The Newton Chapter of Stand for Children Candidate Survey on Education
From William Heck, Candidate for Mayor
1. Please give an example of how you have prioritized or fought for education in your political life and what you have won for children.
My political life has just begun, but I've been actively involved in education at many levels for numerous years; see my resume at www.HeckYesNewton.com for details. Additionally, I have four children and am an involved parent, not just for my kids, but for their classmates and the school as a whole. Not all parents are "Do Dads" but I am one with years of involvement in sports activities, tutoring, field trips, listening, and fundraising.
My priorities include excellent classroom instruction, clean and well-maintained schools, and a high-quality and sustainable education system. I want the best value for every dollar spent on education. Each wasted and sub-optimized dollar is a wasted opportunity; we cannot tolerate blurred focus on the objective of incorporating competition into every element of the school system. It is our obligation, not a choice, to be competitive buyers and providers of education services; to do otherwise limits opportunities for children.
2. If elected, what two things would you do to improve the quality of education?
As mayor and a member of the school committee, I would use all of my political power to bring focus and discipline to NPS.
Saying it another way, I would be strategic in objectives and be assiduous in performance measurement. I would force value definitions and performance targets at every level of NPS, and I would invite competition at every level for every element of education service to maximize the quality of education for children while minimizing the cost.
If you are a contractor, supplier, service provider, or employee, make yourself indispensable to Newton through your performance and actions, not by words. In this competitive world, I expect greater productivity, elimination of waste, and more value for every dollar spent to improve the quality of education for children.
3. Do you believe that the schools should continue to receive 70% of new revenue? How would you explain to the whole community - including the 80% of Newton families who do not have children in the public schools - that the school system is a community-wide resource and investment?
An excellent school system is vital for our community, but I cannot tolerate a system that is not competitive and where resources are wasted and inefficient. NPS is failed and unsustainable. More money isn't the answer to anything in an environment of failed management.
In Newton, 100% of the taxpayers, collectively, own the schools and have vested interests in the schools. There is no room for pitting 20-against-80 or 80-against-20. NPS has broken trust with all taxpayers. I pledge to turn NPS around and manage it in the interest of all taxpayers, and recognize that we, the taxpayers, control our destiny and well-being.
The future can be bright if we embrace stewardship and fiscal responsibility. I want the mandate to do the job that needs to be done; I want a bright future, a future that fosters competition to identify and deliver the best ideas, practices and costs.
4. How will you address equity across the school system?
Equity of opportunity and equity of outcome are appropriate expectations. While life is not always fair, we can try to make things as fair as possible in school. Equity is not equality. Fairness and equity indicate that no one is entitled to the same outcomes; outcomes are earned. Children learn about competition - about real life - at an early age, and school is a concerted effort to prepare children to succeed in life.
Fairness and equity indicate that everyone is entitled to the same opportunity. Consistent in that thought, I want NPS to aim up for equity of opportunity, not dumb-down for equity. Competition - shopping all services - will drive greater opportunity by driving costs down and, inherently, increasing the scope of opportunity for children.
Individuals and entities that meet expectations for outcome equity will advance; those who don't will be replaced by others better able to achieve equity of outcome.
5. The state is making huge cuts to local aid. What are your education budget priorities in these tough economic times?
My approach to the State is: You mandate, you pay. Otherwise, get out of the way.
Economic times are toughest on the taxpayers - the people who pay the bills. For this reason, the school system should always provide essential services, not over-the-top services, and it should reserve funds in the expectation of tough times.
During these tough times, we must set spending parameters for schools and mandate reform of the broken, unsustainable education model that we have. I would establish an education treasury of $150,000,000. With this buying power, we can set about to apply truly competitive forces to bring salaries and increases into focus, to reduce health care costs, to revamp the broken pension program, to be fully compensated for out-of-district students, to bring special educations cost into reality, and to shop for alternative service providers at every level.
