The News and Tribune - ELECTION Q&A: State Superintendent of Education

Sat, Nov 22 2008

Politics/Government |

Published: October 10, 2008 12:28 pm

ELECTION Q&A: State Superintendent of Education

Editor’s Note: Submissions appear as the candidates submitted them without editing. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Except where noted, questionnaires are only being published for contested races.

Dr. Tony Bennett

• POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Republican

• AGE: 47

• EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS: Ed.D. and Indiana Superintendents License from Spaulding University; MS and BS from Indiana University Southeast

• CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools; Assistant Superintendent of Operations of New Albany-Floyd County Schools; Principal of Prosser Vocational School; Principal, Assistant Principal and Basketball coach of Scottsburg High School; Biology teacher at Providence High School

• FAMILY NOTES: Wife, Tina; three 22-year-olds (triplets; 2 girls, 1 boy); 19-year-old daughter; 6 month old grandchild.

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FOR THIS OFFICE? “I’m running for this office because while Indiana has some of the highest and most respected standards in the country, we continue to linger in the middle of the pack when it comes to achieving those standards. I believe we have a real opportunity to reform education in Indiana and make it the best in the country, so that our children are prepared to be competitive in a global economy and are prepared to be the next generation of great leaders.”

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING INDIANA’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION POSITION AND WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO RESOLVE IT? “Given the current national economic picture, I think that our schools will be faced with revenue challenges. Indiana has been fortunate over the last few years in that we have been ahead of the curve in making our state run as efficiently as possible and building up rainy day funds, and this must continue in education. It is my goal to remove unnecessary regulations and unfunded mandates that cost school corporations money so that they can drive more dollars to the classroom, while at the same time building cash reserves in rainy day funds.”

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE MAJOR IMPACTS OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ON INDIANA SCHOOL CORPORATIONS. “First and foremost, NCLB had a very positive impact in that it set a standard of accountability for our public schools. However, there have been some negative affects when schools who pass all but 1 area are treated as failures just like the schools who only pass 1 area. I think the new differentiated accountability standards which are being imposed should address this problem and will remove most of that negative impact.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TEACHER’S UNIONS AND ONGOING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS THAT CAN EXTEND FOR YEARS? “In my experience, every teacher wants what is best for children. As long as the focus stays on children, I have never had a problem with contract negotiations. When teacher’s unions get in the way of what is best for children, or if the focus becomes adult-centered, those issues must be addressed head on.”

WHAT KIND OF CHANGES WOULD SOUTHERN INDIANA SCHOOL CORPORATIONS SEE IF YOU ARE ELECTED? “It is my goal to move the Department of Education from a department that is regulation oriented to one that is resource oriented. This starts by removing all unnecessary regulations and unfunded mandates that often tie the hands of local school boards and administrators, and then providing them the support they need to creatively address the issues facing their local schools. I intend to make sure all schools are free to excel in the manner that most addresses the needs of their communities.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A NON-TRAFFIC COURT CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES? IF SO, PLEASE EXPLAIN ALL RELEVANT INSTANCES. “No.”

Richard D. Wood

• POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democrat

• AGE: 55

• EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS: BS,MS,JD, EdD - Indiana University; EdS - Butler University

• CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Superintendent Tippecanoe School Corporation 1989-2008 (retired June); Assistant Superintendent M.S.D. Warren Township [Marion County] 1985-89; Principal Carroll High School [Fort Wayne] 1982-85; Assistant Principal Decatur Central High School [Marion County] 1977-82; Social Studies Teacher Decatur Central High School and Day Adult Division of Crispus Attucks High School [Marion County] 1972-77; President Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents 1998-99; charter member of the Indiana Education Roundtable

• FAMILY NOTES: Married to Carol since 1974 (she retired from Lafayette School Corporation as Grade 2 GT teacher in June); adult daughter and son (both married); one granddaughter; both my parents retired as teachers for Indianapolis Public Schools and my daughter is an elementary teacher

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FOR THIS OFFICE? “It is morally right and economically sound to invest in the educational development of the children of Indiana. Our schools are going to face increasing challenges in the face of social changes and international competition. I hope to continue to play a positive role in the enhancement of educational opportunities for Indiana citizens. I will be a strong advocate for our students.”

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING INDIANA’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION POSITION AND WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO RESOLVE IT? “There will be many demands placed on the Department of Education resulting from the need to assist local school districts in generating improvements as mandated by Indiana school accountability legislation. The Department is going to have to continually re-prioritize the use of personnel to ensure timely and user-friendly support as local schools work toward raising performance levels. I will strive to foster a climate within the Department that stresses efficiency, effective response time, focused use of resources, and positive cooperation.”

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE MAJOR IMPACTS OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ON INDIANA SCHOOL CORPORATIONS. “The premise behind NCLB is honorable. It is wise to judge schools by their accomplishments rather than by economic or social advantages. The current NCLB design is flawed due to a focus on negative consequences rather than an emphasis on success in mastering improvements. There have been many positive benefits generated by the emphasis on improvement, staff development, and increased emphasis on mastery of standards. These enhancements are often negated by NCLB’s practice of ignoring progress in many areas while penalizing everyone due to a lack of advancement in one or more subgroups.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TEACHER’S UNIONS AND ONGOING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS THAT CAN EXTEND FOR YEARS? “I have had the experience of being on both sides of the bargaining table during the course of my 36 year career. On the whole I believe teacher collective bargaining has been beneficial to the improvement of our schools. That being said I must admit that during my years as the school board’s spokesperson and later as a superintendent I have occasionally been frustrated by the process. I strongly believe that collaborative, open bargaining is far more beneficial to all parties than traditional adversative, confrontational methods.”

WHAT KIND OF CHANGES WOULD SOUTHERN INDIANA SCHOOL CORPORATIONS SEE IF YOU ARE ELECTED? “It is my hope that all Indiana school corporations will view the state superintendent and Department of Education as efficient and user-friendly. I believe that each local community must take primary responsibility for their educational program and that the state must play an effective support role. I believe the Department of Education is going to have to focus toward efficient and time-effective assistance to local school districts in the effort to meet Indiana’s increasing demands for educational improvement.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A NON-TRAFFIC COURT CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES? IF SO, PLEASE EXPLAIN ALL RELEVANT INSTANCES. “No.”