Palmdale School Board Candidate Surveys, Fall 2011
Click a name below to view responses from candidates running for Palmdale School Board.
1. Your district has embarked on an initiative to restore meaningful sequential arts education into its core curriculum. What do you feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the plan?
- Question 1
- Robert "Bo" Bynum
- Warren W. Gatling
- Charles Mike McElfresh
- Maria G. Molina
- Marcanthony Sanchez
Click on a Candidate's name to see his/her response to a question.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
At the present time there are little to no strengths, though the District has a few programs that involve the arts overall they have eliminated a large portion of these. Overall a plan that does place arts education into its core curriculum does have higher achievers. This works well as a method to incorporate the other core subjects into the arts as well as the arts into the core curriculum. I find it sad in todays world that so many of the arts education programs have been drastically cut and/or eliminated.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
2. If you are not familiar with the plan, what do you think your district can and should do to make this work more visible?
- Question 2
- Robert "Bo" Bynum
- Warren W. Gatling
- Charles Mike McElfresh
- Maria G. Molina
- Marcanthony Sanchez
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
In review of District Policy and in discussion with members of the District I nor any of them are familiar with this program, and we were unable to find any information anywhere that documents this as a part of their education plan.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
3. What role do you think the arts can play in supporting key priorities of the district such as reducing the dropout rate, closing the achievement gap, and preparing more students for college eligibility and/or meaningful careers?
- Question 3
- Robert "Bo" Bynum
- Warren W. Gatling
- Charles Mike McElfresh
- Maria G. Molina
- Marcanthony Sanchez
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Any of the Arts programs will help students achieve and allow them to excel in whatever field they may choose. The arts are an essential program to enforce what is learned in their core curriculums. What many people see as a luxury or a non essential program that can be cut, is in fact just the opposite. Arts education no matter in what form it is utilized, interests children to learn and if properly guided along will allow the children to benefit in the opportunity to achieve something they would not normally be able to do. In any arts program it would involve reinforcing anything that is taught in the core studies and will allow them to see how it relates in a real world setting and the actual value of learning.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
4. In light of the current budget crisis, the state is now allowing local school districts flexibility to redirect their allocation from the “art and music block grant” to fund other local priorities. How would you balance the need to invest in arts education with the other financial challenges facing your district?
- Question 4
- Robert "Bo" Bynum
- Warren W. Gatling
- Charles Mike McElfresh
- Maria G. Molina
- Marcanthony Sanchez
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
This District is facing budgetary challenges not only from the state budget issues but from budgetary errors, this has caused the closing of libraries and computer labs along with some arts education programs reduced or cut. The District needs to reallocate monies expended on other programs they have chosen to fund and put these allocations back into the basics and reopen the libraries and computer labs. The state has also allowed them to redirect their Deferred Maintenance monies into other funds as well to be utilized. Yet this District begins adding solar panels to school sites, which they say is at no cost to the District, adding an additional expense they do not see nor do they choose to acknowledge. The District has closed three schools yet decides to build a new school, yes they can say the cost is from another fund, but the closed schools still remain as a budgetary drain. At what expense is it to build, furnish and supply a new school? Much more than what it would cost to utilize the existing sites. There alone are the monies to restore the arts education.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
5. What meaningful experiences with art (visual, dance, drama, music) did you have growing up? Please tell us about those experiences.
- Question 5
- Robert "Bo" Bynum
- Warren W. Gatling
- Charles Mike McElfresh
- Maria G. Molina
- Marcanthony Sanchez
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
At any early age I was began piano lessons from a private teacher. When I reached the fourth grade I was then able to join the band program. I did this and remained in music programs through high school and on into college. After high school I was in quite a few dance bands and played numerous places I never would have gone to without being in the band. During most of my life I have been involved in music playing keyboards, clarinet and saxophone. Music helped in my core education of mathmatics, science, history and it opened up many other areas of exploration and avenues of learning. I do believe ANY arts program that allows a student to progress upwards in any form of art open up numerous and varied avenues for the student to learn and experience something different. The arts programs are very essential in slowing the drop out rate, closing the achievement gaps and raising the overall test scores. But more importantly it allows the students some freedom to explore their minds and their thoughts in ways that is not normally taught to them. This helps any student to excel not only in their schooling but as well in life overall.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
Candidate has not yet submitted a response.