6. What recommendations from the CAG's school cost structure report would you implement?
I wholeheartedly agree with the CAG's two primary findings: a."The City of Newton is unsustainably living beyond its means." b."Despite warning of the Citizens Advisory Group over the past 10 months (and the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Municipal Budget dating back to February 2007), there remains a mix of disbelief and lassitude about our conclusions by some Newton residents, elected officials, and City employees (and their representatives)."
Newton has a $52,000,000 deficit. We have choices: raise taxes by 22% or reduce costs by 17%.
Newton has 32,000 households. The annual tax impact per household is $1,625 ($52,000,000 / 32,000 households). I do not support raising taxes or overrides. Newton taxpayers pay enough. Enough is enough. I will reduce costs by 17%.I support all CAG recommendations PLUS introducing competition at every level of the school system to drive costs down and drive quality up.
7. What new local revenue options would you support that would be allocated to education?
I support collecting full value, approximately $14,000 per student, plus special education costs, plus other related direct, indirect and overhead charges for all out-of-district students in NPS. There are approximately 463 out-of-district students in Newton schools. Newton should collect a minimum of $6,500,000 in tuition per annum to service these students.
Taxpayers rightfully question why they should pay taxes to provide free education to people who do not live in Newton, who pay no Newton taxes and pay no tuition. All out-of-district students live in cities or towns that have clear obligations to provide and pay to educate children of residents. These cities and towns collect tax money to pay these costs, but they don't. Why are Newton residents paying these costs? Some say, in the case of METCO, that METCO provides diversity. Question: Would there be less diversity with METCO if Boston paid tuition to Newton? Answer: No.
8. How should the city plan to pay for ongoing maintenance and improvement of our school buildings?
A 50/50 split of tax resources between city and schools assures correct funding for city operations and capital expenses, sets spending parameters for schools, and mandates reform of the broken, unsustainable education model.
Yes, the education model is broken. Think about it: Newton real estate values are at the highest valuation in its history, Newton government consistently sets tax rates at the maximum permitted by law every year - year after year, the taxes paid by Newton taxpayers have never been higher, the school system now represents more than 60% of city budget, and it's still not enough money?
Yes, it's time to admit that the school committee doesn't know where it's going and has gotten lost trying to get there. It's time to reform the education model, it's broken. Once reformed, we will have plenty of money to pay for ongoing maintenance and improvement of our school buildings.
9. What ideas do you have for improving energy efficiency in our schools?
I would focus on boilers, HVAC systems, insulation, windows, solar opportunities, and utility control systems and management systems.
10. Employee health care is a driving cost in our budget. How will you address this issue?
There are several options for controlling healthcare costs. After the failed override in 2008, Newton for Fiscal Responsibility made specific recommendations to the city, recommendations that would drive down costs in the budget and improve quality. The recommendations could have been implemented with dispatch but they were not, and failure to implement these recommendations has cost taxpayers millions of dollars in the meantime - truly an unconscionable waste of precious resources.
Since the City and the employees chose not to address this issue, I will offer employees a new Health Care Partnership Plan wherein the City meets employees half way on health care by paying 50% of the cost for the health care plan.
11. What top three qualities will you look for in a new Superintendent?
1. Strategic objectives
2. Demonstrated history of performance measurement
3. Pleasant and cheerful demeanor
12. If you were to attain office, how would you involve and communicate with Newton grassroots organizations like Stand for Children of Newton?
I would explain that the blurring of Newton's funding pattern, from governance and services to mounting school-system costs, has caused dangerous instability with capital projects and infrastructure. We must change direction now. A 50/50 split between city and schools assures correct funding for city operations and capital expenses, sets spending parameters for schools, and mandates reform of the broken, unsustainable education model.
I would then ask Stand for Children, and others, if they wish to participate in the process of maximizing the education experience with our treasury resources of $150,000,000. With this buying power, and in the taxpayer's interest, we can set about to apply truly competitive forces to shop for alternative service providers at every level of the school system.
With those who choose involvement, I will listen and I will debate aggressively to forge the very best education opportunity, outcome and value that are possible with our public resources.