Here Are My Responses to a Community-Based Survey, submitted August 2, 2007:

Personal Qualities and Background

1) What are the most important qualities of a school board member for the district in 2007?
A: Communication is the key. Openness to community input. We need to seek community support, be honest in our dealings, listen respectfully to their input and then explain the rationale behind the decisions that are made to develop trust by demonstrating that we ARE listening. If the Board had been open and honest from the start they might have been surprised to find community support for additional levies to keep schools open. If we open the financial books and our ears, there are many wise and creative people in our community who can provide innovative ideas for solutions to our many problems.

2) What experiences, skills, and attributes do you think qualify you for a school board position?
A: My teaching experience starts with being a Teaching Assistant in Graduate school. As a Senior Systems Instructor at Boeing I taught database programming for five years, while rewriting the entire curriculum from the ground up. I have also taught in the classroom, including at North City as a Junior Achievement instructor and as a teacher for the A World In Motion engineering principles program sponsored by The Boeing Company.
   My first job at Boeing was as an Industrial Engineer where I performed many successful process improvement and cost studies - in fact I enjoyed a 100% approval rate for my recommendations. I also managed a multi-million dollar computing budget for the I.E. organization. Since that time I have developed many business cases to justify company investment in software and process changes, so I have a good grasp of Return on Investment (ROI) analysis.
   I have a lot of experience working as a team member and team leader on many projects ranging from the simple to the highly complex.

3) How do you define your communication style?
A: Open and inclusive. I am an avid supporter of teaming to address complex problems in order to generate the widest range of potential solutions. Two-way communication is key to this and any other position. I welcome all input, and I share the rationale behind all team decisions so that everyone understands the decision and will support the direction.

4) Do you have any background in accounting or statistics?
A: Most of my training in this area dates back to my college years, and I do not promote myself as a professional accountant or statistician. I would rely on the technical expertise of the hired professional experts. The Board only exercises oversight over the process, reviewing and approving finances at the macro-level and does not need to delve deeply to the "counting pencils" level of detail. We rely on appropriate, professional oversight and review at the Administration level. Considering the Administration's past track record the Board will need to watch more closely than normal until trust has been regained, however.

5) Have you ever managed the budget of a business or organization?
A: In my early years at Boeing, and again today I have managed multi-million dollar computing budgets. This involves not only tracking of budget forecasts and actuals, but also Return On Investment (ROI) analysis and the development of Business Cases to gain management approval of new acquisitions. My current scope of responsibility for database and database administrator (DBA) productivity tools is for the entire Boeing Company enterprise-wide.

6) What experience do you have working in the field of education?
A: As I mentioned above, my first taste of education as a provider was as a Teaching Assistant in graduate school, where I developed class materials, assisted in the labs, and occasionally substituted for absent professors. As a Product Manager at Boeing I worked closely with our Education and Training division in the definition and review of new coursework. Later, I became a Senior Systems Instructor at Boeing where I taught database programming for 5 years. During that time I also rewrote the entire database programming curriculum from the ground up (ahead of schedule and under budget). I have also taught Junior Achievement and A World In Motion (engineering principles) in the elementary classroom.

7) When have you worked as a team member before?
A: Almost everything I do at Boeing requires teamwork. Over the course of my 29-year career I have served on many teams, often as the chosen team leader. When not leading the team, I must represent the interests of others in my organization. This requires a lot of external coordination to ensure that I am prepared and able to speak for my constituency when the opportunity arises. As an Associate Technical Fellow I have a lot of freedom in defining my work assignments and how to best accomplish the tasks I set for myself. Most of the work I perform lends itself well to teaming, where I will draw in many subject matter experts from across the company to address and accomplish the goals of the team. Subject Matter Experts have a lot of demands on their time, so as a team leader I must always ensure that we stay focused on our tasks and not waste anyone's valuable time.

8) Do you think of yourself as an agent of change? Why or why not?
A: Yes! The keys are good communication between all affected parties, offering a vision, and solid, respectful teamwork. I have always had an interest in how and why things work, which led me to my initial career as an Industrial Engineer at Boeing. As an I.E. I made many changes after gaining buy-in and acceptance from the affected parties. My induction into the Boeing Technical Fellowship was in recognition of my ability to identify opportunities and exploit them for the benefit of the company. This usually required extensive teamwork to engage others as changes were proposed and implemented.

