| Jeff Dieffenbach | |
| Candidate for School Committee | |
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Response to WaylandeNews.com Survey 1) Has the elementary school reconfiguration been a success, and why or why not? The elementary school reconfiguration has been a success, but as expected, not an unqualified one. Even without the Fall transportation difficulties, the reconfiguration resulted in core spaces more crowded than the year before, family logistical challenges, and more and longer bus rides. The reconfiguration, one year earlier than expected, was driven by a declining enrollment, a large override, and the ability to preserve the educational experience. The end result has been continued educational excellence in the classroom, fewer classrooms exceeding the class size policy, and an annual savings in excess of half a million dollars. http://www.waylandschoolcommittee.org/details/fy09-es-reconfiguration-savings.htm 2) To what extent should programs and services that are not legally mandated or purely academic be supported by user fees? A public education should be funded by the public. That does not mean that the schools should provide every possible amenity. The Wayland Public Schools spends 88% of its budget on programs. Of that program amount, curricular (academic) programs make up over 91%, with the remainder accounted for by co-curricular programs. Critics of the Wayland Public Schools charge that we pay private school prices using public dollars. A look at private school tuitions quickly dispels this notion. Rather, we strive to offer a private school quality of education. With respect to funding, the reverse is actually true--we fund a significant chunk of our public education with considerable private funding. The reality of the current financial climate is that schools charge fees for athletics and other services, a burden borne by today's parents far more than in the past. While I'm philosophically opposed to such fees, I recognize this reality and therefore begrudgingly agree that fees should be set based on what peer districts around us are charging. 3) Do you agree with the current School Committee's educational priorities, and is there anything you would change? The Committee's educational priorities are spelled out by the district mission statement, http://www.wayland.k12.ma.us/district/district_info/mission.htm the Committee's mission statement, http://www.waylandschoolcommittee.org/mission.htm the Committee's budget priorities, http://www.waylandschoolcommittee.org/budget-principles.htm and the Superintendent's annual goals. http://www.wayland.k12.ma.us/district/district_info/departments/superintendent/documents/Goals_08_09_final.pdf In general, I agree with these priorities. The educational areas most important to me are the following.
Other than the need to rely so heavily on fees, I agree with our co-curricular priorities. Together, athletics, arts, and activities account for a bit less than 9% of the program budget: art (1.8%), music (2.7%), theater arts (0.7%), athletics (3%), and activities (0.7%). Note that after fees and ticket revenues are included, athletics has a net cost of 2%. At the high school, more than half of the students compete athletically. Participation in the arts is similarly high. These co-curricular activities build a different but no less important set of skills than those learned in the classroom. 5) Do you believe that the pay scale for Wayland teachers and administrators is appropriate, and why or why not? Wayland teacher salaries are among the highest in the state and on par with our peers*, part of the School Committee's philosophy of paying well to attract and retain high quality instructors. To offset the financial impact of this decision, Wayland's class sizes as represented by student-teacher ratios tend to be larger than our peers. On the administrative side, our salary schedule is in line with our peers. In both cases, our salaries are appropriate. *Acton, Belmont, Boxborough, Brookline, Carlisle, Concord, Dover, Lexington, Lincoln, Needham, Sherborn, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston 6) Do you support the current class size guidelines? Do you believe that class size matters? As much as I would like to be able to offer smaller classes and lower overall teacher loads, I support the current class size policy. http://www.waylandschoolcommittee.org/details/class-size-policy.htm Class size matters, to a point. Research as exemplified by the Tennessee STAR study shows that substantially smaller class sizes (say, 18 instead of 25) show an educational benefit, albeit one that is strongest for socio-economically disadvantaged students in lower grades. Quality instruction trumps class size, again to a point. Certainly, class size should be smaller for younger students, increasing as the students get older and as the level of the classes gets higher. 7) Are there any planning initiatives that you would like to see changed or begun? I would like the Committee to continue its Long Range Strategic Planning initiative, and have requested that this be an agenda item following Town Meeting. 