Q: Currently, nearly half of the dollars spent at a school building are allocated centrally and not accounted for at the building level, making it difficult to know whether resources are being distributed equitably to meet student needs. How will you make Pittsburgh Public Schools budgeting process more transparent?
A: I would like for the public to have access to this information. We can build on the process of making the budget more transparent by listing how the dollars are being distributed at each school in Pittsburgh Public Schools. Transparency with the budget will help our communities understand where the areas of improvement are needed.

Q: Under what circumstances would you support increasing or decreasing property taxes in the district? What research or evidence would you use to help you make that decision?
A: Upon review of Property Tax Independence Act or SB 76, the details reveal that it will not eliminate property tax unless you are rich and have means of disposable income. This action will help wealthy school districts not poor school districts and continue to create large disparities between the rich and the poor which would be a detriment to our students in Pittsburgh Public Schools who come from underserved communities. I support the increase in property tax because it will give our local school board more control of how funds are dispersed to help poor students.

Q: Over the last several years Pittsburgh Public Schools has seen a decline in student enrollment. How will you reverse this trend to keep families in the district?
A: My goal is to improve the quality of education and access to resources within Pittsburgh Public Schools. If Pittsburgh Public Schools are producing college ready students who are strong academically, Pittsburgh will attract families back to the inner city. We have to make investing in education our top priority to bring families back to the Pittsburgh Public School system. These actions will also build our communities stronger and more family oriented where we are wrapping our arms around our youth enabling them to be more productive in the classroom.

Q: How will you, as a board member, improve the district’s transportation system?
A: If you look at the 2017 budget at $597.4 million with $33.9 million allocated for transportation, I will make sure those funds are going to the proper transportation services that will get our children to school on time and have drivers who are culturally competent. We will review the bus routes that are set for picking up our children and hold the transportation service providers accountable for pick up and drop off times in a timely manner. The parents and families will be engaged and continually notified about this process.

Q: Do you support the universal screening of all students for Gifted and Talented education supports?
A: In terms of gifted and talented education supports, I believe we should look at the students in all facets of learning including their intangibles in terms of leadership, character, creativity, and adaptation. I support the universal screening process because it allows us to review more abilities of a student other than what a standardized test or referral what reveal.

Q: Do you agree with the board’s decision to create another tier of disciplinary infractions? Would you be in favor of creating more tiers to better address behavior problems?
A: Yes, I support the board decision to create another tier of disciplinary infractions and would be in favor to to create more tiers to address behavior problems. In-school suspensions are one of the ways I believe we can keep students engaged in the learning process and set a means of positive reinforcement to troubleshoot behavior issues. Also, I would like to see more intervention meetings set with parents, families, counselors, teachers, and students to get in front of the issues before they spiral beyond reaching our children to correct their behavior.

Q: Suspensions and expulsions are rarely an effective means for improving school climate. What alternatives will you support (eg. Restorative Justice, Positive Behavioral Intervention Systems, others) through policy to reduce school pushout and improve school climate? (Please cite the research or evidence you will use to back up your policy position).
A: Yes, I expressed positive behavioral intervention in the previous question to troubleshoot behavior concerns. Also, in-school suspension to ensure our children still have a chance to learn while outside the normal classroom setting. My evidence to support this policy stems from my experience as a PPS student in the 90's during the height of gang activity where students were being suspended for 20 days for fighting which gave them absolutely no chance of passing the quarter in a school year. Which led to them failing or dropping out of school and later on watching them revolve in and out of the prison system as we became adults.

Q: If elected, your main job will be to serve over 26,000 students in Pittsburgh’s district and charter schools. How will you ensure student voice is taken into account by the school board?
A: We have to develop a student council that begins at the third grade and continues all the way through the senior year of high school in order for students to voice their concerns and have representatives speak out on their issues. I will ensure that this is a high priority with the school board and continuously engage parents and families with the process so entire communities are our aware of the issues and interests.