9) Do you have any personal past or current connection to the school district buildings or staff members? Please elaborate.
A: Of course I had ties to the teachers each year for the grades my children attend. I also worked (briefly) alongside the teachers of the classes where I taught Junior Achievement and A World In Motion (not limited to only the classes my children were attending at the time).
   As for the school buildings, I worked as a Spring Cleaning volunteer at North City Elementary to spruce up the grounds. I also helped to finish the PTA-funded playground expansion several years ago.

10) If you have had school-age children, how did you decide where to send them to school, and have you been connected to any specific buildings as parent or student?
A: Both of our children attended North City Elementary, first as local students and in later years in the Hi-Cap program. Our eldest moved on through Kellogg Middle School, and is now entering Shorecrest High School. Our youngest is now moving to Ridgecrest as a result of the closure of North City Elementary.
   Even if North City hadn't been our local school in the early years, I would have probably wanted my children to attend there. When I attended elementary school many years ago, my school was highly diverse due to the abundant near-by university housing for families. I had many friends from around the world and this cultural diversity expanded our horizons as children. I was happy to find a similar environment at North City for my children.

11) Have you had any connection to a PTA, the Shoreline Schools Foundation, or any other local community group? Why or why not?
A: My wife and I have been members of both the North City and Kellogg PTAs, and in fact my wife was even PTA President at North City. We have also provided financial support to the Shoreline Schools Foundation, as well as the King County Library Foundation to help encourage their works toward supporting education in the community. I have also volunteered at North City clean up activities, and helped with the completion of construction on the PTA-funded playground expansion several years ago.

12) Why do you live in Shoreline?
A: I have lived in Shoreline for 24 years. One of the reasons I selected Shoreline was the reputation of the School District as I planned (way) ahead for an eventual family, and for a far more distant resale. I like the Shoreline community - it is a caring and supportive place to live. Shoreline offers many fine parks, and most of the businesses and resources I need to get by. Shoreline is investing for the future in such projects as the North City corridor renovation and Aurora upgrades. Shoreline has a great location - close to the amenities of Seattle but away from the disadvantages of such a big city.

13) What other elected office positions have you held in the past or are you considering for the future?
A: Other than serving as treasurer of a car club, I have not sought elective office until now. Now that I am running for the School Board I am remaining focused on the task at hand, and am not currently considering any future positions.

Shoreline Schools - Broad Policies

14) What is your vision for Shoreline schools in the next 5 years?
A: In a nutshell it is Students first, administration last. The students are the entire reason why we have public schools, and we need to ensure that every dollar we spend returns maximum educational value for our customers. The farther the spending is from the direct benefit to our students, the lower the priority. If we make education our priority then we will draw more students (and their funding) back into our schools.
   One concern I have is that I've searched the Shoreline Schools web site and I couldn't find any Vision statement for our district. No wonder we have lost our way - we have no guiding star to focus our thinking and our priorities.

15) If you think that staff and community trust in the district's administration has been significantly eroded then what would you do to rebuild that trust?
A: There is no doubt that the staff and community has lost trust in the Administration and the Board, and I can't blame them. As I've said before, we need honest two-way communication to start rebuilding bridges and move forward again. Playing various factions off against each other to duck the responsibility of decision-making is deplorable. The Administration and the Board needs to show through ACTIONS that they are actively supporting the teachers and the students, for actions speak louder than words. Once the Administration and Board start treating the staff and community as allies instead of enemies we will turn the corner and be able to work productively together to address our district's challenges.

District Communication and Decision-making Issues

16) What would you do to increase transparency in the Board's decision-making process?
A: The District must do a much better job of publishing our finances (warts and all) and other data on the web for all to see. The Board owes it to the community to not only make decisions but to also explain the rationale behind those decisions to gain community buy-in and support.

