the Right Side of the Lake blog

Online Candidate Forum

Lake County School Board District 4

Part 2

This newsletter is Part 2 of Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C.’s Online Candidate Forum for Lake County School Board District 4 seat between candidates Thuy Lowe, Debbie Stivender and Cheryl Thomas.  On Thursday, we will release the final part of the forum with closing statements to be printed next week.  Our online forums will reach, in one hour or more, ten times the number of people who typically show up to a live forum.  We believe these forums are providing a great service to Lake County’s electorate.  We encourage your questions and comments on our website www.lakecountygov.info or Facebook page, where you can “Like Us” to have quick and easy delivery of your newsletter.

Forum Questions and Answers Part 2

Q: Many in the community, including our group, have been critical of the selection of iPads as the device of choice for students at the new high school instead of books.  Do you think the District’s iPad direction is the best decision?  If not, what would be your recommendation for technology? 

Thuy Lowe

Technology is not for everyone. My oldest son prefers reading from a hard copy rather than reading from a computer screen.  Technology should be used as a common tool for teaching, learning, managing, and measuring education progress. I agree that technology can build curiosity and motivate students to learn more. However, technology is not a “silver bullet” and it will not solve our district’s performance issues by itself. 

Debbie Stivender

The IPad program has proven to be very effective in teaching our students at Lake Minneola High.  We have also introduced a program called BYOT (bring your own technology) at Umatilla High and will be expanding to other schools once our district is connected by fiber from the City of Leesburg. Technology is the way of the future and the state has mandated that it be incorporated into all schools by 2014.  There are statistics that will prove my statement, just contact the district office if you would like additional information.

Cheryl Thomas

Yes, I agree with the technology in the classroom. I-Pads are not cost effective and with our current budget we must recognize that we have to purchase items that show fiscal responsibility.  Research has shown that textbooks cost 41% less than I-Pads for a high school with 2000 students.  It is important for students to be introduced to technology, understand the capacity of technology, and interact with technology. But it is not important for them to have the latest technology. To see an example of the cost difference visit www.standardmadness.com

Q: Do you support the requirement of physical education classes in school?

Thuy Lowe

Both of my boys were involved in band while in middle school; and as result, they did not have to take physical education.  However, they both played little league baseball after school, and the entire Lowe family participated in martial arts 3 times a week.  I have noticed that a number of middle school students who are taking PE are not participating in the expected activities. I therefore, only support physical education if we set the expectation that those students who are taking PE will participate.

Debbie Stivender

There should definitely be some allocated time for physical education. With the increased rigor and demands for academics, it has been difficult to allot the time for this much needed program.  The move is back on because of childhood obesity, but finding the time during the school day will continue to be a challenge. I have been working with other agencies on programs such as Safe Routes to Schools, so that students can walk, or bike to school.

Cheryl Thomas

Yes, Under the Don Davis Act all school districts in Florida must provide a minimum of 150 hours of physical education for students in grade K-5, and one class period for students in grade 6-8. Studies have stated that providing increased time for physical activity can lead to better concentration, reduced disruptive behaviors and higher test scores in reading, math and writing (Satcher, 2005).

Q: School uniforms have been a major topic over the last two years.  What is your position on school uniforms? 

Thuy Lowe

I support school uniforms.

Debbie Stivender

Last year, as chairman, I asked the board to really vet the issue of uniforms that was presented by Jim Miller.  We had public meetings and conducted on-line surveys to gather data.  The compilation of data from those events indicated that the majority of respondents did not want a uniform dress policy.  During my research, it was evident to me that our existing dress code policy was very strict, but not enforced by all administrators.  The Superintendent has since made enforcement mandatory and incidents have decreased.  However, if our board had wanted to pursue the issue, I would have recommended going with the Alachua County model.

Cheryl Thomas

The differences surrounding school uniforms are dated back several years. I agree that school uniforms will provide for safer campuses, help our teachers focus more on curriculum and not on dress code, and impact achievement.  The uniforms will also provide a sense of unity on each of our campuses.

