The Aim Higher subcommittee of Fellowship of Reconciliation, Louisville Chapter (FOR) is continuing to expand its advocacy work in the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). For that work to succeed, we believe that all residents of Jefferson County must educate themselves about critical public education issues and elect school board members who are responsive to their views. To help with that voter education, we asked the four school board candidates in the two contested school district races (Districts # 2 and # 7) to respond to 13 questions in six different issue areas. All of the four candidates took the time to share responses.
Here are the six issue areas. If you are particularly interested in one or two issues, click on the issue name and go directly to candidate responses for it:
- equity in academic outcomes and resources;
- experiencing and benefitting from diversity;
- pro-active behavioral assessment and effective student-teacher relationships for a classroom climate for learning;
- student privacy and the marketing of the military in JCPS;
- preparation for post-graduation success; and
- Management of major facilities and staffing priorities.
You can find your school district number by going to:
www.jefferson.kyschools.us/about/leadership/board-education
What follows are the complete, unedited responses of the candidates to the questions. We have included some background material on the candidates before the main Q&A section. Each question is preceded by issue background information and research data that we suspect many candidates, and most readers, might not know. Please look at that before you read all the responses and make your decisions on candidates.
Feel free to share the FOR website link ( LouisvilleFOR.org ) to these survey results with your friends, churches, and other community groups.
And then, be sure to VOTE!!
Candidate Background
DISTRICT 2 CANDIDATES
Name: Jody Hurt
Attended Floyd County Public Schools (KY) Prestonsburg Elementary & High School, Adams Middle School.
Campaign website: Facebook (#Jody4jcpsboard)
Name: Chris Kolb, Ph.D.
Attended J. Graham Brown School and Atherton High School (1994)
“I have been a professional educator for 12 years, the last 11 at Spalding University where I have taught and mentored hundreds of JCPS graduates.
I and each of my three siblings all attended and graduated from JCPS. My sister-in-law is a JCPS teacher. My two children both attend JCPS. My youngest is a fourth-grader at Lincoln Performing Arts School and my oldest is enrolled as a junior at Atherton, however he actually takes classes at the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University.”
Campaign website address: www.kolbforschoolboard.com
District 7 candidates
Name: Sarah Cole McIntosh
Attended Doss High School (1996)
“After [high school] I attended the University of Louisville where I earned a BA in History and a Masters in Teaching. While working on those degrees, I was a substitute teacher and dance team coach for Jefferson County Public Schools. I taught social studies for JCPS from 2000-2016 during which time I returned to U of L and earned a Rank I in Educational Leadership and Supervision. Throughout my teaching career I was a department chair, SBDM representative, and served on many committees and held several teacher-leader roles.
I left the classroom following the birth of my youngest daughter. Since that time I continued to support and advocate for public education. I was an SBDM parent representative for four years at my kids’ JCPS elementary school where I have also been active with the PTA. I am deeply invested in public schools generally and JCPS in particular.”
Campaign website address: Sarah4JCPS.com
Name: Tammy Stewart
Attended St. Ignatius (K-8) and Thomas Jefferson (9-12).
“I have lived in Louisville, Ky. my whole life of 60 yrs young. I was raised up in the Newburg area, attended St. Ignatius first through 8th grade and attended Thomas Jefferson when it was a high school. I also have 2yrs of college under my belt but cancer got in the way of that walk in life. However, I survived, moved on and learned life lessons. I learned the difference between right and wrong, justice and injustice, both the good and bad in all; character, morals, values, integrity and most of all personal responsibility. This is what I bring to the table for this position!”
[Ms. Stewart has been a JCPS bus driver]
Campaign website: Facebook (Tammy Stewart for school board district #7)
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She shared a summary of her views on her Facebook page:
We as a community in our schools should have fiscal responsibility and personal responsibility from all three; the children, parents and the schools. We must have safe schools where our children can learn and our teachers can teach the curriculum our children must have in order to contribute as a positive, valuable citizen in our communities when they graduate!
I want the curriculum as we had it growing up. I want real math to be taught, not common core which is a disaster. Reading, English, handwriting, history, spelling, social studies, health, vocations and nothing else. Anything else is the responsibility of the parent.
The schools and the government are not the parents of your children. You parents decide how you want to bring up your kids and your beliefs bestowed on them. You parents are the mother and father of your children. Kids go to school to learn what is necessary to do something with their lives; to be able to take care of themselves. The schools are not to press their beliefs on your children. That’s between you and your children. Children go to school to learn! All children need and deserve to learn!
I am against the JCPS tax hike! We need to be responsible with our money and cut out the waste!
