Candidate name: Michael Ibanez

Place of residence: Montgomery Village

Date of birth: April 4, 1959

Place of birth: Los Angeles

Current occupation: Teacher

Education: Pursuing Ph.D., Catholic University; M.A., Loyola Marymount University; B.A., University of Maryland, College Park

Community associations, involvement: Community organizer; parish organizations

Professional associations: NCEA; NEA

Family: Wife, Adelina; three children

Campaign office address, telephone: 301-990-8609

Web site: www.Ibanez.org

Link to state Board of Elections campaign finance database

What are your top three priorities for the next four years, if elected?

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) ranks as one of the best school systems in the United States. MCPS can boast about Superintendent Jerry Weast, the 2003 Maryland Superintendent of the Year, who is considered to be one of the top three public school superintendents in the country and 2006 National Teacher of the Year Kimberly Oliver. MCPS students' academic achievements are outstanding, from high tests scores and increased participation in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and International Baccalaureate (IP) program, to Merit Scholarships, Champions of the National Academic Challenge, and the Westinghouse Science Awards. MCPS's success can be attributed to the fundamental belief that all children can learn, and that all students can achieve high standards. Consequently, MCPS sets the bar high by setting high expectations for all students. MCPS can live up to its commitment toward excellence by setting the following top three priorities: 1) fully funding special education staffing levels, 2) expanding remedial reading and math classes for middle school and high school students and 3) continuing current educational reforms.

How would you rate the performance of the current school board: excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

The current school board would rate themselves Excellent. As a parent, and teacher⁄principal for over 20 years, I would have to give the Board of Education (BoE) a rating of Good overall. Individually, I would rate two or three board members as Excellent, one member Poor, and the remaining members Fair to Good. The BoE often times does not show leadership but rather deference to experts. Some members view the BoE as a stepping stone to higher elected office and really have no interest serving as school board members, only interest in seeking higher office. Some board members believe there will always be an achievement gap and do not believe that the achievement gap can ever be narrowed to an acceptable level. The BoE is evolving toward a more participatory and transformational form of organization but still relies on a top down decision making process and authority leadership style which does not bring about the necessary organizational flexibility toward meeting local school needs that result in improved student academic achievement.

How would you rate the job performance of Superintendent Jerry Weast: excellent, good, fair or poor? Why?

Good to Excellent overall for the past seven years. With a few not so minor exceptions, the leadership Dr. Weast has displayed over issues such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Standards Based Curriculum, Standardized Testing, Reading Initiatives, Class Size Reductions and All Day Kindergarten, has truly been remarkable when compared to past and present superintendents. He has demonstrated great influence over the BoE which is responsible for setting policy and curriculum and the county council which is responsible for approving and funding Dr. Weast's ambitious but expensive educational reforms. He is judged to be outstanding among his peers. He is adept at working with political savvy advocacy groups, constituencies, and stakeholders. However, Dr. Weast has made some notable mistakes such as his handling of the Health Curriculum fiasco, and his misguided program of rating schools that intended to improve schools but instead caused confusion, frustration, and even dissent among principals, teachers, and parents. The ultimate judgment of Dr. Weast's tenure as superintendent of Maryland's premier school district rests on whether or not he can eliminate the long standing achievement gap between White⁄Asian students and Black⁄Hispanic students. Current data shows that gap is narrowing. But the reforms he has implemented up to now may not be enough to overcome the achievement gap in Maryland's high stakes testing, the MSA's. High school students will soon be required to pass these Maryland State Assessments in order to graduate. Early test score data show that an unacceptable number of Black and Hispanic students may not pass these tests resulting in large numbers of students not graduating or maybe even dropping out. That would be a disappointing legacy for Dr. Weast that would surely overshadow an otherwise outstanding performance.

Is the county funding for schools too much, about right or too little? If too little, where would you find additional money?

The annual MCPS budget is submitted to and approved by the county council. Board of Education Members, along with the Superintendent and MCPS staff testify to the council in support of the budget that funds school construction, educational programs, athletic⁄sports programs, salaries and benefits, pension plans, health insurance, prescription drug plans, educational resources, school security, transportation, etc.

Health insurance costs are rising faster than inflation and will continue to rise for all sectors of our economy, including retirees. The number of retirees will soon increase dramatically with the Baby Boomer Generation reaching retirement age. Therefore, BoE and County Council must 1) adequately fund the pension plans and health insurance plans for all county employees and retirees. 2) Keep health insurance premiums low for retirees and county employees by continuing to find creative ways of keeping costs low for prescription drugs, hospitalization, nursing care, physical therapy, and other medical expenses.

Do you think the current system for renovating schools is adequate, or does it need changing?

Funding is needed to address the back log of badly needed school construction, especially in up-county areas where growth is occurring, and for school renovations of the aging down county and mid-county school facilities. The central office and individual schools should continue to eliminate wasteful spending and find ways to cut spending whenever possible without impacting the quality of education.

How well are the county's high school consortia working to raise student achievement?

