News-Record.com

Address: 4001 Hickory Tree Lane, Greensboro, NC 27405

Birth Date: July 26, 1947

Occupation: Retired University Professor (English); Small Business Owner

Web site: www.greensboroscenictour.com

Family:
Husband-Rondal Graham Alexander - Businessman
Daughter-Tonya Alexander, Purchasing Agent, Tyco Electronics
Son-Derrick Alexander, Social Worker, Family Life Council

Past relevant experience:
University Administrator, North Carolina A & T State University - 15 years
Professor of English, North Carolina A & T State University- 30 years
President and CEO, Greensboro Scenic Tours- 10 years

Why are you running for this position?
I am running because I genuinely want to make a difference in the lives of
the children of Guilford County, and I feel my educational and business background and my commitment to young people ideally equip me for that role.

What are the most pressing challenges facing the school system?
(1) the high drop-out rate (26%)
(2) the achievement gap (12% of whites are functioning below grade level)
(34% of blacks are functioning below grade level)
(3) the school climate (discipline, high rate of suspensions and dismissals, and gangs)

What are you most proud of concerning Guilford Schools?
I am proud of the system's diversity. I am proud of its bright students, more of whom are enrolling in IB programs and AP courses than ever before. I am proud that Guilford's
end-of-grade test scores improved in five academic areas this year. And lastly, I am proud of GCS's many magnet schools which give students a host of options from which to choose.

Is there anything about the school system that you consider an embarrassment? If so, what is it? How would you attempt to change it?
(1) I consider the fact that cultural arts and physical education have been eliminated from the curriculum of the GCS public schools an embarrassment. (2) I consider it embarrassing that the system has cut so many of its teaching assistants from the classrooms. I would advocate making adjustments in the budget which would allow us to reinstate teaching assistants particularly in the lower grades where they are most needed. Steps have already been taken to reinstate some forms of the arts. More should be done.

The John Locke Foundation gave the Guilford County Schools a C- in transparency. What should the system and the school board do to make system information more accessible to the public?
System information can be made more accessible to the public by (1) sharing more information with the press on a regular basis and sharing with corporate groups as
well; (2) involving parents in focus groups and mentoring groups where school-related information can be disseminated; and (3) making the community a part of a site-based
decision making process, a process that has all but disappeared from the school system.

How would you keep in touch with your constituents?
I would regularly and routinely make it a point to dialogue with principals and teachers about issues affecting schools, and I would make visits to those schools as well.

Discipline/safety - What would you do to improve it? Are school uniforms the answer? Part of the solution?
Schools should make the decision about whether to require uniforms (SMOD) on a case-by-case basis. While requiring students to wear uniforms may be right for some schools,
it may not be right for others. Uniforms tend to work best in schools where families are struggling economically. I believe we can best improve discipline and safety in the schools by implementing the Positive Behavior Support System in as many schools as possible as has been mandated by the State Department of Instruction. This initiative will do much to improve the school climate especially if there are incentives built in that really motivate students to learn and behave well and if parents buy into the initiative because they clearly see that it can result in improved student behavior and greater academic achievement.

Transportation - What ways can the district cut down on fuel costs?
There is little that the system can do to cut down on fuel costs given the current crisis.
However, the system should make efforts to transport middle school and high school
students together on the same buses to schools in close proximity. Also, I recommend
that the governors on buses be reset for buses not to exceed 43 miles per hour rather than
the 45 mile per hour limit at which they are presently set. This will save some fuel as well.

What things should the system do to contain costs?
The system can best contain costs by conserving energy. Cutting lights off in the cafeteria, gymnasium and in the hallways when they are not in use can save dollars.

Academics - What changes need to be made, if any? Are there programs you would like to see eliminated or expanded?
(1) I favor reintroducing the cultural arts and physical education into the curriculum.
(2) I favor introducing into the GCS system optional all male middle schools with male teachers and male administrators. Young men coming of age have special needs which can best be met when there are as few distractions as possible.

No Child Left Behind-is it a help or a hindrance to GCS?
This federally mandated program has been more of a hindrance than a help. It makes great demands on principals and teachers by using excessive testing to achieve their version of accountability. At the same time, it is poorly funded and provides no resources to help students improve when they are found lacking. This program frustrates and demoralizes teachers, the excessive testing turns students off from education.

What characteristics are you looking for in the new school superintendent?
The new superintendent should be:
(1) a good listener and a good communicator
(2) an administrator who is interested in helping all students in the system reach their full potential
(3) an individual who is knowledgeable of "best practices" in education and is not afraid to implement them in Guilford County.

What would you bring to the school board that your opponent does not?
I believe I will bring to the school board the expertise and experience of a career educator. Having been trained as a teacher and having come to understand by working in the trenches what motivates students and how students learn, I am in a better position to make informed decisions about academics, discipline, and student retention, critical issues facing the Guilford County schools today. The knowledge I have gained about personnel, financial operations and cost containment as an administrator and small business owner also make me the preferred candidate.

Are there other concerns that you would like to address?
I am concerned that more is not being done at the primary and elementary level to keep students operating at grade level early on. Improvements in the way schools address the issues of language development and reading readiness should be priority in the GSC system. A structured assessment program aimed at determining when students are lagging behind in those areas should be carefully crafted, and a skills improvement plan should be devised for each student who is functioning below the desired academic level.
Both should be used without fail for each student going through the Guilford County Schools.