The FOR Survey: Issue Background, FOR Questions, and 2020 JCPS Board candidate responses
Issue 1
Equity in academic outcomes and resources
Question 1 Background: For our city and society to prosper, JCPS must help develop in its students the skills and commitment to create a just and peaceful community, one with dignity and opportunity for every human being—regardless of race, gender, economic status, ability, etc. The current five-year plan adopted by the Board—Vision2020—explicitly calls for equity, i.e. that “all students receive an education that gives them what they need to thrive in school through differentiated supports focused on removing social factors as a predictor of success”. However, average reading and math scores for students of color and all students from low-income households continue to lag significantly behind more privileged students on state and national achievement tests. In some groups, the combined math and reading % proficiency scores are half or less of those from more advantaged groups.
There are answers for this, if the community will is there. Research demonstrates, for example, that early interventions—such as PreK-3rd grade literacy programs and intensive pre-school cognitive and socio-emotional learning—help eliminate learning gaps before they are entrenched. Smaller class sizes allow more personalized help for underperforming students. JCPS has such programs, but they are being piloted in a fraction of the schools or target populations. There are other initiatives being piloted in JCPS schools around math skills, literacy and other content issues. Culturally appropriate curriculum engages more students. Magnet programs and the new high school Academies approach also increase engagement and passion for learning in students—both of which are critical to their academic growth. Providing family resource supports and nutrition also helps many students to be able to come to school emotionally and physically more ready to concentrate on learning.
Vision 2020 also places a great deal of JCPS’ hopes for a major overall improvement as well as a reduction in outcome gaps on the student-centered “deep learning” approach. It focuses on combining the teaching and assessment of skills and dispositions for complex problem-solving tasks in a way tailored to an individual student’s culture and learning modes. These and other research-proven interventions and supports can help students, while saving JCPS and other government/college budget dollars now needed for remedial help in future years.
Question 1: What programs and/or other changes would you champion/accelerate to close the persistent inter-group achievement/learning gaps? How would you measure effectiveness of those programs and supports in a way that individual students who struggle are the focus of authentic remedial help, not just prepping for and re-taking high-stakes testing?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
We cannot allow opponents of public schools to promulgate a false narrative that the achievement gap has not been narrowed through decades of efforts, or worse, that it is growing relative to 1970. While gains across the board have been had, including gains across economic lines within ethnic cohorts, the greatest gains have come in black and brown communities. But the potential gains from proper funding and equitable facilities are now much less than they were when we started. We must now look at other components of mental and physical health as educators and as a community, and address those areas where we have not acted.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs suggests that no deep learning can occur when Food, Shelter, Safety, and Health are not provided for. Teacher-led programs like Blessings In A Backpack have been successful at addressing food shortages and persistent hunger among students. JCPS should move to discover, support, and scale-up more examples of this type of bottom-up initiative. And where there is no current initiative, JCPS should move to address deficiencies of Food, Shelter, Safety, and Health, even when this means expanding the purview of “Public Schools”.
Chris Kolb—District 2
The primary structural issue we need to address is how we allocate funds to schools and the students they serve. Students who have more resources at home and in their communities tend to fare well in school, while students who have fewer resources face more struggles. This should be remedied through allocating more base funds to schools who have more students from low-income families, more English learners, more students with disabilities, and more students from oppressed racial groups. This includes putting more staff, especially teachers, in schools with many high-need students, with the goal of reducing class size for these learners. While these schools often receive “add on” funds such as Title I, they are often not enough to overcome the immense challenges these learners face. Effectively measuring student success requires minimizing the role of K-PREP. Rather we must rely partly on MAP scores, which provide a much richer representation of student learning, but we should rely primarily on qualitative assessments from highly-trained teachers. As part of this, we should move to standards-based learning, which encourages children to persist in developing specific skills and competencies over time.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
- Smaller class sizes would benefit all students, but especially those with greater needs. While that would be an expensive endeavor, any efforts that can be made to that end would have a positive impact.
- Replicate popular programs. Waiting lists for certain schools or programs are indicative that the academic needs of students aren’t being met.
- Similarly, I would like to build on the Academies of Louisville model to include more professions and small business opportunities.
- JCPS should expand its community partnerships to expand wraparound services and place them in the community where students live is a start. Whole family counseling, before and after school programs, access to health care supports, and mentoring programs are all successful; we simply do not have enough of them.
- Students of color and low-income backgrounds are underrepresented in AP and other rigorous programs. Early, intentional identification of students for these programs improves student engagement and helps to build a culture that celebrates academic success.
- Curriculum at all levels should be culturally responsive and inclusive.
- Research-based evaluations of student strengths and areas for focused should be done at consistent intervals K-12. Individual student improvement should be the focus. That way, proper supports for each student can be implemented and adjusted accordingly.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Question 2 Background: Inter-group gap reduction is not simply a matter of increasing the learning growth rates of students in a demographic group. Gap reduction requires underperforming groups of students to improve faster than more privileged demographic groups.
