DISTRICT 8: DWAYNE BARKER
2023 Vote School Board First! Candidate Questionnaire:
Q: What, in your view, is PPS doing very well? What needs course correction?
A: In my view and experience, there are schools within the PPS system that offer students and families consistent leadership, teacher retention, a variety of courses, extracurricular activities, access to art and culture, and a clean/safe learning environment for students. Those schools, CAPA, Sci-Tech, Colfax, Montessori (to name a few) offer their students access to opportunities and resources that prepare them for success in life. What needs course correction and an examination are schools such as Pittsburgh Obama, Perry, Westinghouse, U-prep, Pittsburgh King Prek - 8th (to name a few) that do not offer students access to the same aforementioned resources and opportunities, thus fueling the growing achievement and opportunity gap in PPS.
Q: What is the role of the school district in the success of the city? How will you partner with other governmental entities?
A: We as the leaders of PPS along with the local officials have to make sure that the lines of communication are never cut off from any parties involved. I honestly believe that we need to set up a mentoring initiative that gives young people an opportunity to be mentees of city and county employed staff. We as the leaders/decision makers need to equipped our future leaders with a let us show them how its done approach. Let our students have a seat at the table with us so they can have a say in the future city that they will untimely inherit.
Q: What training/information do you think you will need to be successful in your role as a school board member?
A: I know that I am going into this new role as a student first. As an inexperienced school board member, an abundance of training and information will be necessary including, but not limited to leadership skills, budget management, progress monitoring with data, and understanding school governance. I plan to listen more than I speak in an effort to help improve student achievement in schools and foster a culture of collaboration, equity and inclusion.
Q: What do you believe a school board member should know/be able to do relative to district operations?
A: The 1st thing I would say a school board member needs to do is be present and stay informed on the concerns of the students, parents and staff in all the schools we represent. I also believe it best practice to know how to look over and break down a budget, so that whenever its presented to us we have an understanding of what the funds are allocated to in our district.
Q: We know that the pandemic had a negative effect on school attendance. How will you fulfill your role to create and foster schools where kids want to be?
A: Honest collaboration with the community. Getting feedback from parents, families, students and teachers/staff. We also have to be mindful that not all students are better learners in the brick and mortar buildings across the district.
Q: Given that nutrition is closely tied to student health and academic outcomes, what initiatives should PPS support to help promote healthy food access for PPS students?
A: PPS should start within its own lunch programs to ensure students are eating healthy foods and making healthy choices throughout the school day, especially in the morning. Communication around what “healthy choices” are is key to promoting nutritional health. Send our students home with a map of the communities that have food banks/pantries that offer fresh foods and healthy fruits and vegetables weekly.
For areas in the city that are considered “food desserts” (ie.Perry Hilltop) PPS can work with local food banks, and organizations (GPFB, Grow Pittsburgh, etc) that provide free food to children and families.
Q: With enrollment declining in PPS, what is your vision for the future of the physical footprint of the district?
A: Start with bolstering the Early Childhood Programs. Be as supportive of any and all parents. Make sure that all schools are welcoming to any and all visitors that come into our buildings. Go into places and spaces that our families reside and do something with our families we serve consistently. Once we become familiar with them it is almost guaranteed that they will then become familiar with us and the schools we represent. Be honest about the fact that we don’t have it all figured out. Invite the Parents and Community members into a space dedicated to them in the schools. Step outside of what we believe is best practice and start to look in different parts of the educational sector. See what is working and figure out ways to replicate those kinds of programs. Ensure PPS leadership understands its organizational chart with students, parents and community at the top! When PPS can view parents and community as an integral part of the educational process, student achievement will increase, equity and diversity will be facilitated and families will want to enroll and keep their children in the PPS system.
Q: What are your plans to desegregate our school district?
A: Address the equity of the Magnet School Application Process, Principal and Teacher Retention in the most vulnerable schools, and Redlining! Your zip code should not be a deterrent to getting the best education!
Q: How do you plan on integrating student voice into your decisions? Are you aware of the existing channels of student voice to tap into?
A: Direct conversations with students in our community include Buhl Foundation, Tali Thompson, Gwen’s Girls, Pittsburgh Project, visiting schools, football camps, summer camps, etc.
Q: What role does the school board play in improving the learning environment for our students?
A: The school board should act as a liaison between the community and district leadership. As elected officials, school board directors represent the interest of parents, students and the community. Progress Monitoring, hiring practices, spending, curriculum, budgets, spending, health and safety of students, quality of teaching are some of the issues school board directors should monitor and provide guidance.
Q: What do you think the proper role of a board member is to help foster positive school discipline and building a positive school climate?
A: Our first role as board members are to make sure we never vote to have armed security guards the opportunity to roam our school hallway. Our young people are students not inmates. We also have to make sure our students are being heard and not punished because they are not expressing themselves the way we believe they should. Put professional deescalators in our buildings to encourage the students to redirect the anger/frustration into a more manageable outcome.
Q: Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters has put forward 5 priority goals, what are your thoughts on the goals and do you see yourself as a board member fitting into those goals?
A: I personally love the five priority goals. They align with how I have been conducting business in the schools and communities I have served over the past 15 years. We have invested in research that will improve the outcome of our district. (Goal #1)
We have to change the way our children and families eat and live by introducing them to healthy food choices. (Goal #2)
We need to continue to invite our great leaders to come and interact with our future leaders in our schools. (Goal #3)
Help get our Teacher/Staff the proper training in mindfulness. ( Goal #4)
Continue to promote the community schools model in our 9 schools with our community partnerships. (Goal #5)
Q: A Commonwealth Court Judge recently ruled the way Pennsylvania funds education is unconstitutional, do you think PPS is funded sufficiently? (Please explain why or why not)
A: I believe PPS schools are not funded sufficiently. Especially the heavily black and brown populated areas around the city. We also know that even is the schools are getting a nice bit of money, the principles aren't properly educating the staff and the parents on the allocation's of the money.
I am currently one of only several Pittsburgh parents serving on the PA Title I State Parent Advisory Council (SPAC) where I share ideas with the Division of Federal Programs about effective strategies to involve Title I parents to increase student achievement.
Q: What is your vision for using the existing budget?
A: Many schools in the state of Pennsylvania are struggling to meet the goals of ensuring a high-quality education for all, and their efforts are complicated by challenges and changes unknown to earlier generations. The reasons why public schools started preparing people for jobs and citizenship, unifying a diverse population, and promoting equity, among others remain relevant, even urgent. Public schools reflect our values and influence our future. Addressing these problems will require different strategies than in the past. As a newly appointed: PA Title I State Parent Advisory Council (SPAC) is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Division of Federal Programs. I am going into this next assignment as I do with any board or council currently or formerly involved with, As a student first!
Q: Many PPS families struggle with basic needs such as housing and food insecurity. How should the district be allocating resources to address these needs?
A: I will remain on the board for Perry Hilltop citizens council as their President, with continued focus on building a stronger community. One that will work on maintaining affordable home ownership as well as affordable rental in our neighborhood. I will also continue to advocate for youth voices and safe places for them to go in my community and neighboring communities as well.