Q: Who should the school board be listening to when making the decision on uniforms- parents, the public, teachers, administrators, students or a combination?

Thuy Lowe

I served on the School Uniform Committee with a number of educators, and had an opportunity to talk to administrators and teachers on the uniform issue. Most members felt that having a uniform dress code will allow our teachers to spend more time educating our students and less time with policing dress code compliance.  I would listen to the teachers and support them, because they are held accountable for student performance.

Debbie Stivender

During the public meetings we heard from teachers, students, parents, grandparents, the public, the business community and administrators.  I even asked for the opinion of the resource officers. 

Cheryl Thomas

There has to be a consideration for all. The most important thing the School Board does is set the vision for the community schools which reflect a Consensus of the board, community, and the District.

Q: How would you rank the performance of the District administration in total?   

Thuy Lowe

Teachers are being held accountable for their student’s performance. Principals are being held accountable for their school’s performance. District administration should be held accountable for their district’s performance. Since our school district ranks 44^th out of 67 districts in the state, I would give our District administration a 3.75 out of a possible of 5 points.

Debbie Stivender

Like any organization, there is always room for improvement.  If I were grading the system, I would give it a “B”.

Cheryl Thomas

The Administration in Lake County is a group of hard working individuals who are currently working through some tough times. With the new mandates for teachers, new FCAT cut scores, and other changes being implemented. I believe they are doing a fine job.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

In Part 3 of our Online Candidate Forum for Lake County School Board District 4 seat, we ask the candidates for their positions on impact fees, funding school construction, and the renewal of the 1 cent local sales tax option.  This forum will be the most controversial, as the candidates must stake out their opinions on how to fund Lake County Schools.  

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Please forward this email to everyone on your list.  If you have not signed up for our free email newsletter service, be sure to sign up at our website www.lakecountygov.info.

This year, getting out the pro-growth, conservative message is more important than ever before.  Please forward The Right Side of the Lake to everyone on your contact list and encourage your friends and family to sign up for this free newsletter by going to www.lakecountygov.info or www.therightsideofthelake.com.  If you would like to make a comment about today’s newsletter please (click here).

Online Candidate Forum

Lake County School Board District 4

Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C. would like to welcome you to our fourth online candidate forum.  Over the next few days, we will be asking the candidates running for Lake County School Board District 4 seat questions about their positions and plans if they are elected.  All of the candidates were asked the same question, and the answers have remained confidential until time of publishing.  It is our goal to give a fair and open format that will inform the electorate the stances of each candidate.

The declared candidates for Lake County School Board District 4 seat are the incumbent Debbie Stivender, Thuy Lowe, and Cheryl Thomas.  Below are the guidelines given to each candidate prior to the start of the online forum.

Forum Guidelines

1. This is actually an online forum, so please answer questions concisely, and answers should be no longer than 3-4 sentences or a short paragraph.  If a question is a “yes” or “no” question, please answer that way.
2. Each candidate will be asked the same question and their answers printed as written.  If the answer is longer than our guidelines, we may ask you to edit yourself.
3. The forum will probably take three newsletters, and the questions and responses from all candidates will be printed simultaneously.  The answers will be listed in alphabetical order.
4. After we have published all of the questions and responses, we will allow each candidate to have their own The Right Side of the Lake newsletter for closing remarks and rebuttal.  It will be unedited.  Please make sure you proofread closely.  If we see a glaring grammatical error, we will notify the candidate.  The closing statement is limited to 750 words.

Candidate Introductions

Thuy Lowe and her husband, Keith, have been married for 18 years, and they have two sons who both attend Mount Dora High School.  Mrs. Lowe, for a number of years, owned and operated a non-emergency medical transportation company.  Today, she is a full-time mom who, over the last nine years, has volunteered more than 1,200 hours with the Lake County School District.  Thuy Lowe likes renovating houses, building projects, gardening, martial arts, and spending time with her family.

