A+ Schools was informed by Joseph Conrad Kearfott Burns, candidate for Pittsburgh Public School Board District 7, that he was no longer pursuing a seat on the school board. In a statement, Mr. Burns said, "While I'm aware that the date to withdraw my name from the ballot has already passed, I will not be participating in any interviews nor any candidate forums. I have recently been accepted to Law School and I have chosen to attend beginning in September. So, I will not be able to further pursue a seat on the school board. I apologize for the late notice, but I wanted to let you know this as soon as my decision became official."

Mr. Burns's statement was received after A+ Schools printed its Pittsburgh School District 7 Candidate Guide.

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: In addition to being forthcoming with the media, I believe there should be a town-hall style forum (at least twice a year) where parents are allowed to directly ask school board members why they made the budgeting decisions they did.

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; When there is clear evidence (independent research/auditing) that the school district's budget is insufficient and children's educations are suffering, I would consider increasing property taxes. If there is clear evidence that the school district's budget has bloated beyond what is actually necessary, I would consider lowering property taxes

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: Community involvement initiatives as well as a proven track record of superior results will be more than enough to reverse this trend.

Q: How will you, as a board member, improve the district’s transportation system?
A: There must be accountability at every level of the transportation process. This includes ensuring the quality of the vehicles, drivers, and the companies that are contracted to perform this task.

Q: Do you support the universal screening of all students for Gifted and Talented education supports?
A: Absolutely. Every child deserves the chance to excel, not just a select few.

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: I do agree with the decision. The idea is to resolve issues before they escalate to a student becoming suspended. Being suspended is the worst thing to do to a struggling/trouble causing student. If the current increase of tiers seems to be helpful, but still has room for improvement, I would not rule out creating more tiers.

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: Students causing trouble at school are often the ones who need the most help to overcome a variety of obstacles and achieve academic success. Instead of being suspended they should be receiving help via initiatives such as the alternatives proposed in the question. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15388220.2011.646643?journalCode=wjsv20

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: 1. Student representatives who are selected to be their class's voice and given the chance to meet with the school board and discuss concerns each semester.
2. Town-hall style events where parents and students can ask school board members questions.
3. A digital platform where any parent/student can easily convey a message to school directors.

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: The timeline must be changed in order to be more in line with other school districts so that we are not attracting the less qualified and less diverse teachers who are leftover after other districts have concluded their hiring process.

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: While community schools have the potential to be an integral part of many neighborhoods, I would monitor them using guidelines discussed here: http://gradworks.umi.com/10/14/10149454.html http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0034654315627365

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: In order for students to be reading at grade level by 3rd grade there must be a strong emphasis on 2nd grade reading level, 1st grade reading level, and kindergarten reading level. I will propose a curriculum initiative that will increase the amount of focus on reading.

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: The most effective way to identify opportunity gaps would be to collect an appropriate amount of student data that is related to these gaps. Once the gaps are identified, we will create policies and initiatives that aim to bridge these gaps and ensure equality.

Q: How will you ensure that students receive a well-balanced and healthy lunch that students will want to eat?
A: Allocating enough money to the food programs is essential. If we cut corners and serve sub-par, unhealthy food to the students, there will be many negative long term effects. I will propose that we place a much higher value on providing healthy, well-balanced lunches.

Q: How will you make sure students have up to date materials especially in history and literature classes?
A: I would suggest we modernize our approach to this problem by investing in technological infrastructure. Funding could be spent much more wisely by providing each student a tablet / small computer, which would not only serve as a medium for any textbook, but would also augment each student's learning opportunities and potential.

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: It is vitally important that the Pre-K program is expanded quickly and effectively. Having a quality Pre-K program will allow us to begin education earlier. This is important in regard to neuroplasticity, which has proven that the brain learns more easily at a younger age.

Q: How will you work constructively with the eight other board members to ensure all Pittsburgh students receive a quality education?
A: I will respect that every board member's ideas are important and that each of their districts has unique needs. I will work cohesively with others, while not being afraid to voice my opinions and concerns, as long as the agreements the board reaches promote quality education.

Q: How will you effectively advocate for Pittsburgh’s students with other elected officials, both local and state?
A: I will use my position as a school board member to guarantee that the voices and needs of Pittsburgh's students are heard and met. Also, considering the lack of federal funding the public school system may likely incur, it will be more important than ever to focus on securing state and local funds.

Q: How will you communicate the board’s work with your constituents, parents and non-parents alike?
A: I intend to be easy to reach, transparent, and patient in all my communication with constituents. I'll also make myself available through community events and by having multiple lines of communication to be reached through.

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 focus on implementing curriculum reform that will ensure best practices are achieved while also incorporating play based learning and the development of social and emotional skills.