If we want all groups’ performance to keep rising, we cannot “rob Peter to pay Paul” and succeed. Seven years ago, a KY Department of Education consultant’s report indicated that the JCPS annual budget was approximately $200 million per year below what would be considered adequate, based on comparison with successful districts around the country that matched to our student demographics. The KY Department of Education’s 2018 audit called out several recent JCPS boards’ inattention to needed additional funding. Reductions in Federal and state funding (on inflation-adjusted basis) have worsened that situation significantly, despite almost annual 4% increases in local property tax revenues. Local property tax revenues—after state SEEK adjustment—account for just over a quarter of General Fund revenues.
Something must change to resource the Vision 2020 fully. For example, the “deep learning” initiative is a major, integrated framework that needs funding to allow it to be fully implemented. Any reductions in student/teacher ratios directly increase staffing costs. Similarly, full-day preschool on a district-wide basis is very expensive up front, and there are only scattered pilots to date.
The current board has passed a historic—and recallable—7 cent/$100 property value increase in property taxes. It is on the November ballot. The Superintendent indicated that roughly 25% should be used to address urgent facilities needs, and the remaining 75% should be spent in expanded research-driven equity-driven programs, supports and competitive teacher salaries.
Question 2: Do you support this tax rate increase initiative? How should it be allocated between teacher salaries, programs, and facilities? If you do not support it, how/when would you pay for the additional budgets for expanding research-based gap reduction initiatives that you are recommending? For the $1billion “plus” in facilities construction/renovation found to be needed over the next decade?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
I support fully funding teachers and providing them with the tools they need to do their professional work. I do not, however, support bloated administration. I oppose the tax initiative for two reasons: 1) no attempt was made to convince the public that this tax hike was needed during a global pandemic (which has had the effect of casting board members as out of touch and contemptuous of those who work for a living and remain laid off), and 2) there is no means for accountability that the funds will be used to address the lack of funding that persists in our West End schools.
We will pay for much of what we need by cutting administrative (that is to say: NON-student or family facing) payroll by 10% (anyone making more than 65k.) We will also incentivize decentralized school administration, which should free up funds for teachers at many, if not most, schools in the district (recalling that a Principal (Vice or otherwise) is worth at least 2 teachers if not more. By sharing redundant oversight, and by placing decision making in the hands of the professionals themselves, we will be able to reduce the student to teacher ratio district-wide.
Chris Kolb—District 2
FOR and their partner organizations have been pushing the JCPS Board to adopt a more than 4 percent revenue increase for a number of years. Beginning in my earliest days on the board in 2017, I have advocated for this as well. Finally, in 2019 I was appointed chair of a task force to make a recommendation to the board for increased revenue. Over the course of many months, I facilitated a process of research, debate, and discussion among many different community stakeholders about the revenue question. I am proud to have championed the recent tax increase. There is simply no way JCPS can simply reallocate resources to address the needs of our students and facilities. Anyone who says otherwise is dreaming.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
Prior to the economic downturn, I fully supported the tax increase. While I do have reservations about the timing, I believe it is necessary to move forward with improving existing facilities and constructing new schools in areas of high need like the West End and area outside of the Gene Snyder.
If the revenue increase passes, I support immediately using those funds for the needed infrastructure improvements. Additionally, the longer we delay dealing with our failing infrastructure, the greater the expense will ultimately be. I also know that until we build new schools, there will be no way to provide a student assignment plan that enables many of our students to attend a school close to their home.
If the measure does not pass, the Board will have to look into staggered 4% increases and explore other sources of revenue or community sponsorships. It will also delay the development of new and improved facilities in our most needed areas.
Additionally, I want to reach out to our representatives in Frankfort for support. In recent years, funding from the state has significantly decreased, forcing the District to increasingly turn to the local taxpayers to make up the shortfall.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Question 3 Background: Across the country, many high school history and social studies curricula present a limited version of U.S. history. They often do not fully analyze difficult decisions and issues and may minimize both significant oppression of, and contributions from, minority populations. They can therefore be inaccurate, incomplete, and misleading. This makes the content less engaging for–and in some cases offensive to–different racial and ethnic group students in JCPS. Research shows that students respond and engage better when teaching is done in consideration of cultural context.
Question 3: What would you do to revise the social studies curriculum and textbook selection so that they would promote a broader discussion of diverse cultural heritage and contributions and a more balanced understanding and analysis of U.S. history?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
Certainly system-wide initiatives like “requiring everyone to read Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States would seem to suffice, but with a question like this, I prefer to let the teachers themselves make the call. That said, it’s no secret that the group of people that don’t know their history is in fact the white and / or middle class, that has been sold an historical bill of goods where they are the victors and the nation is blameless.
JCPS should expand the learning program for mindfulness, and begin an initiative for each primary school to include mindfulness as a core component of the curriculum.
