Candidates for the Powhatan seat on the Williamsburg-James City County School Board sat down at a forum Thursday night to discuss the need for a new middle school and administrative offices, classroom size, awarding teachers and administrators for performance and increasing science, technology, engineering and math classes in schools.
Melinda Lincoln-Richardson, who has lived steadily in the county for more than two years but has owned property in the county for more than seven years, faced Joe Fuentes, a 30-year county resident who has served the board for eight years.
Lincoln-Richardson is a current Thomas Nelson Community College and Christopher Wren Association instructor who retired from federal service, where she worked in the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Rights and Liberties; she has taught for the University of Maryland University College.
Fuentes is an engineer and four-year U.S. Air Force veteran; he has worked as an adjunct professor at Thomas Nelson Community College. Currently, Fuentes is working with a federal agency in engineering, where he oversees a large number of people and a large budget. He previously worked for Newport News Shipbuilding. Fuentes is a parent who said he is very familiar with the WJC school system.
Being a school board veteran, Fuentes was asked what he was most proud of: the work over several years to create a document providing guidance for how the school board and its superintendent should work together.
If elected, Lincoln-Richardson said she would focus on changing academic achievement, to see all students perform the best they can. Teachers should focus on early problem identification to cater to a student’s needs, she sad.
“I want to lift the achievement for our students,” Lincoln-Richardson said.
School funding should be focused on education, with less focus on building central offices, Lincoln-Richardson said. She said the localities should be approached for budget items to be readjusted, which the school board is not required to do.
“I’m all about keeping the money in the classroom also, that goes directly toward reading, writing and arithmetic,” Fuentes said.
Fuentes said he thinks the highest priority for capital spending in the school district is laid out in a six-year plan costing $75 million. The priority projects are listed under four categories the board has worked to identify. The fourth middle school and central office are currently the focus; Fuentes said the school is a priority, but the central office issue needs to be “put to bed.”
Lincoln-Richardson said the James Blair building is a “neat” and “workable” building, and wanting a new school building is only a want, not a need. She said a study was underway to determine the need for a new middle school and the location, and the planning is of utmost importance.
When asked about the competing priorities between written and spoken English and the STEM classes, Lincoln-Richardson said communication is a huge part of her training.
“I absolutely believe that students must be able to communicate with one another,” she said. “I want them to be critical thinkers and I want them to take this knowledge, this information to … all of the disciplines.”
Fuentes said he’s “a little bit old-fashioned” because he has always focused on reading, writing and arithmetic and continues to do so.
Pre-kindergarten education is something both candidates support and believe is successful, but neither candidate would support raising taxes to pay for pre-kindergarten education. Lincoln-Richardson said she would not reallocate funds toward pre-kindergarten education, but would support seeking grant funding instead. Fuentes said this issue came up about two years ago when money was tight; he said the board prioritized the budget based on input from the community.
Switching to later education, the candidates were asked if they support career and technical education.
Fuentes, who served on the New Horizons Regional Education Board of Trustees, said he’s a “product of career and technical education” because he used the program to study to be a carpenter and electrician while in school.
Lincoln-Richardson believes the information technology portion of education in WJCC schools needs to be upgraded through possible grant funding.
“However, the IT program should only enhance education, not detract from it,” she said.
Turning to questions from the forum audience, the candidates were asked about decision-making.
Lincoln-Richardson said communication between teachers and administrators needs to improve; teachers should be able to approach principals with ideas.
“There should be a free exchange of information and innovation,” she said.
Fuentes said the school board is responsible for one employee: the superintendent. He said the superintendent is provided latitudes to be an effective leader and to lead to creating a good climate for teaching and learning; it is up to the superintendent, not the school board, to monitor administration and teachers.
Lincoln-Richardson said the school board creates the policy, which is enforced by the superintendent. Teachers need to interface with principals to make sure needs are being met.
Asked about salaries and benefits for teachers and administration, including pay increases for performance increases, Lincoln-Richardson said she supports increasing pay for teachers to retain good, qualified teachers and to remain competitive with neighboring districts. She said the “golden parachute” should be dropped for administration.
Fuentes said the people working in the “trenches” need to be paid a fair market value salary. Paying for performance would be hard to do, Fuentes said, but he supports paying for performance at the administrative level more than at the teacher level. Lincoln-Richardson supports an incentives program for teachers for classroom performance and new ideas.
Lincoln-Richardson is seeking election because she wants to see the schools do better, she said; she is not happy with the students Standards of Learning scores. Fuentes believes the school board’s continuity is important so the board can see through its vision, part of which includes quality process improvement.
“I wish to be a voice for the community. … I will listen to your concerns. I want you to talk to me,” Lincoln-Richardson said in closing. “This is what I know best, I know how to teach, and I know how to make teaching effective, and I know how to make learning relevant for the students.”
Fuentes said if he is re-elected, he will work toward managing growth in the division with a reduced, balanced budget.
“I plan to continue with my in-depth questioning to ensure we are achieving our maximum value,” he said.
Fuentes doesn’t think technology in the classroom has been fully maximized, which is something he wants to continue to pursue. He said he will maintain his inquisitive attitude. With his background over the past eight years, Fuentes believes he is the best candidate.
