Editor’s Note: Last week, the Oxford Leader published the first part of Reporter Trevor Keiser’s story on the Oct. 14 Oxford School Board Candidate Forum held at Boulder Pointe. Particpating candidates included Joyce Brasington, Mike Schweig, Amy Hamilton, Kim Shumaker, Angela Mitchell, Mark Stepek, Pam Phelps and Paula Foster. Now, here’s the rest of the story.

As for global initiatives of the district, whether it’s International Baccalaureate (IB) or housing for international students, all of it needs to be taken slowly, according to the candidates.
Hamilton said she likes ‘the concepts of IB.?
‘My fear is that it’s going too fast. I’m not sure where it goes beyond the fact that it looks good for Oxford,? she said. ‘I like the fact that we are globally recognized for that, but I want to make sure it’s actually the best thing for my child? My concern is we haven’t rolled it out in a manner in which it will truly benefit every one of the children in the district.?
Mitchell also sees benefit to the concepts the kids are learning through the IB program as well as international relationships.
‘I think there are experiences that our kids can have now both through learning a language and exchange students that they might not be able to have (otherwise),? she said.
Speaking of IB, Phelps thought it was ‘very important to have a diploma that is recognized (worldwide.)?
Schweig is not against the global initiatives but does believe the expansion internationally is ‘too fast, too furious.?
‘Oxford has not met an initiative it doesn’t like,? Schweig explained. ‘We need to focus on implementing strategic initiatives. You cannot have 50 strategic initiatives.?
Shumaker also thinks understanding cultures is important, but she too is ‘concerned of the speed? at which some of the initiatives are going.
‘One of my bigger concerns is that we need a really clear understanding of the programs we’ve put in place,? she added. ‘What the revenue is versus the cost? I am becoming more uncomfortable with the word revenue because I don’t know the cost.?
Stepek said that the United States? education ‘is not the world leader it may have been in the past.?
‘I think Oxford’s attempt to try and get back into that is a great attempt,? he said. ‘We need to have a controlled structure and fine tune what we’re going to move forward with and make it appropriate for the kids that (are) here and the kids that are coming here.?
While an administrator, Brasington took a trip to China and she admitted it, but that doesn’t take away from her concerns.
‘I really realize now that they all want to come here. Not many of us want to go there. I think we need to keep that in mind,? she said. ‘We are actually doing them a favor by opening up our doors, not vice-versa.?
She is greatly concerned about blended Chinese/American education and losing funding for international students.
?(State legislature is) considering changing funding for international students who aren’t going to be worth $7,000. What if the State of Michigan can’t afford $7,000 per international student? What happens when we lose funding,? she asked. ‘I am very, very concerned with the global initiatives.?
Foster thinks IB is a ‘very good program.?
‘The colleges that appreciate the IB diploma weighs greatly on my mind. If your child is able to take that route, colleges will be so open to understanding what your child’s education was more including,? she said. ‘I think it also helps to be competitive in other cultures, whether it’s in college or the workforce to understand diversity of other people and how they think.?
Candidates were also asked their thoughts on how they would improve student performance and what they consider academic excellence?
As it relates to standardized test scores, Mitchell explained that there is a fine balance to be found between ‘getting test scores up and not losing some of our innovative programs.?
‘That being said test scores are the measuring stick that colleges use, other districts use and I think we need to make sure our kids are the minimum height to ride up against that measuring stick,? Mitchell said.
Phelps didn’t think comparing test scores to other districts with different demographics was fair. ‘My vision for the school would be to give every school anger and anxiety management classes. I believe we have such a stressful home environment and social environment for these kids and when they get to school, I believe sometimes they do well on their homework, but when they get to the actual testing they shut down,? she said. ‘I would like to see them free of all of that anxiety so they can perform the best they possibly can every time they’re put to the challenge.?
According to Schweig, ‘academic excellence is paramount in any school district? and he disagreed with Phelps.
‘We need to compete no matter what the category is for demographics and we can do that,? Schweig said. ‘We have to have students out there that we can get some metrics on how we’re doing in comparison to other districts in Michigan, to other districts in the United States and to other schools internationally.?
For Shumaker ‘academic excellence is each student achieving their personal best in gaining new skills,? she said. Every classroom is made up of different students and different skills and different levels of ability. To me the teachers are the best suited to tailor their content material to bring those students up to par with the people we are required to report to.?
Stepek agrees that academic is of ‘utmost importance,? but doesn’t believe it’s the sole factor of measurement. He believes they should be tracking the success stories of what students do after high school and college.
Whether they go on to be fireman or policeman or doctors or lawyers, it doesn’t matter,? he said. As long as they’re out and competing and being successful in the world that’s what I think we need to prepare our students to do. I don’t think honing in on one test score is going to provide us with that measure.?
Brasington said the mission of academic excellence hasn’t changed in 400 years.
‘Public schools existed in 1600 like they exist now, simply to have children become contributing adults to our society and to nurse students to be college and career ready,? she said. ‘We improve performance on having laser like focus on student achievement, not all different.?
To find out how to improve academic excellence, Foster said she would talk with staff, administration, teachers and most importantly, students.
‘Our students have so much to offer us where they are struggling and how we can service that,? she said. ‘A student performs well by getting extra support? We need to provide resources to help keep them involved and keep them focused on their education and learning more.?
Hamilton said ‘academic success is what (makes) them successful as a human,? but she also agreed that each child learns different and that not everything should ride upon standardized tests.
‘We need to be careful to make sure they are still feeling successful even though they may not be making that standardized bar that we see on their testing,? she said.