Chris Kolb—District 2
I recently asked JCPS administration to include on our state legislative agenda a requirement that students take the types of course mentioned in your question to graduate. Whether or not this progresses into state law, JCPS must do much more to ensure that our social studies curriculum reflects the contributions and experiences of as many cultures and peoples as possible, and not merely those of white European ancestry. Each school SBDM should submit a plan detailing how they will do this to be approved by JCPS administration using the racial equity policy. In addition, Dr, Pollio should report progress toward a more inclusive curriculum to the board on a quarterly basis and the board must ensure that Dr. Pollio has a plan to constantly make our curriculum more inclusive.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
First, I believe that traditional textbooks should be used sparingly because there are too many other incredible resources available. Instead, I prefer to teach history through primary sources. In addition to written documents, this can include artifacts, visual and performing arts, political cartoons, photographs and more. Utilizing these sources enables students to investigate on their own and raise their own questions. It is important to provide students with a variety of sources with different perspectives and teach them to evaluate them for biases.
To better include ALL American experiences, we have to move toward a less linear instruction and embrace conceptual and thematic approaches when appropriate. There must be an intentional effort made by teachers to utilize a wide variety of sources and provide students with more opportunities to explore what interests them through project-based learning. The current social studies specialists in JCPS have largely embraced this, but I think that the Board needs to openly support these efforts, provide appropriate funding for resources, and ensure that an accurate history is presented even if there is a change of content leadership.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Question 4 Background: Charter school enabling legislation passed in the 2017 legislature, though related funding legislation has not been passed yet. The state charter bill does not require charters to reduce inter-group learning gaps; it may not even require charters to outperform equivalent student demographics in the regular schools of the District.
Voucher or tuition tax credit programs have also been proposed to divert public education money to support private /parochial school students.
Question 4: Do you see a role for charter schools in reduction of inter-group learning gaps that is not currently met by pilot programs, our high school Academies or magnets started by the district? Under what, if any, conditions would new and/or “conversion” (where existing schools are turned over to charter organizations) charter schools be acceptable to you? Would you support vouchers or tuition tax credit programs for students outside the public schools? If so, under what conditions?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
Charter school advocates’ list of demands is simple: Local Control of Schools, Hiring Decisions, Curriculum Decisions, Budget Decisions, and Teacher Salary Decisions. Every KY Public School meets 4 of the 5 demands, missing only the ability for individual schools to set salaries and negotiate (or not) with the union. The hypocrisy of the Charter movement in KY is astounding. Charters are the unaccountable, profit-driven version of KY schools, and are entirely superfluous. There is no place for charters in KY, except perhaps in the districts of the many small-town representatives that voted in favor of them in hopes of furthering their War On Louisville.
Chris Kolb—District 2
I am strongly opposed to charter schools, vouchers, and tuition tax credit programs, which constitute the theft of public dollars by higher-income households and private schools. One of my earliest actions on the board was to ensure that JCPS strongly advocated for local boards of education to be the sole authorizers of charter schools. I publicly attacked Mayor Fischer for lobbying for the mayor of Louisville to be a charter authorizer. I regularly protested alongside teachers in Frankfort against Matt Bevin’s assault on public education and I recruited others to join me. I have consistently encouraged Dr. Pollio to make opposition to vouchers and tax credits the primary focus of our legislative agenda.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
I have long opposed charter schools. There are far too many ways in which charter companies have cost taxpayers around the country more money with no evidence of improved outcomes beyond anecdotal examples. If our legislators believe that the attractive features of charters benefit students – smaller class size, more autonomy toward curriculum, etc. – those same elements should be made available to public schools. The same is true for vouchers and tax credits with the additional complication of public monies supporting religious institutions. JCPS offers a number of magnet and specialized programs for students and my plans for increasing those will only increase student choice.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of per beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
ISSUE 2
Experiencing and benefitting from diversity
Question 5 Background: U.S. Census projections indicate that today’s JCPS graduates will live and work for most of their careers in an America where no ethnic group or race holds a majority. Current housing patterns and zoning restrictions, however, lead to most neighborhoods in Jefferson County being segregated by race and household income. Metro Louisville by some estimates the fourth most segregated city in the country.
JCPS’ student mix is already a “majority of minorities” (or, “Global Majority”). This diversity is actually an advantage for all JCPS students. FOR believes that preparing students—regardless of their race—for a successful and fulfilling life in a more diverse society requires providing deeply integrated classrooms, with more integrated social and learning experiences to provide better understanding of different cultures.
Magnet, traditional and Academy of Louisville programs were instituted to provide opportunities to attract and engage students in focused career and academic areas. They are, along with school or cluster boundaries too great to walk, ~90% of the reason for the extensive transportation program of JCPS. However, they also were intended, in part, to help voluntarily increase diversity in the school system.
Their entrance and exit requirements, though, often result in segregation within an individual school on a classroom-by-classroom basis. A proposal for a set of changes to the current student assignment plan is being considered by the current board this fall. It includes providing neighborhood school alternatives—“dual resides—for about 6,000 West End students who bear virtually all the burden of nonvoluntary busing for diversity. It also includes centralized magnet program lotteries and elimination of school-initiated exits for magnet students.