Debbie Stivender is the incumbent school board member for the District 4 seat, and she was born and raised in Tavares.  Mrs. Stivender graduated from Tavares High School in 1971, and her professional background is that of a paralegal.  For 12 years, Mrs. Stivender was a zoning clerk for Lake County, and she later advanced to Director of Zoning and Development and Code Enforcement.  Mrs. Stivender currently works for a private company as a paralegal and consultant, when not in conflict with her official duties.  Her interests include bowling, drawing and completing crossword puzzles.  She also enjoys reading and singing.

Cheryl Thomas is currently a full-time teacher for the Lake County School District at Eustis Heights Elementary.  Prior to that, she was an academic advisor for a private school for 10 years.  Mrs. Thomas is married to Danton Thomas, a private school principal, and the couple has four children, which include a son who graduated from Eustis High School and daughters who currently attend schools in the Eustis area.  Mrs. Thomas enjoys reading, bowling and ultimate Frisbee games with her family.

Forum Questions and Answers Part 1

Q: Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

Thuy Lowe- No

Debbie Stivender- I have never been convicted of a felony.

Cheryl Thomas- No

Q: Have you ever filed for bankruptcy protection?

Thuy Lowe- No

Debbie Stivender- I have not filed for bankruptcy protection.

Cheryl Thomas- No

Q: What is your educational background?

Thuy Lowe

My initial study at the University of Central Florida was Civil Engineering, but I finished college with a Bachelors of Science in Business Marketing. I have always been interested in construction, so I have taking many classes relating to this field at Valencia Community College. I only need another five classes for an AA degree in Construction Engineering.

Debbie Stivender

I have a diploma from Tavares High School and attended L-SCC.

Cheryl Thomas

I am a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exceptional Education, Master’s Degree in Emotional Handicapped and Learning Disabilities. I am currently attending Stetson University for Educational Leadership.

Q: The Lake County School District once again received a B grade and some of the high schools dropped in their rating.  What should be done to lift the grades of our schools?

Thuy Lowe

Clear, leadership and policy enforcement across the entire district is needed to ensure that all our district’s schools execute and perform at a high level.  By setting expectations, consistently enforcing policies, and leading by example, we can raise the level of teacher performance, increase the level of parental involvement, improve the level of student behavior, and increase the level of respect that students have for their teachers and administration.  By setting levels high, it will be easy to identify those students whose behavior is detracting from the success of the fellow students and their school system.

Debbie Stivender

Continue to strive for excellence through the many programs that are already being implemented and through continued hard work by every one in the district! The grade does not truly give the public the whole picture of all the wonderful things that our students and educators have accomplished, and continue to achieve.  We are all dedicated to making our district an “A” again and with the community’s support, I believe it can be accomplished even with all the roadblocks the state and federal government put in our way on a regular basis.

Cheryl Thomas

By nature education is a loosely coupled system. In order to move our district we must become a tightly coupled system. Implementing a system where everyone is accountable for increasing student achievement. There is evidence that our current superintendent and school administration is moving in that direction by the 551 plan, Instructional Focus Calendar, and the Pacing guides. As the board sets policy, and makes fiscal decision, it is important that at the end of the day they understand fresh data and how our schools are implementing the data to drive instruction. When the uniform issue was on the table our board did a great job of hosting small meetings to meet with parents. The same should be implemented to discuss data for schools.

Q: Do you support student testing such as the FCAT to hold teachers and administrators accountable?

Thuy Lowe

We need to have standardized measuring tool to ensure that our students are learning. Teachers and administrators should be held accountable for the education progress of our children.

Debbie Stivender

I am not a supporter of the FCAT.  I am a supporter of holding teachers and administrators accountable for the curriculum that teaches a student how to thrive in society.  The FCAT is not a student friendly test and does not allow a large number of students to excel in the areas that will benefit them and our community.  The Career Tech program, in my opinion, has been much more effective since it allows our students to find a career, work on it during school, and receiving certifications that allow them to go right into the workforce.

Cheryl Thomas

I am all for accountability, However, Researcher Bob Marzano—in his 2003 book What Works in Schools, determined that the average curriculum for a K-12 student contained nearly 200 standards, which would take nearly 15,000 hours over the course of a child’s school career to adequately address. With only an average of 69% of a school day dedicated to instruction it really is not fair to hold them alone accountable for mastery of curriculum, parents have a very important role.

