Q&A with Cedar Rapids School Board candidate Donald R. Taylor

Donald Taylor is running for the Cedar Rapids School Board as an at-large candidate. He is not an incumbent. Here are his answers to a survey we sent to all of the candidates.

Occupation and Employer: Retired Educator in Cedar Rapids, Amana, WACO, West Branch, Riceville, College Community; Retired Licensed Local Pastor

How and who should determine curriculum?

Teachers and school officials using best practices and due diligent research should determine curriculum through collaboration, innovation, and best practices teachers with administrative facilitation should determine curriculum.

Why do you want to serve on the school board? What relevant experience do you have?

I want to serve on the school board because I want to help shape the educational process and direction of education in an environment that is ever changing and critical to our way of life. There are many who, I feel, don't have an understanding of educational processes, what teaching is like in the everyday classrooms where the rubber meets the road, the practical nuts and bolts. I have 34 years of experience in public education. With experience as a teacher, coach, and administrator, with experience in the regular classroom and in special needs areas in a variety of educational settings, I feel I am uniquely qualified. I have the experience and the desire to help transform educational processes to better serve students and the community. The fact that I can devote myself to the task as a full-time board member with no other job responsibilities, makes me uniquely qualified to hold a position on the Board of Education, in the Cedar Rapids School District.

I have 34 years of experience as a teacher/coach, principal. I want to be a part of the collaboration that helps young people discover their talents and gifts and provide a solid baseline for each kid to begin their life.

How would you describe your attendance at past school board meetings?

I have paid attention to the board meetings, usually followed board meetings on line, and been to some board meetings. I have served on a committee serving the board, and have spoken at board meetings.

I have served on a committee serving the board, and have spoken at board meetings.I have been to a few here in the last half year, and many over my lifetime

What are your three top priorities for the school district? What will you do to address them?

My top three priorities are as follows:

1. Kids and their well-being in our educational setting

2. To allow people with educational background and experience (teachers, curricula directors, and administrators) to determine what is best teaching practice, and curriculum for the classroom teachers. That should not preclude that the parents should be a part of the educational process, as they understand the unique needs of their children. Creating a proactive comprehensive plan to move education into the 21st century. As a nation and a world, we have changed since the early 20th century, yet our education system seems slow in its attempts to meet those ever-changing needs.

3. Improve communications between the school district and the community as well as within the district between schools within the district. This communication should include facilities changes as well as educational direction and processes.

I will take an active role in each of these areas to facilitate meeting the needs of our students and communication improvement to serve the best interests of the kids, serve the best interests of the system, and facilitate positive change and growth for both kids and the system. I see that being done by promoting collaboration between teachers, kids, administration, and community

Will you support the proposed Nov. 7 Cedar Rapids school bond referendum? Why or why not?

Yes, I support the bond referendum. I have concerns about the lack of communication that seems to exist between the district and the community. We need to be efficient with our facilities, yes. We also need to provide the best facilities possible for our learners and educators.

I will support the bond issue because I believe that the new buildings are what serves our students best.

Do you support the district's facility master plan? Why or why not?

Yes, I support a master plan, but it cannot be etched in stone. It must remain flexible to the changing environment in which we operate.

I can't address that at this time. I don't have enough information to have an opinion. A master plan is necessary, but don't know the process by which our current plan was arrived at nor all the variables and circumstances of decisions.

What do you see as strengths and weaknesses of the school district?

The strengths include but may not be limited to:

1. A diverse community that is committed and cares about public education.

2. A diverse student body that is eager to learn and grow.

3. A staff of administrators, teachers, and support staff that are as or more qualified as any school district and have the desire to make Cedar Rapids the best learning environment possible.

The weaknesses include but may not be limited to:

1. There are not enough counseling services within the schools for students and for educators. These are challenging times and students and educators need more counseling and less managing. Unfortunately, that is costly.

2. Communication between the schools and the community as well as communications within the district is always a challenge in a large school district like Cedar Rapids.

3. Too much attention gets paid to tiny fringe groups who wish to limit what is learned. These groups are more worried about their own agendas and not focused on our kids and the learning process.

The strengths of the district are its kids, and teachers as well as blend of educational opportunities. The biggest weakness may be communications as the district is vast and serves a wide range of needs. To be clear, trained administrators and educators, a strength here in Cedar Rapids, should be afforded all opportunity to exercise their areas of expertise.

Are there any curriculum concerns you have with the district? Why? How should the school board address these issues?

Most curriculum concerns stem from poor choices made by the State Legislature and our Governor. They seem to limit learning opportunities. This problem needs to be addressed by creative alternatives that work around the political limitations that are put on public education and to vote.

I understand that there are community members who don't understand or like some of the district decisions. Transparency, and clear understanding of the decision-making process should be presented as the process of making the decision takes place. Likewise, however, I curriculum issues are best left to educators who are trained for the process.

If you were required to cut the district's budget, what areas would you look to for savings and why?

District-wide administrators get paid more and are not as directly involved with the educational process as programs and teachers.

I think I would look first at administration. Bigger money per person which means you have to cut fewer people with less direct impact on students and teachers, where the rubber meets the road.

What level of control do you think school boards should have?

I think school boards should facilitate the educational process and be the connective tissue between the community and the schools.

I see the school board as a partner in the education process and operates a facilitator of the system not the controller of the system. I see school boards as a partner in innovation and change and a bridge between the community and the schools.

If the school district had additional funds available, what should they be allocated to? Why?

I think the best thing a district can invest in is counseling. We seem to use counselors as assistant administrators at the high school level and to direct college decisions mostly because that is already more than they have time to do. What if we could afford more counseling and actually help students with life's personal challenges. Each elementary, middle school and high school should have more counselors. I would be marvelous to provide counseling services to administrators, teachers, and staff as well.

I would love to see each student have an IEP in elementary school. That would take many more counselors at the elementary school level. It would facilitate more parental participation and be helpful for each student's progress at the outset of their school journey.

What will you do to be responsive to parents, teachers and district staff? What types of communication should the public expect from you?

The most important things I can do is to be engaged and be available to questioning. Take an active participation role and be excited about what's going on in our schools and share that excitement with the community. We have the chance to shape tomorrow everyday. That's an excitement that needs to be shared.

I think if a teacher has an issue with something regarding their student, they should start with talking with the teacher. If that fails to find satisfaction, talk to the school administrator. If that fails to find satisfaction, talk to the appropriate person at the district leadership center, or the superintendent. I think educational decisions should be left up to educators. A board member needs to be responsive, communicative, and facilitative.