Question 5: What are your views of the current assignment plan? Through what mechanisms and with what goals should students be assigned to schools? Do you support the proposed changes? What, if any, different changes/improvements would you pursue for it and the magnet programs, etc. in order to assure daily opportunities for students of different backgrounds to study, work, and play together in welcoming, quality schools everywhere in the county? How would your proposals assure fairness to all students and families, both in terms of equitably increasing access to programs and of equitably sharing the burden of busing school assignments outside their neighborhoods? Would you, for example, support going back to fewer, larger elementary school clusters to increase choice and diversity?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
The current assignment plan needs work, especially as a function of transportation and the ability of families to have different aged children in schools near one another. That said, this is precisely the kind of question where I believe a more representative and board is needed. The interests of communities are not being served by a 7-person panel made of individuals that refuse to listen to vast groups of constituents.
Bussing and school integration have not quite maxed out their potential in Louisville, as a fully integrated system has never been reached. We should include an equitable component of bussing that features bringing students from outside of the Watterson into schools in West Louisville for instance, but we should expect the same response from many middle class and / or white families as was seen in the 70’s: abandonment of the system in favor of a largely homogeneous Catholic School System with options on every corner.
Chris Kolb—District 2
We must do a better job of ensuring that the student populations in all schools represent the diversity of our overall student body as much as possible. Balancing family choice, diversity, and allowing students to stay close to home if desired can be difficult, and balancing them appropriately requires constant monitoring. There is no magic formula. As with most things in education, I believe decisions regarding student assignment should be guided by what is best for high-need students. I support centralizing all school admissions so that decisions are not left to individual schools. When schools control the process, imbalances can easily result. A central admissions process will also make it easier for the board to hold the district accountable for maintaining a balance within all schools, which should be a top priority.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
I support giving families in the West End options with the dual resides proposal but feel it is only a short-term solution until we are able to provide them more opportunities within their own communities and a new District-wide assignment plan. Elements that I would propose and support are expansion or replication of popular academic programs to provide greater access to students in more than one location in multiple parts of the District. Ensure funding for staff and resources to provide funding for AP and rigorous curriculum at ALL schools. Students should not be forced to travel to access appropriate academic program. All effort should be made for students to attend a school close to home (unless they choose a different option) because research shows that students benefit when parents can be active in the school community.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Question 6 Background: National and JCPS research data show that—all other factors being equal—learning and test scores suffer for low-income students when a school’s low-income (identified by free/reduced lunch—FRL-status) student population starts to exceed about 40% of the school’s total demographic. More than 10% of our JCPS schools are over 90% FRL. Our entire district student population is about two thirds FRL.
Question 6: To address this specific, well-researched learning impact, would you support revising the assignment plan criteria, boundaries, magnet locations and entrance requirements, etc. to keep from having any extreme high-poverty (e.g., >90% FRL) schools?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
10% of schools above 90%FRL is a problem if those schools aren’t getting proportionally more resources than a school with 10%FRL. Assignment plan revision & redirecting of funds are needed to address this.
Chris Kolb—District 2
I absolutely support this recommendation. As you point out, with a student population of about 67% FRL, we don’t have much buffer between the district average and a very high concentration of poverty. Thus, this may be difficult. However, it simply must be done. Schools with high concentrations of poverty will have a very difficult time being successful and it is simply not fair to expect them to be successful under such circumstances.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
I do think that the goal should be to have the percentage of each school’s FRL numbers to be more comparable to the District as a whole and this can be an influencing factor in determining boundaries. This absolutely should be considered in the design of the new student assignment plan. Most importantly, I want to ensure that schools have appropriate resources and supports for all students.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
ISSUE 3
Pro-active behavioral assessment and effective student-teacher relationships for a classroom climate for learning
Question 7 Background: There are pilot programs (e.g., PBIS, Restorative Practices, Compassionate Schools, Trauma Informed Care, etc.) at some JCPS schools where teams of teachers and counselors assess students and implement plans to avoid situations that give rise to behavioral problems for individual students. Teachers are being trained to teach and model specific positive behaviors, to de-escalate, and to ask not “what is wrong with this child?” but “What has happened to this child?”. There are also new efforts at increasing the numbers of social workers and mental health professionals in the schools. Because of their limited numbers, though, they often are called on to respond only after problems occur.
Question 7: How can the schools provide professional, collaborative student behavioral assessments at every school to help teachers understand and engage with students positively, before they are stigmatized by disciplinary consequences? What programs or changes would you champion that would proactively model, instruct and reinforce appropriate behaviors and sense of accountability?
Jody Hurt—District 2
The mindfulness program I mentioned earlier is one part of this. The other is reducing any emphasis on principals and vice principals as disciplinary figures. Their excessive salaries can be used to hire health professionals.