8) Are there any changes that you believe are necessary in order for the Wayland schools to remain highly regarded? On the operational front, we must continue to hire great teachers, give them effective professional development, and evolve our educational program consistent with our Long Range Strategic Plan. On the facilities front, we have adequate buildings at the elementary and middle level. It is imperative that we turn our attention to address the deficiencies at the High School (see question 13). In both areas, we must look internally for great ideas while bench-marking with excellent school systems around the region, state, nation, and internationally. 9) Is lower academic performance for the Wayland schools acceptable if necessary to lower the tax burden? Absolutely not. As costs rise around us, our path is likely not to lower taxes, but rather to be prudent about the increases for which we ask. 10) If you believe that it is critical for Wayland to maintain the quality of its schools, then how should that be achieved in the current fiscal environment? As it should be, salaries make up the vast majority of what we spend on the Wayland Public Schools. As salaries are a subject of negotiations, it would be wholly irresponsible of me to discuss my thoughts in this area. I will say only that I am fully aware of this importance. Historically, our three most recent contract settlements, of which I've been a part, have seen the lowest percentage increases in the 40 years for which I have information, with each of the last three settlements being lower than the one before it. On other fronts, we must find opportunities to reduce costs, and, unfortunately, raise fees. On the cost front, the elementary school reconfiguration preserves the educational experience while saving more than a half a million dollars a year. At the High School, despite a strong demonstrated need, we are foregoing the addition of modular classrooms to tide us over until a more permanent solution is found. I note that our current HS enrollment of about 900 students is currently being educated in a facility that the state says should not house more than 650 students. Other cost savings initiatives include regionalization (we purchase through a 16-district educational cooperative and at the state-wide level), energy efficiency, and through continued level non-personnel budgets for materials and supplies. In addition to exploring these paths within the School Committee, I served on the FY07 Ad Hoc Budget Committee and am serving on the FY10 Ad Hoc Budget Committee exploring inter-departmental savings. 11) What creative solutions have been explored to maintain the schools without increasing taxpayer funding every year? Do you have any new ideas? It is not clear if this question is asking about "maintenance" in the sense of building condition, or maintenance in the sense of the overall education that we offer. It is also not clear if the question literally means not increasing taxes. I will address maintenance of the overall educational program in cost-effective ways. The reality of public education is that it has not seen productivity improvements in more than a century. Please don't get me wrong--the quality of education has clearly improved over that period. But one teacher in a room with 25 children in the year 2000 hasn't changed since 1900. Since salaries represent on the order of 90% of budget, we must be fiscally prudent about the salaries that we offer, and we must look for ways to change the student-teacher ratio while *improving* the quality of education. Technology has long offered the promise of cost savings. Based on my work in the area of educational technology, it is my informed opinion that technology is now in position to deliver on this promise. Here's a rough framework of one model that demonstrates how we might improve educational quality while reducing the number of teachers. Imagine a school of 100 children and 4 teachers. Now, imagine that engaging instructional software is introduced that allows each student to spend part of their academic day working independently at their individual challenge level. As a result, only 3 teachers are needed, but re-deployed such that they can spend their time with small groups of students where their talent and training can have the strongest effect. 12) Describe circumstances in which you would not support a budgetary override to fund the schools. I would not support an override amount that is too high, thereby jeopardizing needs provide for by a smaller amount, nor one where reasonable and educationally responsible efforts had not been made to pare down costs. We have a legal and moral obligation to educate the children entrusted to our care, and it is the role of the School Committee to advocate for this education while respecting the balance between demand for services and the ability and willingness to pay for these services. I codified this last sentiment while chairing the Finance Committee prior to my School Committee service. http://www.wayland.ma.us/accounting/index.htm 13) Do you support a partially state-reimbursed upgrade of the high school facility? Absolutely. The deficiencies at the high school are well documented and not just the opinion of a few in town. http://www.waylandschoolcommittee.org/whs/hsbc/Current-Conditions.htm Since 2002, four study groups representing more than 200 residents agree that the needs are strong. Three regulatory agencies (the