Second in a series
Re “What Is Different About Chardiet?”
[img]1261|left|Laura Chardiet||no_popup[/img]Politicians, from hometown to world capitals, are widely seen as a monolithic dimension of civilization, an acute misreading of the culture, as the distinctive Laura Chardiet could attest.
Besides submitting one of the most educationally diverse resumés ever produced by a School Board candidate in Culver City, she brings high-powered workplace experience to next Tuesday’s election.
Since she formally debuted as a Board candidate last summer on a Sunday afternoon in the backyard of Vice Mayor Scott Malsin, Ms. Chardiet has been centrally billed as a grant administrator for an LAUSD adult literacy program.
Now everybody knows that a trucker drives a truck, a waitress waits tables and a wife — let’s not go there.
But what are the duties of the administrator of a $15 million grant for a far-flung school district involving 100,000 students?
“My job is to manage the program,” says Ms. Chardiet. “I interpret and analyze the data we are gathering, and then I report those findings and trends to the division administration.
“We use that information to make program improvements.”
Her responsibilities are broader.
She is in charge of apportioning the program’s funds. “We have algorithms that determine how the funds are to be allocated to the schools,” the reflective Ms. Chardiet explains.
“I also have written curricula to support this program that is used nationally.”
Since teacher evaluation is a sizzling subject nationally, and LAUSD is wrestling with it, do you agree with one of your rivals that students are the best barometer?
“I don’t think I agree. That is one measurement. But you have to use multiple measurements. If students are able to complete their class successfully, that probably is the best tool. You measure a high school’s success on the number of students who graduate with a diploma. So you would measure a teacher’s success by how well students were able to demonstrate proficiency in the subject area.”
Does that mean mainly test scores?
“No, test scores only would be one measurement. It would be student work overall, proficiency.”
If a new principal were starting today, how would you advise him or her to evaluate each member of the faculty?
“Teacher observation is a good way. You would want to get to know your teachers, their strengths and weaknesses, how well their students perform, how well their students are able to write. Have them read or create a portfolio of work that will demonstrate student proficiency.
“You need to bring in your colleagues, the mentors in the program.
“The District has an outline of the way teacher performance is measured. So you would have to use what the established measurement is.”
If elected, what will be your first several tasks?
“I would need to spend time reviewing the Board policies. And then obviously the subject most prominent on the horizon would be the capital improvements projects. We need to continue to work with parents and stakeholders in the community, bring them along in the dialogue going forward.
“The meeting at the District offices last week regarding the Robert Frost Auditorium was helpful. Find out what the consultants believe is the best way forward. Get input from the groups offering to help facilitate this.”
How do you balance your responsibility as an elected official vs. responsibility to the community? How much of a role should the community have?
“They need to have input. But they don’t make the ultimate decisions. This is why we elect people to office. As someone who knows how to interpret and analyze data, you need to establish your criteria and then use the data to make your decisions.”
Can you go too far in inviting the community into the decision-making process?
“You need to gather input and make your decision. You need to listen to the concerns. When possible, you address the concerns. But there probably will be times when people will not agree with the decisions being made. But you are not going to get 100 percent of the people to agree. You want to try and get the majority of people to look at the information you are looking at, and then agree this is the right decision, or this is the best decision we can do at this time.”
Are you prepared to make the opposite decision when a majority of the community favors the other direction?
“Ultimately you have to realize the majority of people may not have access to all the information you have. At some point, you will need to make a decision you believe is best for everybody, not just for one group of people or the most vocal people.
“Hopefully, people will understand their representatives have the best intentions and they are trying to do what is best for the majority of students in our schools.”
See laura4culvercitykids.com