Chris Kolb—District 2
I believe that, for the most part, we have the appropriate programs in place within the district, including RP, PBIS, TIC, and SEL. The task now is to make sure that these practices are aligned with one another and fully integrated into school culture and institutional practices. I believe we have the right staff in place to accomplish this. I think the next step is to make it clear that this is a top district priority. Now that the state audit and corrective action plan is coming to a close, whenever we get through the pandemic will be a perfect time to fully embrace this work. The foundation has been carefully laid, and we are ready to build on it.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
A data-driven evaluation of the success of current programs should determine what current programs are most effective and those should be expanded. Increased opportunities for guardians to work with mental health partners address any existing concerns would allow for earlier interventions for younger students and engage guardian involvement in the process at all levels. Whole family counseling can help caregivers reinforce strategies used at school and provide consistency for the child. Like so many other issues, discipline can improve with smaller class sizes and providing additional support staff in the classroom can also help provide early interventions to disruptive behaviors before they escalate. School staff should receive additional training on students’ communities and events occurring in them on a regular basis.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Question 8 Background: JCPS’ first (2013) and subsequent “Equity Scorecard” reports have quantified the racial inequities in disciplinary outcomes, particularly in racially-disproportionate arrests and use of out-of-school suspensions. National research data show that out-of-school suspension is a key predictor of future low achievement, dropping out, delinquency, and incarceration. Just one suspension doubles the chance of dropping out. These inequities do not occur uniformly in every school across JCPS. National research also shows that out-of-school suspensions are ineffective at changing student behaviors. Suspended students are more likely to repeat behaviors, and consequences, again. Suspensions accelerate declines in academic performance both because of the lost learning time and the disengagement from loss of a sense of belonging. Suspensions are also expensive for JCPS—e.g., a loss of attendance-based funding and the cost of providing “alternative schools”.
While all that research is clear, though, some JCPS teachers (as indicated by national TELL surveys) feel they do not have all the skills and resources to maintain their classrooms without using out-of-school suspension for “crises”. Armed, sworn officers (school safety officers–SSOs, school resource officers– SROs) in schools have been shown to actually increase arrests and suspensions and decrease student sense of belonging, particularly students of color.
Question 8: How can we simultaneously create safe and welcoming schools to reduce unwanted behaviors and to radically decrease use of out-of-school suspensions? How would you pay for the programs, training, etc.? Do you support armed/sworn officers in JCPS schools?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
We must de-police our schools, and the Board’s current efforts show nothing more than inability to understand the plight of the overpoliced communities. Every day as I drive my girls to Coleridge Taylor, I pass no fewer than 3 on-duty police officers. How can a student be expected to learn when, before they step in the door, they have been subjected to 3 triggers?
Getting SROs out of schools is a good start. But it’s just a start. We must remove the failsafe “Call the police” from our lexicon, and from any system regulation or policy where another entity will suffice.
Behavior problems start at home, but not in the way people meant it in the 80’s. It’s not bad parenting, but the absence of security, food, shelter, and healthcare we mentioned above, that drives many behavioral problems.
Chris Kolb—District 2
I do not support the use of law enforcement in schools, armed or not. We can accomplish the goals you mention in the question by pursuing the path I described in my answer to question seven.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
I recognize that I have returned to this several times, but class sizes are often too large, particularly when there is a large population of at-risk, high need students. When major incidents occur in a classroom, the teacher is not only responsible for the offending student(s), but the others in the room as well. Even the best trained teacher is a single person. Ultimately, the causes of the behaviors have to be addressed in ways previously mentioned. Additionally, early of identification of students who are frequently receiving disciplinary action can help direct students into appropriate programs – whether it is more challenging curriculum, a particular Academy in line with their interests, community-supported organizations, or even extracurriculars, officials must create ways to bring all students into their school communities to give them social supports and personalized, positive motivations. Law enforcement officers should be a last resort and utilized in only the most extreme situations.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Question 9 Background: Multiple or serious suspensions can lead to assignment to one of our alternative schools. Some of these schools have had precious little education going on. At one alternative school, the student population is almost 60% African American and 40% special needs students.
Question 9: How can we decrease these disproportionalities of alternative school placements, and, more generally, find ways to keep more students in all groups in schools where they can maintain their progress in learning?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
Similar to [my answer for question 8]. Address students’ physical and mental needs first.