Q: Do you support prayer in school and why or why not?

Thuy Lowe

A fundamental freedom of the USA is the freedom to practice our individual religious beliefs. I was born into a very conservative Catholic family, and I believe in god, the almighty. Religion is a personal value and a private choice. It should not be brought into public schools. Our School District would be legally liable if it limits praying to limited religious denominations.

Debbie Stivender

When I was in school, we were allowed to pray.  The government has decided that church and state should be divided.  I believe that it should be up to the individual student as to how they display their religious beliefs, as long as it does not interfere with the academic studies of others around them. 

Cheryl Thomas

Yes, to the extent of the Constitution. Although the Constitution forbids public school officials from directing or favoring prayer, students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, (1969).The Supreme Court has made clear that “private religious speech, far from being a First Amendment orphan, is as fully protected under the Free Speech Clause as secular private expression.

Q: Our analysis comparing the student population to available student stations shows almost 10,000 more student stations than students.  The student population has basically been stagnant for three years despite an influx of students whose parents could no longer afford to pay for private education.  Surrounding counties are closing schools to balance these numbers.  Do you think Lake County will be forced to close schools and are you willing to do that if needed? 

Thuy Lowe

The geographical features and population distribution of Lake County is very different from that of Seminole and Orange county because of its many rural areas such as Umatilla. Umatilla High School only has less than 1,000 students, but it cannot be consolidated with the nearest high school, Eustis High, the expense of bussing students, and the impact of traveling long distances to and from school need to be taken into account.  If there are schools that could be closed due to poor attendance, then I would be willing to review the pros and cons such a closure to determine the impact on our school district’s performance.

Debbie Stivender

The past boards and administration had the foresight to set monies aside.  These reserves have allowed the current board to keep our schools intact up to now.  The next couple of years maybe a different story, but at this time, there are no plans to close any schools.  If, and when this should be an option, I will do what is right for the district and for our students. The number of student stations available is a very complex topic and space is not allowed in this forum.

Cheryl Thomas

Closing schools is something we may have to eventually take a look at.  In this economic situation that we all face we often have to make hard decisions for the best of everyone involved. If needed It is very important we select a school where the impact would not be wasted with a minimal savings. We’d want to choose a school where the savings would be substantial, and the stations can be best utilized.

Q: The School District has over a half billion dollars in debt and federal and state monies for schools are drying up daily.  How do you intend to pay down the school’s debt?

Thuy Lowe

We must be better stewards with our tax dollars and be very conservative with our spending. We must be look at re-allocating funds from other areas to focus on student performance and safety. While tighten our belt, we will need to use the sales tax and ad valorem revenue to pay down the school’s debt.

Debbie Stivender

With funding drying up, the district’s debt will continue to be a major item in our budget.  We budget a specified amount each year.  We revisit the bonds and reduce our interest rates when possible, as well as look for other sources to help pay down the debt. This debt was incurred prior to my tenure on the board, but I will continue to research avenues to reduce it.

Cheryl Thomas

Looking over the current budget we can see how the economy has caused a decrease in the funds that are available to Lake County Schools. To pay down the debt there would have to be a tax increase.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

In Part 2 of our Online Candidate Forum for Lake County School Board District 4 seat, we ask the candidates for their opinion on iPads in the classroom as well as school uniforms.  Part 2 of the forum promises to be informative and unique, as each candidate has a different perspective on some of the largest issues facing the Lake County School District.

The easiest and fastest way to get your copy of The Right Side of the Lake is to “Like Us” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rightsideofthelake.

Please forward this email to everyone on your list.  If you have not signed up for our free email newsletter service, be sure to sign up at our website www.lakecountygov.info.

This year, getting out the pro-growth, conservative message is more important than ever before.  Please forward The Right Side of the Lake to everyone on your contact list and encourage your friends and family to sign up for this free newsletter by going to www.lakecountygov.info or www.therightsideofthelake.com.  If you would like to make a comment about today’s newsletter please (click here).