ADA, the EPA, and OSHA) agree that the needs are strong. The NEASC accreditation group agrees that the needs are strong. And the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) agrees that the needs are strong. Fiscally conservative Wayland State Senator Scott Brown says this in support of our chance to address these needs, "If you pass on this opportunity, I fear that you won't have another one." Building on this, I would like to make four points. i. The net cost to the town for the feasibility study and schematic design currently under consideration is a borrowing on the order of $315k. These funds will not be spent without an agreement by the state regarding their 40% reimbursement. Because of other debt coming off the books, approving these funds will not increase taxes. ii. By moving forward now, we avail ourselves of the 40% state reimbursement. If we fail to move forward now, we run the very real risk that the state will run out of building funds, leaving us to address the major deficiencies at the High School purely on our dollar. We'll end up paying more and getting less. iii. Now is the best time in years (including looking forward) to begin contracting for a construction project. Prices will never be better. iv. The money that we will be committing to, should we move ahead, will be spent almost entirely in a different economy than the one we're now facing. I fully appreciate the impact that this economy is having on people. I don't know if it will be better in one year or two. But I fully expect that it will get better, and in a time frame along those lines. And it will be in that future economy that we pay for the vast majority of this project. 14) Do you support the debt-exclusion on the ballot for this coming Election Day? Absolutely. The school Debt Exclusions allows the High School Building Committee to move forward with the feasibility study and schematic design. If we do not move forward now, there is a good chance that we will miss the window for the 40% reimbursement from the state (see question 13). The municipal Debt Exclusion funds municipal and school repairs, real estate appraisals, and an ambulance and advanced life support equipment. Combined, because other debt is coming off the books, Wayland residents will not experience an increase in their taxes as a result of approving these two Debt Exclusions. 15) Are there any other issues that you would like to address? Experience matters. When the current school year ends, two School Committee members will have 4 years of experience, one will have 2 years, and one will have no experience at all. My continued service will bring unique and valuable experience coupled with an openness to new ideas. Just as you want experience in the operating room and in the cockpit, you benefit from experience in the oversight of our excellent public schools. If I have the honor of being re-elected to the School Committee, I will have 9 years under my belt, plus 5 years before that on the Finance Committee. I have served as chair of the two committees for 4 of my 14 years in office. I understand municipal finance, school finance, and education in general. To the latter point, I bring 6 years of work experience leading teacher professional development for Reading First in Massachusetts, working with print curriculum for reading and math, and now heading product management in educational technology. On the personal side, I bring to this election a long record of integrity, thoughtfulness, analysis, and a sense of humor. I take pride in the openness, civility, and candor with which I've conducted myself and communicated with the residents of Wayland. 16) If you can, then please name anyone of prominence that you admire in Wayland, either inside or outside of town or school government, and state why. I could cite any number of great public servants we've had, including several I've worked with on the Board of Selectmen and served with on the Finance and School Committees, I keep circling back to one name: Jack Wilson. His record of service includes terms on the Board of Selectmen, the Finance Committee, the School Committee, the Library Board of Trustees, and others. What impresses me about Jack is not the number of lines on his Wayland resume, but rather, the nature of his passion and energy demonstrated over an extended period of time: on the order of half a century! Almost a decade on the School Committee back in the 1960s included his planting a spade in the earth at the beginning of the construction of the current High School. I would be honored to hand him a shovel in the near future for an encore performance. This tribute isn't just to Jack, however. He embodies the values of the many residents who moved to Wayland for its commitment to education, built life-long friendships as their children progressed through the schools, and made good on their share of the inter-generational compact as they stayed out of a love for the great community to which they contributed so much. For this, you have my eternal thanks and admiration. |
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Jeff Dieffenbach campaign home page If you have any questions or comments, call me at 508-353-3175 or send me email at dieffenbach @ alum.mit.edu. |
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