Lisa Gordon Stella, candidate for Durham School Board of Education District 3, 2014 People's Alliance PAC Questionnaire

1. Lisa Gordon Stella
PA-PAC Questionnaire for Durham Public School
Board of Education 2014

2. 1
1. Why do you want to serve on the Durham Public School Board of Education?
What is the role of a board member?
My
first
reason
for
wanting
to
serve
on
the
Durham
Board
of
Education
is
that
I
believe
very
strongly
that
every
child
in
our
community
should
have
access
to
an
excellent
education;
and
second,
I
want
to
help
shape
the
policies
that
further
this
goal
by
being
a
member
of
the
Board
that
selects
our
next
Superintendent,
perhaps
the
most
important
hiring
decision
facing
our
school
community
today.
Board
members’
roles
are
outlined
in
the
District
Policies,
Series
1000.
Among
their
responsibilities,
board
members
are
charged
with
electing
a
superintendent
and
school
personnel,
evaluating
the
superintendent,
supporting
employment
of
those
best
qualified
to
serve
the
schools,
and
exercising
leadership
and
direction
in
reaching
the
highest
educational
goals.
Importantly,
board
members
must
also
consider
and
act
on
the
budget,
and
be
able
to
devote
sufficient
time
to
the
requirements
for
school
board
service.
My
leadership
experience
as
the
President
and
Vice-­‐President
of
non-­‐profits
and
school
boards
has
prepared
me
for
the
role
and
responsibilities
required
for
serving
on
the
Durham
School
Board.
I
have
experience
hiring
and
evaluating
school
leadership
and
putting
the
needs
of
students
first.
In
addition,
I’ve
run
a
business,
served
as
General
Counsel
to
a
corporation.
At
Maureen
Joy
Charter
School
and
the
non-­‐profit
board
on
which
I
serve,
I
am
charged
with
evaluating
and
approving
the
budget.
When
I
vote
to
approve
a
DPS
budget,
you
can
be
confident
that
it's
because
I’ve
pored
over
it
line
by
line
and
that
I
am
fulfilling
my
fiduciary
duty
of
ensuring
that
taxpayer
dollars
are
being
spent
responsibly.
If
elected
I
plan
to
make
service
to
the
board
a
full
time
endeavor.
Given
the
many
challenges
and
changes
facing
our
schools
district,
coupled
with
the
search
for
a
Superintendent,
I
believe
it
is
critical
for
board
members
to
be
prepared
and
able
to
devote
significant
time
to
school
board
service.
2. The board will be involved in the hiring of a new superintendent. What should
the search process look like? What qualities should the successful candidate
possess?
We
have
the
opportunity
to
transform
Durham
Public
Schools
with
the
selection
of
the
new
superintendent.
Durham’s
public
schools
are
facing
numerous
challenges
as
a
result
of
changing
demographics
and
new
state
laws.
With
the
selection
of
a
strong,
bright
superintendent
willing
to
take
bold
steps,
Durham
public
schools
has
the
potential
to
become
an
education
leader
in
North
Carolina.
This
is
how
I
envision
the
selection
process:

3. 2
1. Conduct
a
National
or
Regional
Search
to
have
the
most
qualified
pool
of
applicants.
2. Hold
Community
Input
Forums
around
Durham
so
that
the
community
can
voice
its
vision
and
needs.
The
locations
and
format
of
such
meetings
should
be
designed
to
get
the
maximum
true
feedback
from
all
members
of
the
community.
3. Reach
Out
to
Education
and
Community
Leaders
for
their
input
and
guidance.
Our
new
superintendent
should
have
the
following
characteristics
and
values:
1. Strong,
intelligent,
entrepreneurial
leader
willing
to
make
difficult
decisions
targeted
at
improving
and
reviving
education
in
Durham.
2. Understands
the
Durham
community,
its
challenges,
and
its
history
and
believes
in
true
community
engagement.
3. Committed
to
creating
a
unified
school
system
where
traditional
public
schools
and
charters
work
collaboratively
to
improve
public
education
for
all
students
in
Durham.
4. Committed
to
identifying
and
implementing
solutions
to
address
schools
that
are
not
meeting
student
needs,
including
partnering
with
successful
charters.
5. Committed
to
creating
a
child-­‐
and
school-­‐centered
school
system
rather
than
a
focus
on
Central
Office.
Must
recognize
that
great
teachers
and
principals
are
the
heart
of
a
strong
education
system
and
the
school
system
must
focus
on
supporting
them
and
valuing
their
expertise
and
understanding
of
how
best
to
educate
our
students.
6. Committed
to
creating
a
culture
that
values
service
to
parents
and
students
as
well
as
from
our
Central
Office/administration
to
our
schools.
7. Committed
to
creating
a
strong
leadership
team
and
regular
360-­‐degree
reviews
of
administrative
staff
and
leadership
team.
Will
not
allow
promoting
and
shifting
individuals
who
do
not
perform,
and
instead,
utilizes
procedures
to
increase
performance
or
separates
poorly
performing
staff.
8. Committed
to
fiscal
responsibility
and
transparency.
Will
openly
share
information
with
the
school
board
and
any
budget
advisory
committee.

