Elizabeth Badger: "Yes, I believe it is important that the Board have some reference of being a parent in order to advocate on behalf of our children. Yes, I will commit to insure that parents' voices are heard via the employment of staff. In addition, I am a current special needs LAUSD parent, and I clearly understand the importance of that connection."
Scott Mark Schmerelson: "I think that there are many ways for an LAUSD Board Member to make sure that parent voices inform their decision-making on the Board. This is an easy statement to make, but as my efforts and experiences from the past four years have shown, encouraging and supporting grassroots parent engagement is not easy, especially with regard to hard-working parents who have to compete for leadership roles with parent voices that are not always representative of most parents who have limited time and resources. I value the opinions of parents and guardians who have been speaking on behalf of parents for several generations of students, but I also want to hear from parents for whom public speaking and advocacy does not come easy. The parents who would rather volunteer at the Parent Center at their kids' schools than speak at a Board meeting. When a parent or group of parents ask to meet with me, my team always prioritizes and makes sure that I am available.
Whenever I have had a vacancy on my staff, I have tried to hire individuals who I believed to be the most qualified for the responsibilities and demands of the job, at the time. And, while most parent applicants (who are generally few) volunteer this information, it seems unlikely that attaching the requirement of being a parent would pass legal challenges."
Marilyn Koziatek: Koziatek did not provide a response to the questionnaire.
2. LAUSD Board meetings are currently scheduled during the same time that schools are in session which means that teachers and students, as well as most working parents, cannot engage with their representatives during these meetings. Do you support increasing community engagement either through the proposed Board Meeting Accessibility to the Public resolution or through other measures?
Elizabeth Badger: "Absolutely. I would also support having evening meetings on a quarterly basis."
Scott Mark Schmerelson: "This is a crucial issue. I have long believed that by holding our meetings during work hours, we are prohibiting many of the public from being able to attend. I do, however, temper that belief with the understanding that there are literally dozens and dozens of LAUSD employees who have to be present or available during Board meetings. In the end, however, we are a public institution and should be available to the public whom we serve. In fact, not only should we be holding our meetings at different times in the day, but more importantly, different locations. Some of the schools in my district are almost 30 miles away from Beaudry. That's not right."
Marilyn Koziatek: Koziatek did not provide a response to the questionnaire.
3. Under current policy, parents of children with special education needs must sign confidentiality agreements when negotiating settlements with the district. This prohibits parents from sharing information with other parents about services that are available to help students meet their full potential. Do you commit to eliminating this policy?
Elizabeth Badger: "I support full disclosure unless the parents request information not be held private."
Scott Mark Schmerelson: "Honestly, I need to know more about the history and scope of this policy, when and how it is applied, and the legal authority that would control such confidentiality agreements. I commit to working closely with LAUSD OGC to understand and to modify any part of this policy (or practice) that is shown to be unfair to our most vulnerable students."
Marilyn Koziatek: Koziatek did not provide a response to the questionnaire.
4. In order to ensure that IEPs provide an educational program that will help students reach their full potential, the IEP process must be fully collaborative. Therefore, teachers, administrators and other district employees must be willing to speak freely without fear of retribution for providing their opinions. Do you commit to supporting policies that prohibit the District from punishing employees who inform parents of all of the options available to their students?
Elizabeth Badger: "Absolutely!"
Scott Mark Schmerelson: "No employee of the LAUSD should ever feel as though they cannot give their unfettered professional opinion on what is in the best interests of one of our students. I absolutely support changes that will make the IEP process fully collaborative and in the best interest of the student."
Marilyn Koziatek: Koziatek did not provide a response to the questionnaire.
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