17) Can you think of a more pragmatic process for a two-way dialogue with the community than school board meetings or public hearings?
A: There is nothing more frustrating and aggravating that to be allotted a 2-minute sound bite at a public hearing to address many complex and important issues. It is even worse when there is no indication that the Board is actually listening to you and acknowledging your input. On the other hand I understand that unlimited debate at hearings could run for days, if not weeks. We need additional avenues of input such as email and web blogs (we can offer training and support for those who are new to the technologies). The Board owes it to the community, our constituency, to accept their input as policy is defined. The Board also owes it to the community to demonstrate that the input was heard and fairly evaluated. This requires a level of communication that is an order of magnitude above what exists today.
   One thing I would personally like to do is hold small gatherings, perhaps at the library, the schools, or in private homes to meet with groups and individuals to hear their concerns, their ideas, and their desires. Taking a more personal approach would help bridge the vast gap between the Board and the public and help restore community confidence in the District's direction.

18) What do you think is the optimal organizational structure in our district when it comes to making important decisions: for example, top-down hierarchy, shared decisions with building sites, or another model?
A: The law dictates that the School Board sets the policies for the district - what to do. The Administration then performs to these policies - how to do it. We must comply with the law so a top-down approach is mandated. This does NOT preclude inviting and involving the community, teachers, Principals, and others into the process to help in setting priorities and identifying the best, most cost-effective means of getting the work done. I realize that following the law will be a new experience for the School Board but I think we should give it a try.

19) Do you think shared-decision making with a broader community base is pragmatic in a district struggling with budget deficits and eroding community trust? Why or why not?
A: Yes! The School Board is supposed to represent the community's desires and priorities so we need to know what they think. After all, it is the taxpayer's money so they deserve a say in how it is spent. To accomplish this we need to increase the communication between the Board and the community at large, and that includes providing feedback and transparency in the decision making process. If the community does not trust the Board, how can we work together to resolve District problems? How can we honestly expect them to vote for additional levies? We need a partnership instead of the antagonistic environment we find ourselves in today. Communication is the key.

20) How do you think the school board can act to both check and balance administration decisions?
A: First we need to open up the decision-making process and reject the smoke-filled back room mentality of the Board. We need to drill down and ask questions, do our research and demonstrate that we truly understand all aspects of our various options. Once a decision is reached we must explain the rationale to show how a balance was achieved. Increasing transparency and publicizing the reasoning will force rationality into the decision-making process.
   The School Board is the ultimate authority on many decisions - we are supposed to be in control, not the Administration. We must reclaim this authority.

Enrollment

21) Do you think the district should encourage increased enrollment, and if so, how?
A: YES! We can certainly use the additional funding, but we must watch class sizes to maintain the quality and reputation of our schools. The existing School Board cites decreasing enrollment as the cause of all our problems though their numbers don't add up. We can entice additional students by providing a premier educational experience. Part of guaranteeing this level of excellence is to invest in our teachers to keep them current on the latest in learning styles, educational techniques, and childhood brain development to better serve our students. Parents will put up with a lot if they know that the teachers are good.

22) As a board member, how would you deal with a precipitous drop in enrollment of 300 students from 2007 to 2008?
A: First we need to deal with the underlying problems that are driving away our students. If we support our teachers and students to ensure a high quality education we will again draw in out of district students (and their funding). Secondly we need to coordinate more closely with the city council and building department for better insight into plans for new condos, apartments and houses in our district so we can better anticipate the future demands for education. Thirdly, we need to develop and maintain viable contingency plans so we can be prepared to act promptly when there is a sudden shift, up or down, in enrollment so we can maintain the high standards for excellence that the community expects of our school district.

23) What do you think the school district can do to reduce the percentage of resident students attending private schools?
A: Wouldn't you want the best possible education for your children? Children attend private schools if the quality is better and they can afford it. We must increase our quality and reduce class size to attract those children. To do this we must support our teachers in the classroom so they can more effectively educate our children. Like the Field of Dreams, if you build a better district, they will come.

24) If the district were to experience a sudden increase in enrollment what do you think would be the best way to manage building space and staff?
A: I see this as a real possibility if we can re-establish our reputation as a high quality and caring school district. We need to keep at least one school mothballed but ready for re-opening should we enjoy this embarrassment of riches. The use of portable (think mobile home) classrooms is out of the question - they are a waste of money and our students deserve better. If we keep our student:teacher ratios low then we can accommodate a reasonable surge within our existing facilities until it becomes time to re-open an additional facility.

