need to create a culture of responsibility and accountability. We will retain quality teachers and principals while spending responsibly to keep our real estate taxes low.
2. What do you believe are the most important environmental issues that the School Board faces, and how do you believe they should be addressed?
The most important environmental issues the board faces is poor indoor air quality due to asbestos, mold, lead, improper use of chemicals (e.g. cleaning supplies) and lack of ventilated air. While some of our buildings hold years of history, they are also greatly in need of updating due to deferred maintenance.
Further, our schools provide us with an incredible opportunity to educate kids about the environment - through hands-on programs such as recycling and school gardens, promoting healthy food (and local food) choices, and energy efficiency. Studies have shown that kids who recycle and garden at school are more likely to want to do so at home.
3. To help reduce health risks, do you support the installation of diesel particulate filters on buses used by Pittsburgh schools and/or replacing older buses with new buses already equipped with this technology? Please explain your answer.
We need to protect our children’s health and that means reducing school bus diesel pollution. Thanks to stricter EPA standards, newer buses are cleaner than old ones they replace by 90%. However, retrofitting older buses is an affordable and effective option. Studies have shows that for every dollar spent in retrofitting buses it saves $12 in health benefits. Further, we can make sure there is limited idling of buses as well as smarter routes. (Source www.cleanbuses.org).
4. Do you support age-appropriate comprehensive sex education in the school district?
As my role as the Pennsylvania State Public Affairs Chair of the National Council of Jewish Women, I was lucky to be a small part of the working group of parents and advocates who spoke out in favor of the Abstinence Plus Sexuality Education Program. I give Terri Klein and the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the ACLU my admiration for their hard work and leadership on this issue.
In too many schools, including PPS, students receive incomplete, medically inaccurate sexuality education. In order to make responsible, healthy decisions, our students need medically accurate, age appropriate information about sex and sexuality. Comprehensive sexuality education teaches that abstinence is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but also provides accurate information about contraceptive options so that individuals can make informed life decisions.
5. What will be the most important thing for you to accomplish as a member of the School Board?
I will work to restore confidence in the Pittsburgh Public Schools by working hard to implement policies that will increase academic achievement across all racial and economic lines. Strong schools is crucial for a vibrant Pittsburgh.
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 3
Thomas SUMPTER
Thomas Sumpter
1. How do you think the school district should handle declining school population and declining tax revenue?
Spending must be reduced where possible. Financial and educational resources must be distributed efficiently and equitably. Quality rigorous courses and educational options must be offered. A long range plan on the use of facilities must be developed that takes into account population changes.
2. What do you believe are the most important environmental issues that the School Board faces, and how do you believe they should be addressed?
The most important environmental issues are diesel bus exhaust resulting in pollution, inadequate ventilation systems resulting in poor air quality, and moisture problems resulting in mold contamination.
Buses built after 2007 and buses with diesel particulate filters should be used to the maximum extent. Ventilation systems should be regularly checked and updated were possible. Maintenance on all leaks and water infiltration should be routine and given high priority.
3. To help reduce health risks, do you support the installation of diesel particulate filters on buses used by Pittsburgh schools and/or replacing older buses with new buses already equipped with this technology? Please explain your answer.
Yes, I support utilizing buses with diesel particulate filters. I completely understand the negative affect diesel particulates can have on children in school buses and the risk we put children in by not addressing this issue. I also understand the effect diesel particulate filters have on reducing particulates. Because we use various providers, we must work to adopt an appropriate policy to address the matter with our carriers that achieves the desired result.
4. Do you support age-appropriate comprehensive sex education in the school district?
Yes.
5. What will be the most important thing for you to accomplish as a member of the School Board?
I would like to raise academic achievement and eliminate all educational disparities in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and make the School District of Pittsburgh one of the top school districts in the world.