Questionnaire: Sharry Kimmel, candidate for Broward School Board District 4 – Sun Sentinel

Name: Sharry Kimmel

Campaign website: sharrykimmel.com

Date and place of birth: 3/30/1965, Oceanside NY

On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 the highest), rate the job performance of Superintendent Howard Hepburn, emphasizing his strengths and weaknesses. 
I would rate Dr. Howard Hepburn’s performance a 4 out of 5. In my opinion, he is one of the stronger superintendents BCPS has had in recent years. He has provided needed stability during a very difficult period and is relatively new to the position. The greatest area for improvement is stronger coordination between the Superintendent and the School Board on a clear, measurable plan to reduce expenses without taking essential resources away from our schools. Some of the proposed cost-cutting measures have been prudent, while others have understandably generated concern. Moving forward, we must reduce duplication, unnecessary administrative expenses and top-heavy bureaucracy while protecting teachers, school-based employees and student services. I’d like the Superintendent to thoroughly examine underused district property and determine whether selling or repurposing unnecessary land could help strengthen the district’s finances. Any savings should be reinvested in our classrooms, our students and, most importantly, better compensation and support for our teachers. The Superintendent must effectively carry out the policies established by the Board, but the Board must also provide clear direction and closely monitor implementation.

The Broward school district received an “A” grade for the third straight year for student academic performance. Who deserves the most credit for this?
First and foremost, our teachers deserve the most credit. They are the professionals in the classroom every day, adapting instruction, identifying students’ individual needs and helping them succeed. Our students also deserve tremendous credit, along with the parents, grandparents, guardians and other family members who support them. School-based administrators, paraprofessionals, counselors, bus drivers, custodial employees, cafeteria workers, office staff, security personnel, district staff and community partners all contribute to the culture and success of a school.

They say it takes a village, and I believe that is especially true in public education. Teaching and learning may be centered in the classroom, but every person who supports that classroom plays a role in student achievement. We should celebrate being an “A” district, but we cannot become complacent. We must continue improving the district as a whole and direct additional attention and resources toward schools that are still struggling. Our goal must be to ensure that every school is moving forward and that no student or community is left behind.

Voters will decide whether to extend a school property tax increase. If it passes, the School Board will allocate 90 percent of the money for raises for teachers and school-based staff. Do you agree or disagree with this decision and why?
I agree with dedicating the overwhelming majority of the funding to teachers and school-based employees. Competitive salary increases are desperately needed, and they are essential to recruiting and retaining the highly qualified educators our students deserve. However, I also believe this is a temporary, band-aid approach. Teacher and school-based employee compensation should be a permanent and recurring priority within the district’s annual budget—not something that depends indefinitely on temporary referendum funding.

Will you vote for or against the tax extension and why?
I will vote for the tax extension because our teachers, school-based employees and essential student services need and deserve reliable funding. Increasing teacher pay is critical to recruiting and retaining the best educators, and we cannot afford to delay those raises while the district works through its broader financial challenges.

A series of fiscal missteps in the past year has placed the school board and the administration on the defensive. How well has the district responded to these controversies?
I do not believe the district has responded aggressively or effectively enough. There has been too much discussion, too little decisive action, and, in some cases, action that has failed to address the underlying problems.

The School Board must function as a strong governing body. That means adopting clear policies, establishing firm deadlines, requiring regular implementation reports, strengthening auditing safeguards, and holding people accountable when taxpayer dollars are mishandled. The district cannot risk further state intervention or the loss of local control. The Board and Superintendent must work together and move in the same direction. Once the Board establishes a policy, the administration must implement it as intended, not reinterpret it in a way that changes its purpose.

At the same time, Board members have a responsibility to write policies that are precise, carefully review their consequences, and continually verify that those policies are being properly implemented.

One such controversy involved using past referendum money to pay large bonuses to highly-paid administrators. Should those who received bonuses have been required to refund the money? Why or why not?
If legally permissible, the money should be recovered and redirected to the teachers and school-based employees for whom the funding was intended. However, accountability cannot stop with the individuals who received the payments. The district must determine who authorized, approved or incorrectly interpreted the use of those funds and hold the appropriate decision-makers accountable. The Board’s direction should never be so vague that hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars can be distributed contrary to the public’s understanding of the referendum. Policies governing restricted funding must be crystal clear, independently reviewed before money is distributed, and subject to regular reporting to the Board and the public. This situation should never be allowed to happen again.