25) In a June 2007 board meeting, it was announced that enrollment for 2007-8 will be 270 students below the number for 2006-7. Do you know where that number comes from?
A: I believe that much of this reduction is attributable to the recent school closures. In the case of North City, we have out-of-district parents driving their children past as many as three Shoreline Schools just to have their children benefit from the diverse learning environment of North City. Now that this unique environment has been scattered to the winds, I imagine that many of those parents have decided to keep their children closer to home. I am also aware of in-district parents who have applied for out-of-district schools as a result of the School Board's actions in closing local schools.
   We must reverse this trend by investing in our teachers and classrooms to improve the educational experience for our students. The only way to attract outside (and inside) district children is to provide a clearly superior learning experience.

Budget

26) How important are cost of living adjustments in the district budget and when do you think the district should plan for budgeting that money for a given fiscal year?
A: This is an issue of fairness, morale, living wage, ethics and respect. How can our employees, especially our teachers live in Shoreline if they can't afford it? We can't balance our budget on the backs of our teachers! Therefore salary adjustments must enter into the budgeting process early. Take care of our teachers and they will take very good care of our students.

27) How would you feel about independent audits of School Board finances and private company contract outcomes?
A: I have been asking for independent external audits for some time now. I totally support the idea for two reasons - 1) We need to detect and identify all cases of improper activity so that we can prevent reoccurrences and possibly even seek restitution, and 2) so we can rebuild public confidence in the District finances and decision-making processes. The Board has been cited repeatedly for violations of competitive bidding laws - this has to STOP! An audit of performance on contracts will help ensure that our money is spent wisely, and under-performing contractors are prevented from continuing to take advantage of lax oversight by the Board.

28) What do you think is the best way to negotiate contracts with private companies, and how can the district oversee whether companies meet their contractual obligations?
A: The School Boards role is not to negotiate contracts; the Administration does that, hopefully with skilled people. The School Board needs to monitor that the competitive bidding laws have been followed and monitor costs, overruns, and quality of performance to validate value of work performed to determine the advisability of awarding follow-on contracts. I think it should be District policy to try to keep contract awards local to increase accountability, ensure higher levels of performance, and keep the money in our community.

29) Do you think it would be help save money in the future if you knew exactly how past superintendents mismanaged our budget and what specific mistakes they made?
A: The prior Administration is the poster child for how not to run a school district. It would be VERY helpful to avoid further repetition of the many past mistakes; especially the many audit red flags. Why weren't competitive bid laws obeyed? Why does the board continue to fail to develop balanced budgets? It has been said that no man is worthless, he can always serve as a bad example. If we fail to learn from the past, shame on us!

30) When presented with two conflicting budget numbers, how do you decide which set of numbers make the basis for your decisions?
A: When provided with conflicting data, we must halt the decision-making process until we can determine the reason for the discrepancies. Is some data out-of-date? Were different underlying assumptions applied? Is a political agenda being advanced through deliberately manipulated numbers?
   Making decisions using suspect data reduces the community's confidence in the Board and erodes any support for future funding levies. When you build on a foundation of deceit the entire structure will inevitably crumble, as we have seen with the District's finances over the past several years.

Specific Issues

31) What disadvantages does a home laptop program have for the Shoreline school district? Do you believe the advantages outweigh the drawbacks, and why or why not?
A: First I will note that I work with technology all day at Boeing and that I value it highly at work. That does not mean that I support it at all levels of our schools.
   School is a continuum, with the elementary grades teaching "the basics", middle school is a transition, and high school being more serious preparation for adulthood where the students will become full-fledged, productive members of society. The closer the students are to graduation, the more important it becomes that they can apply the "technologies" they need to survive, contribute and excel in society. I have reservations about the appropriateness of laptops in grade schools - I support limited use in grades 4-6 for targeted assignments but I'm not convinced that each student needs a personal laptop. We should deploy laptops wisely, not for the sake of just having them. I have not seen any clear planned curriculum for the use of laptops, nor any scientific studies demonstrating the value of widespread laptop deployment. We need to slow down and validate the costs and benefits of laptops.
   There have been many complaints of problems at home where children withdraw from family activities into their computer world. The children have easily hacked the parental controls. The district's response was to appease the students by installing games to distract them from hacking. That is certainly the wrong message to give our children.
   The district has suffered some other "challenges" with the program, particularly in the area of damage and theft. We need to make the students aware that there are penalties for theft and fraud - if we don't teach them now as children we will pay dearly for it when they are adults.