It's too early to tell if the downcounty consortium as designed is raising student achievement. The test data indicate scores are rising and that progress is being made each year. Graduation rates, SAT scores, AP class participation, enrollment in upper level math and science courses, are all good sources of data indicating rising academic achievement. The effectiveness of the consortium will be based on the numbers of graduates entering into college⁄higher education and graduates entering paths leading to professional careers of their choice.

Are too many students being pushed into advanced placement and honors classes without proper preparation?

No one is pushed into AP or Honors classes. There is an opinion among some parents and teachers that there are students who have no business taking AP or Honors class. They believe it harms students, sets them up for failure, and at times, waters down the advanced classes at the detriment of students who can handle the difficult work load. All of the research indicates this is not true. In fact the research shows students who take AP classes, whether or not they pass the AP tests, are better prepared for college than students who took the regular general courses and that they are more successful once in college. Students rise to high expectations. Taking advanced and honors classes should be the norm, not the exception.

Should the school system's health curriculum include discussions of homosexuality and demonstrations of contraception use?

Parents are in the best position to decide what their children will learn about health, sex, sexuality, homosexuality, alternative lifestyles, abstinence, contraception and other components of the county's health curriculum. Some parents have decided that discussion about homosexuality and demonstrations on the use of contraception is appropriate for their child; while other parents have decided these discussions and demonstrations conflict with their religious and moral values that they teach at home.

Unfortunately, parents in effect have only one choice - to opt in or opt out their children in these discussions and demonstrations. Children, whose parents choose to opt out, are relegated to the library or some other ‘‘holding classroom” until they are allowed to return to health class. The BoE should change this policy by giving parents the additional choice of opting in their children into health classes that teach the values and morals that are consistent with the values and morals they teach their children at home.

MCPS sets high standards for students in math, science, English, social studies, visual and performing arts, athletics, reading, literature, history, in all areas of the curriculum except one - health education. MCPS has watered down the health curriculum to the lowest expectations of our children. Our children deserve better.

What do you think about the board's relationship with the community?

The BoE almost always acts in ways that demonstrate the importance of including all stakeholders into policy and curriculum decisions. Unfortunately, not all stakeholders and constituencies agree with BoE policy decisions and⁄or find fault in the implementation of those policies. At times, those differences have shown itself in adversarial confrontation between both advocacy group members and certain board members. These few but significant skirmishes are indicative of the BoE top down decision making process and authority style of leadership. The BoE would do well by adopting a more participatory and shared decision making process with stakeholders.

Does the County Council have too much, too little or not enough oversight of the school system?

The school board and therefore the superintendent fall under the oversight of the county council and county supervisor as provisioned in state legislation and county charter. The council does not micromanage but allows the BoE and superintendent to manage the school system as should be. However, some council members need to put politics aside and do what is in the best interest of all county students and not just their constituencies.

What should the school system do to improve performance by minority students?

The achievement gap between Whites⁄Asians and Blacks⁄Hispanics is narrowing. As more students pass through the reforms Dr. Weast implemented at the beginning of his tenure with MCPS, the payoff from reduced class size, reading initiatives, all day kindergarten, teacher development, high curriculum standards and high student expectations is becoming evident and showing to be effective in bringing about improvement in student outcomes. Continuing these reforms is a priority and must not be cut back but rather expanded. However, new reforms must be implemented to address the severe educational deficits new students have when they enter MCPS for the first time and often at grades past K-3rd grades where they would have been the recipient of the current effective reforms. Often these students need intensive ESOL and remedial reading and math classes all of which needs to be properly funded and staffed with quality teachers who meet the language, and cultural and ethnic needs of minority students.

Do you think the school system is doing enough to meet the needs of special education students?

Current funding in the school budget is below what is needed to satisfy the boards own recommended staffing levels for special education. Transportation continues to be a perennial problem for some students. Some IEP's are mistakenly not implemented properly and within the time specifications. Some parents are not satisfied with the level of services that MCPS has determined to be appropriate for their children and therefore parents end up paying out of their own pocket for private services their children desperately need. As a result some parents take up litigation against MCPS setting up an adversarial relationship between parents and MCPS leaving children in the middle without services. This cannot continue. The NCLB act says this cannot continue. Test scores for special education students are woefully behind where NCLB demands they should be. MCPS needs to make fully funding special education along with remedial reading and math classes for middle school and high school students and continuing current reforms.

Are the schools safe for students and teachers? If not, what should be done?

Schools should hope for the best but plan for the worst. It is better to be prepared for an emergency than to come up with a plan in the middle of a crisis. MCPS's emergency plan that is implemented and practiced in each and every school has been sited by the Department of Education as a model for all school districts in the country. However, MCPS must address the small but growing problem of weapons and drugs in and around schools. Anyone who thinks there are no weapons or drugs in the schools are naïve. Police presence during the school day and during after school activities⁄sporting events, security guards, video cameras, all provide increased levels of security. With the growing presence of gangs in all areas of the county, it is only prudent to evaluate current safety measures and vulnerabilities for each school and determine what additional security measures are needed.