Chris Kolb—District 2
Honestly, I do not think we should have any behavioral alternative schools. We must do everything in our power to keep students in their original school. If students have serious psychological challenges that make it difficult for them to be successful in a certain school, we should strengthen and expand our therapeutic educational environments to allow them to be successful. If these environments still do not allow students to be successful, we must make sure the student receives the medical services they need. Behavior challenges in children are an indication that the child is in distress and needs our help. However, while we should expect teachers to proactively build relationships with students that minimize disruption and respond in a restorative way to any disruptions, we should not expect teachers to be psychologists and the district must make sure we have a robust referral process in place and we must closely monitor these referrals to make sure they are warranted.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
First, the connections to mental health must be addressed. Trauma and other issues facing our students are often the root cause of the behaviors and the earlier interventions are provided, the more successful they will be. Sadly, substance abuse can also be connected to a student’s negative behaviors at school and appropriate counseling for that should be arranged. Alternative schools must be held to high academic standards; however that does not mean that traditional school setting is always best for these students. An individual student plan must be created to either successfully transition the student back into a “regular” classroom or move toward graduation in a way better suited to the student’s needs.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
ISSUE 4
Student Privacy and the marketing of the military in JCPS
Question 10 Background: Military leaders in the Pentagon enthusiastically confirm that JROTC is a valued recruiting tool for the Armed Services. Because of the Pentagon’s financial resources, its marketing access and impact is far beyond that of colleges and trades programs. JCPS data reflect that impact—its graduating cadets enlist at 15 times the rate of noncadet seniors.
There is targeting of that impact, as well. JCPS data also show a disproportionate number of low-income and/or minority students are enrolled into JROTC. JROTC and cadet programs had claimed that they increase average cadet test scores and reduce disciplinary issues. However, analysis of JCPS data (Gainous report–2013) found no significant impact on average achievement outcomes, despite the fact that cadets who underachieve academically can be dropped from, or encouraged strongly to leave, the program. The JROTC classes replace Related Arts classes, which research has demonstrated help students achieve academically. In many of the JROTC programs, there are onsite shooting ranges for training at the high schools.
Question 10: What would you do as a board member to make sure that JCPS students and parents have objective, balanced information to make evidence-based decisions about the presence of and participation in JROTC/cadet programs in JCPS?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
There is no reason to believe the 15x number of graduating JROTC seniors that enlist wouldn’t have enlisted without their JROTC experience. I think parents and students should know it’s there, and elevating the decision-making authority of local schools will help.
Chris Kolb—District 2
I have not seen any evidence to indicate that JROTC/cadet programs lead to better outcomes for students. I would prefer that we examine these programs to see if evidence supports any positive results and inform schools and parents of the results of this examination. For all programs, not just JROTC, schools should have to justify why they include the program in their school. If there is no evidence to support the inclusion of a program, there should be a discussion with district academic leaders to find new ways to focus the school’s energy and resources.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
As a Board member I would like to see data from each ROTC program regarding academic success and discipline records of the cadets. That should be shared with parents also. Because enlisting in the military has long been a means for students from lower-income families to continue their education, providing comparative information on other scholarships and payment options can also assist in the decisions.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
ISSUE 5
Preparation for post-graduation success
Question 11 Background: Under the No Child Left Behind Act and now under its replacement ESSA, schools may be required by the states to assess how many students are “college/career ready” (CCR) at graduation. The state sets the academic readiness portion of the standard, not the district.
Students who did not receive adequate support services to tap their full academic potential in elementary school may be directed by middle school counselors toward “career” (noncollege) pathways in high school. These students may then be able to achieve academic (as measured by ACT or related tests) readiness at the less academically rigorous “career” state readiness level. That allows a district to maintain high “readiness” score, but it hides the fact that some of these “career ready” students had the potential for much more.
However, this is more than just an opportunity missed by not identifying and supporting gifted, but disadvantaged, young students. The US Department of Labor says two thirds of all jobs in 2020 will require some post-secondary education. Readiness for either college or career requires sufficient academic success to succeed in entry-level post-secondary settings. Average ACT for some disadvantaged groups in JCPS hover near the ACT score equivalent at which the test purveyors predict such students would require remedial courses before entering any post-secondary academic work, including –for example—at a community technical college. We need more academic success from all students, whether their dreams and dispositions make them college or career bound.
Question 11: How would you design annual metrics and resource budgeting that would strongly encourage JCPS to provide more equitable resources early for struggling students so that the students might reach their full academic potential and competitiveness in the job market?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
In order to answer this question we need to first have a discussion about the role of public education itself. Does the system exist to provide line workers for Henry Ford? Military leaders for the Prussian King? Of course not. Neither does it exist to provide labor for capitalists. Tests and metrics that presume as much need to be discarded.