32) Why does Shoreline need more administrative staff per student than Edmonds, Seattle, or Northshore districts?
A: I don't know! The Administration and the School Board love to point to various ratios when comparing themselves to other districts, but only when it is convenient to do so, but they always seem to have excuses when the ratios aren't so favorable. If we invest wisely in our children's education (in the classrooms) the ratios will change to reflect this rebalancing of spending and the increased value received.

33) When and how do think this school district should address the state of disrepair of buildings such as Shorewood, Shorecrest, or Briarcrest?
A: When - NOW! How - we need a thorough engineering audit (not like the Ameresco and Meng audits - REAL audits) followed by competitive bids to fix any deficiencies. Let's start by talking to our own onsite facilities people for their candid input and let them prioritize the most urgent problems. Where there are potential health concerns we must keep our students safe! This may require temporary relocations of students to other schools until hazards are eliminated. If the facilities will require extensive repairs it may be advisable to examine other alternatives such as permanent closure and relocation. If our student body is declining as much as the current Board claims, perhaps it is time to consolidate high schools into a single large facility to reduce costs while expanding learning options, perhaps at the site of the current Administration offices.

34) Do you think "institutionalized neglect" is a problem worthy of attention in this district?
A: It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This certainly applies to the state of our school buildings. While the Board focuses on "sexy" items like track and field improvements our buildings are suffering from neglect. When contracts are awarded to make improvements the contracts are frequently directed to preferred providers, usually outside of the district, rather than applying competitive bidding processes and seeking local, often less expensive, and much more accountable contractors. We need to do an honest, up-to-date assessment of each school property and address the various deficiencies - especially when student health and safety is at risk.

35) What would be the most prudent financial plan for managing the land bank and its tenants?
A: First of all we must NOT sell off any properties - we will need them when enrollment increases again (yes, I am an optimist). In the meantime we can rent vacant properties to generate additional revenues to support the district. I fear that there may be plans to sell off properties to solve near term financial problems. This would be a serious mistake, especially before rigid controls are enacted to ensure that our underlying problems are really fixed first. Otherwise we will soon find ourselves back in the same financial crises with one less option to bail us out.

36) Can you think of a specific remedy for the "disconnect" in priorities between capital and general education fund spending?
A: In past years the Administration sometimes improperly charged capital expenses to the general fund. This helped lead to many of the financial problems we still suffer today. Part of fiscal responsibility is ensuring that the proper monies are spent on the proper expenses. Financial games to hide costs are improper, if not illegal. I have questions about some of the real reasons for expanding the laptop program into lower grades - is it for the advantage of the students or is it really in part to provide money to cover general fund expenses to protect technology jobs? This just points to the need for increased transparency in the budget process - let's turn over the rocks and watch the bugs scatter. Then we can start managing our budgets more responsibly.

37) What do you think are the problems with the spending priorities of the most recent voter's levy?
A: As I recall the recent levy was to provide capital funding for remediating mold problems at Shorewood, upgrading the Shorecrest field, and to continue funding for the Apple laptop deployment. I don't think anyone in our community would want our students health to be endangered by decrepit conditions in our schools. The field improvements at Shorecrest aren't as urgent, and perhaps a less extensive fix would have been sufficient in order to conserve dollars for more pressing deficiencies in our other schools. The expansion of the laptop program is the most questionable of the expenditures. Although I am a big user and fan of technology, I have doubts about the need for individual laptops in the elementary grades. Lacking any scientific studies demonstrating value and any defined curriculum to incorporate and leverage the laptops, I think in our times of fiscal crisis this is a program that can slow down while more urgent priorities are addressed.
   The Board needs to remember that the community is watching and if they see spending that they consider wasteful they will be much less willing to approve future levies, even for very worthwhile causes.

You can contact me, Richard Potter, at:

18400 15th PL NE, Shoreline, WA 98155
(206) 367-5477 email: Vote4Potter@gmail.com

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