Politics & Government

Candidates Q and A: Ruhiyyih Nikole Yuille

School Board candidates answer questions from Patch and Monrovia residents.

Name: Ruhiyyih Nikole Yuille

Age: 36

Occupation: Special Education Teacher/ Speech and Language Pathologist

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background and why you should be elected or reelected to the Monrovia Unified School District Board of Education. / What would you say is the distinguishing characteristic that you bring to the table, that qualifies you to be a member of our school board? What is the number one thing you would like to accomplish as a school board member and how will you go about accomplishing it? (Patch reader Gail Arakelian)

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My name is Ruhiyyih Yuille, and I am in the third of four generations of Monrovians. My grandfather, John Gholar, moved to Monrovia in the early1950s, and our family has made Monrovia our home since, each generation moving through the Monrovia Public School system eagerly anticipating the day when we, too, could be called a WILDCAT!

After graduating from MHS, I went on to private university for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. But, regardless to whether I was furthering my studies, facilitating classes in South Africa, the Bahamas, Honduras, Costa Rica, or Panama, or directing a summer school program in the Midwest, I have always remained a Monrovian at heart, taking with me the firm foundation I learned, here, in our public school system.

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I also come from a long line of educators, and I am a teacher myself.  From my great aunt, Adelaide Sanford, who was elected to the Board of Regents for the State of New York for over 25 years and served as vice chancellor, to my aunt, Traci Gholar, who was a teacher and administrator here in Monrovia, and my mother and all the aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings in between—we are a family that believes that education is a invaluable service to our communities.

As I learned as a student and have continued to follow since my graduation, Monrovia has always been a place that is committed to achieving student excellence. However, our schools—like all public schools in this nation—face significant challenges and obstacles to reaching that goal.  I believe that my background and training as a teacher, special educator, literacy expert, English learner specialist, teacher trainer, researcher, negotiator, collaborator, Spanish-speaking community advocate, and curriculum developer—as well as my profound connection to this community, its culture, and traditions—make me uniquely qualified for the school board.

My purpose in embarking on this path is to be of service to the community. Service on the school board is not a political aspiration, but a passion for the betterment of our society on the “front lines”.  Schools can- and should- serve as the portal for change in the life of the entire community. I have spent my life learning how to make that vision into a reality and will continue to do so when elected. 

2.    One key thing school board members are tasked with is voting on budgets and making sure the district is spending wisely. What kind of experience do you have working with budgets?

I serve as the union representative for the teachers at my school.  In this role I have the opportunity to review and discuss the board adopted/ approved budget as we develop negotiation plans. In addition, as the director of school choirs for the past 10 years I have organized fundraisers and managed the budget of the choir.  As a member of the “leadership” team at my previous school site we collaborated with the principal and the community to make decisions regarding the particular expenditure of funds at our site.   Finally, as a teacher I am acutely aware of the interplay among school administration, classroom needs, and the state, district, and school site budget. 

3.    Do you think a school board candidate’s personal finance issues, such as previously filing for bankruptcy, should disqualify them for office? If so, why?  If not, why not? Would you be willing to take a basic competency test in math and personal finance if it was required? (Patch reader Dan Crandell)

While a candidate’s previous bankruptcy filing could be a relevant factor to determining his or her competency, I think it is important to understand that an individual may excel at something publically even if her or she struggles with it privately. For example, if a candidate has touted his or her special financial credentials, a previous bankruptcy may cast doubt on that expertise. However, bankruptcy is a complex financial decision that may even represent sound financial management in a given set of circumstances.

I would be willing to take a basic competency test in math and personal finance. I am not convinced, however, that such testing would strengthen the ability of the school board, as a whole.  Boards serve as a unit. In my understanding, each member of that unit has different strengths and brings a diverse set of qualifications to the table.  I would expect that each member is sufficiently prepared to understand not personal but district financial matters at the level necessary to meaningfully contribute to budgetary decision-making. However, when special expertise is required, a diverse board should be able to rely on the district’s hired financial expert. 

4.    What is your position on funding more art/music/drama opportunities MUSD students and on censoring student art/music/drama at the high school level specifically? Would you be willing to cut athletics in order to expand the arts? (Patch reader Stephen McCarthy) 

In my formal education I was very involved in the arts.  I learned invaluable lessons in the areas of: collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.  I learned how to understand others, the world, and myself more deeply and my “academic” classes were strengthened and augmented by the critical lens with which the arts provided me. I think all students should be pushed to explore the arts in their education and would support funding to do so, provided the education students receive is rigorous and creative. 

Censorship is a tricky issue.  What we censor today may be considered oppressive in 10 years. Did you know the Bossa Nova music we associate so closely with Brazilian culture (think Bebel Gilberto) was actually banned in Brazil? That said, there are so many different values students bring into a public education setting that I think arts educators should be mindful of the ways in which young students are impacted by what they see and hear.