To reduce a financial deficit, the board approved a reorganization plan that critics say is unfair because it eliminates front-line positions while leaving bureaucratic jobs largely untouched.  Do you agree or disagree with this criticism and why? I absolutely agree with that criticism. When a district faces a financial deficit, reductions should begin at the top and with the positions farthest removed from students—not with the people working directly in our schools. Teachers, classroom support employees, counselors, safety personnel, custodial workers, office staff and other school-based employees are doing the daily work that keeps our schools operating and supports student achievement. Before eliminating front-line positions, the district should examine administrative layers, duplicative departments, consulting contracts, vacant executive positions and unnecessary central-office expenses. We should reduce the bureaucracy that is supposed to support our schools before cutting the people actually providing that support.

The school board has voted to close six underenrolled schools to save money. Do you think the district should close more schools or not, and why?
I would support additional school closures only when a thorough and transparent review of the data demonstrates that they are financially necessary and educationally responsible.

No one wants to close a neighborhood school. These decisions affect students, employees, families and entire communities. However, the School Board also has a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers and cannot continue spending limited resources maintaining large numbers of empty seats while classrooms and teachers need greater support. Each decision should consider enrollment trends, building utilization, academic programs, transportation, student safety, the capacity of receiving schools and the effect on the surrounding community. The district must also provide meaningful opportunities for public input. Any property that is no longer needed should be responsibly repurposed, leased or sold when appropriate. Most importantly, the savings generated from school closures must be clearly tracked and reinvested in teachers, students and the schools that remain open.

List in reverse chronological order each college or university attended, with years of attendance.
Broward Community college varying classes between 1980-1983, University of South Florida classes 1983-1985, University of Florida 1985 graduated 1988, University of Miami 1980-1991, Nova Southeastern University 1999-2002.

List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
Professor of Teacher Education, Broward College, approximately 2004 to Present

Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
I bring three decades of successful experience at nearly every level of education, as a classroom teacher, assistant principal and Professor of Teacher Education preparing Broward’s future teachers. I am a former Broward County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, an award-winning educator, and a longtime Broward resident who understands both the strengths of our schools and the challenges they face. School Board members oversee billions of dollars in public funds, major contracts and policies that affect thousands of employees and students. I have experience overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets, managing grant-funded programs and serving on boards that produced meaningful results. I understand curriculum, instruction, testing, educational technology, teacher preparation, school finance, and the daily realities educators face. Recruiting and retaining great teachers is one of the most important challenges facing BCPS. As someone who trains future teachers, I understand that retaining great educators requires competitive pay, strong classroom support, meaningful professional development, respect, and leadership that listens rather than adding unnecessary burdens. I also raised two children with special needs who are now happy, college-educated, and successfully employed adults. That experience taught me the importance of collaboration among families, teachers, support professionals, PTAs, and school administrators. I offer voters a combination of classroom knowledge, financial experience, community leadership, and a proven ability to collaborate and produce results. I will be prepared on day one to support our teachers, improve student achievement, protect our children, and restore fiscal accountability to the School Board.

What in your life experience best qualifies you to serve as a school board member?
The strongest qualification I bring is that I have experienced public education from nearly every perspective—as a teacher, administrator, professor who trains future teachers, parent of two children with special needs, community leader and manager of multi-million-dollar budgets and programs. Being a “teacher of teachers” has given me a deep understanding of what educators need to succeed. I understand the complexity of curriculum, classroom management, professional development, testing, student support and the working conditions that influence whether talented teachers remain in the profession. At the same time, the School Board is responsible for managing billions of taxpayer dollars, major contracts and a large public organization. Being an advocate for teachers and students is essential, but advocacy must be supported by strong financial management and responsible oversight. I have experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets and grant-funded programs, evaluating results and ensuring resources are aligned with their intended purpose.

My professional experience, financial background and personal experience as a parent have prepared me to ask the right questions, understand the consequences of Board decisions and provide meaningful oversight. I am ready to lead with knowledge, accountability, collaboration and a clear focus on what is best for Broward’s students and teachers.

Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details of the case and disposition.
No

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
No