Chris Kolb—District 2
While I agree with the general premise of the question, relying on the ACT is problematic, and many universities no longer require students to submit ACT or SAT scores for admission. The MAP is a much better indicator as to whether or not students are on grade level. Thus, the MAP does provide us an early warning system. As the question suggests, we must target our resources to make sure these students receive the support they need to progress toward grade level at an early point in their schooling. I think the Backpack League summer program showed great promise and it was a shame that we could not do this in 2020 due to the pandemic. I think focusing on college AND career readiness is the key. It is not an either/or. Career education allows us to engage more children, but the goal of that engagement should be to strengthen their traditional academic training in addition to their career readiness.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
Additional resources should be directed to elementary grades to ensure students have mastered basic math and literacy before moving on to higher levels. I have frequently advocated for expanding or replicating popular programs throughout the District. There needs to be a smaller cap on the number of students in each class that has an IEP or 504 plan so that students can be properly accommodated and, if feasible, classroom assistants should be provided. I believe ALL high schools should offer a wide range of Advanced Placement or dual credit courses to prepare students pursuing university studies. In addition to the content, these courses better prepare students for next level work by developing necessary skills. I have also supported expansion of the Academies to include even more industries and professions.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
ISSUE 6
Management of major facilities and staffing priorities
Question 12 Background: Two thirds of JCPS students come from families with limited incomes. They do not live in the fastest-growing part of the county. JCPS facilities practice has been summarized as to “…build where the population growth is”. This approach supported the recent construction and opening of a new elementary school in the East End, while many West and South End schools are significantly below optimal capacity. A recent plan calls for a new middle school in the east end, while consolidating six West/South End elementary schools into three. In addition to forcing disproportionately more students from the West End to be bused past neighborhood schools to schools further east, this also may be poor stewardship of useable buildings, JCPS bonding capacity, and tax dollars.
Currently proposed changes to the Student Assignment plan would address the disproportionate nonvoluntary busing in the West End by building 2-3 additional West End schools. Those changes may not be voted on by the Board before Election Day.
Question 12: What is your vision of an appropriate, equitable set of criteria for prioritizing capital spending between construction of new schools and major renovations/replacement to existing schools in different areas of the county?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
The population is not moving east. Wealthy people are moving east, and away from one another in the process. The density of the east end does not support even the utilities provided to the area, much less does it sufficiently argue for additional infrastructure. JCPS should be using its considerable negotiating power to earn economic rents from holdings in the east end. School renovations are disruptive, and should be avoided where new construction is possible.
Chris Kolb—District 2
I disagree that we should simply build where the population growth is, for multiple reasons. I think we had a good approach with simultaneously building the Echo Trail school and also planning to build two new schools in West Louisville, totally renovating and expanding Shawnee High School, and building the new school at 18th and Broadway. I would strongly prefer that we build new schools in downtown and West Louisville locations. The key thing is not location, but school quality. As we see with Manual and Atherton, people will travel from all over the county to attend schools that offer strong programs.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
I find our infrastructure needs difficult to separate from creating an improved student assignment plan. Using census and other data, we need to be able to predict areas that will have population growth in the future, whether through attrition or new development. We must also complete comprehensive cost analysis on existing buildings to determine which ones can reasonably be updated and which would not be good long-term investments. All schools need to provide the same type of resources like media centers, gyms, and designated space for students with special needs.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Question 13 Background: Teachers are at the front lines of educating Jefferson County’s future workers and leaders. Recent teachers’ pay scale increases have not even matched inflation. At the same time, nationally and locally there is a teacher shortage. JCPS has had trouble filling new positions and retaining teachers.
Question 13: What will you do as a school board member to ensure that: (1) teacher/pupil ratios are adequate to ensure that every student receives the individual attention they need; and (2) teacher pay scales allow us to attract and retain the best possible, diverse classroom teaching team?
Candidate Answers
Jody Hurt—District 2
Again, I propose allowing schools to consolidate administrative roles, and divert principal and vp salaries to bringing the student / teacher ratio down. A happy workplace where teachers are empowered will be more enticing to the kind of teacher we would want than an small increase in salary.
Chris Kolb—District 2
The research could not be more clear that attracting and retaining teachers must be the cornerstone of any plan to improve student outcomes. Teachers are currently paid over 20 percent less than college graduates who work in other fields. We must correct this. We must have more teachers and we must provide our teachers with competitive compensation so they stay in the profession. We cannot begin to lower the student-teacher ratio in any meaningful way until we accomplish this. Should the revenue increase be successful, I support an immediate 3% teacher compensation increase.
Sarah Cole McIntosh—District 7
I support the use of the JCTA/BOE agreement to establish enforceable class size caps in addition to teachers’ full load of students. I will also advocate for teaching assistants in classrooms with high numbers of students with IEPs and 504s, regardless of the students’ ages. I also support the District’s recent partnerships that provide an internship-like year for college graduates seeking a career in education. I think we can get creative in some of our high-demand areas and find ways to bring those that have left the classroom back. We have to provide a competitive salary and benefits, but we also have to focus on positive working environments in which teachers aren’t supplying their own rooms out of pocket and they have appropriate resources in the building.
Tammy Stewart—District 7
Ms. Stewart was not able to complete the questionnaire by the FOR deadline. She provided a summary of her beliefs and positions in the background section of this article.
Fellowship of Reconciliation | Louisville Chapter 