 I would support collaboration between arts educators, parents, administrators and the board (as needed) when issues of value arise, so that students and parents are apart of conversations and decisions regarding potentially “offensive” and controversial material. For example, if a play is chosen for presentation at the high school that is rife with racial slurs and negative images of both races BUT the arts educator sees it as providing opportunities for discussions about civil rights, history, the power of words etc. I believe he/she could write a letter inviting the parents and students to a forum where they discuss the value and drawbacks of the performance.  Then the community of learners (students, parents, arts educator etc.) could decide if the learning is worth the potential drawbacks.  In this situation the arts educator would have to do more than direct actors. He/she must engage their thinking about the subject matter and provide ways that students could consider the consequences of a world where people think/speak this way.

Although I was not the athlete my brother was, I also played four years of high school volleyball and had the opportunity to continue in college.  Lessons learned on the field are as valuable as those learned in a classroom, on the stage, or in the studio.  But not because the field is the only place some students succeed! Schools are places where students come to be educated.  It is not ok for a student to run up and down the field scoring but be unable to read and write proficiently! Athletics are important because- when coached and taught rigorously and with high expectations- sports teach learners to communicate, collaborate, be creative, and think critically.  These are the four major learning objectives of the Common Core. Sports also can teach values, math and science when done with attention and carefulness. 

I would prefer to fund both more. But if cuts were required I would try and work with the program directors, community members, parents and students to find creative ways to maintain the highest level of participation in and access to both sports and the arts in our schools.

5.    Did you send your children to Monrovia schools? If so, what did you think of the education they received. If not, why not? 

I do not have children of my own, but I am part of a Monrovian family educated in Monrovia public schools. My mother and her four siblings attended Santa Fe (elementary school at the time), Clifton Middle School, and Monrovia High School. I, like my siblings and all twelve of my cousins, also attended and graduated from Monrovia schools.  Today any of my family members who have the good fortune of remaining in Monrovia, like my brother, continue to trust the public schools of this community. 

6.     Are you the type of individual who won't buckle under pressure when you can see that your decision is right for students/staff/ the District, while other board members disagree with you? Give an example to support your answer. (Patch reader Gail Arakelian) 

The board is made up of individuals who have different strengths and areas of expertise.  However, their decisions are handed down as one.  On a board that communicates and collaborates effectively, members should have the space and support to passionately state their perspective even in environment of clashing opinions. That clash is actually what allows the truth to emerge.  I expect clashes, divergent thoughts and ideas, that all come to the truth. If each member is truly motivated by tier desire to serve the students the truth and best decision will emerge from divergent perspectives.  In the event that the board decides on a course of action that I feel isn’t in the best interests of all parties, I would simply ask that the vote of each member be published in the record and continue to bring evidence to help others see my perspective should the need continue to arise.

7.    What are your thoughts on how the districts test scores are trending year to year? How important of a measure do you feel test scores are in determining student achievement? How important do you think they are in evaluating teacher performance? 

The board has one purpose, to promote student achievement.  This is the pivot around which all decisions should be based.  The board is accountable to the community and must demonstrate not only how students are achieving, but also make changes as needed.  The common core standards adopted by the state bring with them a new way of measuring teacher effectiveness and student learning.  The Smarter Balance assessments will no longer be a “one shot” test but happen regularly during the school year.  They will “task adjust,” which means they will increase and decrease in difficulty as the student takes the test, so that teachers (student, parents, and administrators) have a clearer and more “immediate” idea of how to best teach their students.

The old way of testing was an effective way to measure how students did on one particular day in time, but did not lend itself to helping students and teachers over time.  That said, I do not support using testing protocols  (of any sort) to measure neither teacher nor student performance in and of themselves.  I do think that teachers and their administrators can use them to reflect on their students learning and adjust to meet their needs. I think that grade level teams or disciplines (like the math cohort) can use test scores to evaluate the effectiveness of the current curriculum or strategies they have tried as a team and make adjustments as necessary.  Teachers can and indeed the intention is that they collaborate with students and their care givers to make plans for how to address specific areas of need immediately and reflect on effectiveness. 

8.    The MUSD recently hired a new superintendent. What do you think the board’s role is in working with a superintendent? 

 The board should listen to the superintendents’ expertise when making decisions about the direction of the district. They should regularly ask him/her for evidence that accurately evaluates student achievement. They should work with him/her to develop a vision and plan for the district that is measurable and attainable.

9.     What are your thoughts on the importance of parental involvement in helping students achieve. How will you engage the community to improve public schools in the district?

Parents are the first and most consistent educators of their children.  However, the degree of parental involvement in a child’s education can no longer be an excuse for underachievement and or the reason for students’ success.  Family dynamics and socio-economics are diverse in communities, and the school must take the lead in making sure all kids succeed. Schools need to evaluate their parent population to see how they need support not the other way around. When parents see that the school is a source of help rather than condemnation I have seen participation from all parents increase.

As a board member I would encourage direct interaction and engagement with the community to find out what is truly needed. This can be accomplished by developing protocols for parents to fill out, hosting parent forums at sites at different times during the day so that more parents can attend, interacting with organizations that parents may attend like churches or sports teams, asking schools to host more activities that are celebratory so that parents feel appreciated and valued, or attending community events and asking questions about ways to continue to serve their children best. However, the most important element is to use the data we gather to directly impact the district (as appropriate).  It is not enough to gather the data. The board must be responsive to the voice of the community and demonstrate its willingness to apply what it has learned.

 

 



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