Patch Letter: 'Don't Vote on Auto Pilot', Board Member Says

This is an open letter to permanent absentee voters and all voters.  On behalf of children, families and long-term property values, please join me in voting for Andrew "AJ" Blumenfeld. 

Here's the situation:  the County will be mailing over 3,700 permanent absentee ballots in less than two weeks.  In 2009, School Board members were elected with less than 1,900 votes.  Please don't vote on "auto-pilot."  There is too much at stake.    

Some of you have children in the public schools now, many of you do not.  Many of you have not had kids in the schools in the last ten years.  Your informed vote is critical to the success of our schools. 

The quality of instruction at the is very uneven.  The current school board is not routinely collecting evaluation data, value-added test data and survey data, by teacher and by course, to find out which teachers are objectively advancing the students year by year, and which are not.  The data exists, or can be easily collected.  Without the data, the Board can't follow-up to make sure the quality is improving.    

Many students and families know about the problem teachers by experience.  It's no secret.  Yet, the Board doesn't want to see the data, and doesn't want to act.  (I know the board has voted not to collect or review specific teacher data numerous times over the years — I'm on the Board.) 

The evidence is in relatively low, stagnant scores including math and several other High School subjects, when compared to high-performing districts.  (Front page article, Valley Sun, 9/29/2011). 

In response, parents are paying for expensive outside tutoring in several subjects —it's practically epidemic. 

Andrew Blumenfeld will address the quality of instruction with focus and energy.  Improving quality in the classroom will be his top priority.   

On behalf of the students today, and the families who are looking to buy homes in our District tomorrow, please, don't vote on "auto-pilot".  Get to know more about Andrew at ajblumenfeld.com.  And, please join me in voting for Andrew "AJ" Blumenfeld. 

Cindy Wilcox

thewilcoxfamily@earthlink.net

Wilcox is a current school board member completing her second and last term.  In this letter, she is speaking for herself.