Q: Pittsburgh Public Schools hiring process often does not conclude until August for many new teachers, later than most surrounding districts. What policies will you enact to improve the hiring timeline for new teachers and to attract a more diverse pool of candidates?
A: I think this question almost answers itself to make it simple and not complex. We must work on a better timeline that supports the interests of the teachers that will attract high quality, culturally competent educators that are diverse and represent the make up of the communities we serve.

Q: PPS is currently in the planning stages of creating community schools. What research or evidence will you use to monitor the successful implementation of a community schools model?
A: I believe that community schools should be evaluated based on what services they provided, implemented, and what were the outcomes. The metrics for the programs should be based on student performance, citizenship or behavior, engaging with parents, families, teachers, and students so the communities are aware of what is taking place and be held accountable for their work.

Q: Reading at grade level by third grade has been shown to be a strong predictor of future academic success, and in 2016 only 47% of Pittsburgh’s third graders met that bar. What will you do as a Board member to ensure that students benefit from systematic, comprehensive and evidence-based reading interventions so that more of our students are reading at grade level by third grade?
A: As a board member, I look to implement literacy coaches at the Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade levels to ensure the our students are not falling behind at the primary level of education. We must improve those numbers beyond 47% if we are going to produce college ready students and individuals going into career trades because if you able to read proficiently, you can learn anything. But you have to have a strong foundation of literacy to make good decisions in life.

Q: How will you as a board member identify gaps in opportunities for students and work to address them so as to close gaps in student achievement?
A: As a board member, I think we should pay close attention on how students are performing each quarter of the school year. If we have intense quarterly reviews, we can see where gaps are beginning to spread and we can troubleshoot arising issues with implementing solutions before the school year ends.

Q: How will you ensure that students receive a well-balanced and healthy lunch that students will want to eat?
A: I think we should look at healthy food options that local vendors or caterers can provide to ensure that our children have a balanced diet that tastes good. We have plenty of caterers that provide good tasting food options and we should explore contracting them for our students. Also, it will build on our local economy and employ people from our communities.

Q: How will you make sure students have up to date materials especially in history and literature classes?
A: We have to make updated books, workbooks, and resources a high priority stemming for the board's interest. I will press this issue knowing that students need literature and history books that are educational and entertaining to keep them abreast on history that pertains to our current affairs.

Q: What is your vision for the expansion of Pre-K in Pittsburgh? What do you see as the role of Pre-K in a child's learning progression through the PPS system?
A: Yes, I believe Pre-K lays a solid foundation for learning and getting a child acclimated to structure for the educational process. My vision for Pre-K in Pittsburgh is to have our children in nurturing environments where they are learning and preparing for primary school.

Q: How will you work constructively with the eight other board members to ensure all Pittsburgh students receive a quality education?
A: As a board member, I will listen to the board members who have came before me and learn from their experience. I will press firmly on the issues that I believe will propel the district forward. I will be dedicated as a team player to make decisions as unit to ensure our children receive a quality education. My goal is to make sure our students become productive citizens in our society, are college ready, and able to take advantage of other options such as trade careers.

Q: How will you effectively advocate for Pittsburgh’s students with other elected officials, both local and state?
A: I have a good relationship with our current local and state officials. I will voice the students' concerns to them and look to set up meetings and presentations where our local and state officials can talk to them in person. Also, I will keep our students aware of community meetings that take place where they live to keep them engaged with the process of community concerns and government affairs.

Q: How will you communicate the board’s work with your constituents, parents and non-parents alike?
A: I will attend community meetings and parent-teacher association meetings. Also, with I will keep them engaged through social media as it has become a powerful tool in our society. My goal is to be constant contact for our communities including parents, teachers, families, and students.

Q: How will you support best practices in early education (Pre-K- Grade 4), including play based learning and a focus on social and emotional skills?
A: I will support them knowing that learning is more than getting good marks on standardized tests. Play based learning, social and emotional skills are vital to seeing our children progress as students. I will continue to support them by advocating for continuous resources and dispersing funds from the budget to ensure we have these tools of instruction in place for the betterment of Pittsburgh Pubic Schools.