4. 3
9. Committed
to
creating
and
fostering
a
culture
throughout
DPS
that
values
honest
feedback,
thoughtful
yet
timely
decision-­‐making,
best
practices
and
creativity
in
approaching
challenges.
Mistakes
and
undesired
outcomes
must
be
openly
recognized,
critically
examined,
understood
and
addressed.
10. Committed
to
regular
evaluation
of
all
existing
programing
to
best
identify
what
works
and
what
does
not.
Will
not
allow
new
programming
to
be
added
before
eliminating
those
programs
that
are
not
serving
their
purpose.
3. How should teachers and administrators be evaluated? Are the current state
standards effective?
The
current
state
standards
are
not
an
effective
tool
for
evaluating
teachers
and
administrators.
We
need
to
have
meaningful
evaluations
designed
to
help
our
teachers
and
administrators
grow
and
succeed.
The
goal
of
evaluating
teachers
and
administrators
should
be
to
support
their
professional
growth.
Teachers
should
be
regularly
observed
by
an
individual
with
a
teaching
background.
The
evaluator
should
meet
with
the
teacher
and
provide
feedback
from
the
observation.
In
addition,
evaluators
should
provide
teachers
with
feedback
on
lesson
plans,
and
help
develop
tailored
professional
development
for
the
teacher.
Teacher
evaluations
should
also
include
input
from
parents,
students,
other
teachers,
administrators,
and
staff.
The
evaluation’s
purpose
is
to
provide
the
teacher
with
clear
information
and
direction
for
growth.
At
Maureen
Joy
Charter
School
where
I
serve
as
Vice-­‐President
of
the
Board,
we
have
created
teacher-­‐leader
positions
called
Academic
Deans.
Leaders
in
this
position
teach
a
class,
and
then
spend
the
rest
of
their
day
observing
with
other
teachers
in
the
building,
reading
and
giving
feedback
on
lesson
plans,
developing
internal
benchmarks,
and
developing
tailored
professional
development.
Because
of
this
new
role,
all
teachers
are
now
observed
weekly
and
get
actionable
feedback
that
promotes
their
development.
Teachers
should
also
be
required
to
complete
professional
development
activities
each
year
that
center
on
their
discipline
so
that
they
are
not
using
dated
teaching
techniques
or
out
of
date
information.
Teachers
should
be
directed
towards
professional
development
that
meets
their
specific
needs
and
growth
objectives.
Teachers
should
submit
a
plan
as
to
how
they
will
apply
in
the
classroom
what
they
have
learned
from
their
professional
development.
This
too
should
be
part
of
the
teacher’s
evaluation.
Administrators
should
primarily
be
evaluated
on
how
effectively
they
support
faculty
and
are
able
to
maintain
a
positive
learning
environment
for
students
and
a
supportive
environment
for
teachers.
As
part
of
their

5. 4
responsibilities,
administrators
should
stay
up
with
best
practices
in
other
schools,
especially
in
schools
that
have
proven
records
of
student
achievement.
As
the
head
of
the
Personnel
Committee
at
Maureen
Joy,
I
have
been
part
of
the
team
that
evaluates
the
Principal.
In
addition
to
using
the
State
evaluation,
we
supplement
those
tools
with
a
staff
survey
as
well
as
feedback
from
our
board.
When
we
conduct
our
evaluation,
our
goal
is
to
provide
meaningful
feedback
and
set
goals
for
improvement.
4. How should students be assessed? What role should standardized tests
play in evaluating students?
As
a
parent
I
watch
my
children
learn
and
grow
but
want
to
be
sure
they
are
on
the
right
track
to
succeed
and
be
prepared
academically.
Students
need
to
be
assessed
to
ensure
that
they
are
learning
and
are
on
the
path
to
becoming
critical
thinkers.
Many
students
struggle
to
read
for
a
variety
of
reasons
and
we
must
be
able
to
catch
learning
problems
early
so
that
a
child
does
not
fall
significantly
behind
or
suffer
emotionally
from
their
learning
struggles.
Other
students
become
bored
in
classrooms
that
are
not
engaging
or
challenging
enough
to
help
them
grow
academically.
At
the
same
time,
standardized
testing
is
often
ineffectual
and
counterproductive,
creating
anxiety
for
parents
and
students
while
not
actually
measuring
what’s
important.
Standardized
tests
do
play
a
role
in
identifying
some
measurements
of
academic
ability
such
as
basic
levels
of
reading
comprehension
and
knowledge
of
core
mathematical
and
science
concepts.
At
the
same
time,
the
limitations
of
standardized
testing
must
be
considered.
A
classroom
or
school
that
is
hyper-­‐focused
on
the
results
of
these
tests
can
be
ineffectual
and
counterproductive
and
can
create
anxiety
for
parents
and
students,
yet
still
fail
to
measure
critical
student
strengths
and
weaknesses.
Additionally,
these
tests
can
negatively
impact
the
pedagogy
in
the
classroom,
promoting
memorization
and
rote
learning
over
creativity
and
critical
thinking.
For
these
reasons,
it
is
important
that
we
reduce
our
dependence
on
standardized
tests
for
students
and
instead
cede
more
evaluative
authority
to
teachers.
There
are
many
ways
to
evaluate
students-­‐-­‐written
exams,
oral
presentations,
project
design
and
completion,
service
learning
in
the
community,
etc.
If
we
are
to
move
to
a
model
that
puts
assessments
in
the
hands
of
our
teaching
professionals,
we
must
make
certain
that
teachers
are
equipped
with
the
most
current
evaluative
tools
and
methods.
Each
school
should
also
employ
a
strong
testing
specialist,
someone
who
is
on
top
of
best
practices
in
student
testing.
A
student
assessment
model
that
relies
more
on
teachers
and
less
on
standardized
exams
could
go
a
long
way
to
understanding
our
students

6. 5
and
helping
them
achieve,
but
at
its
core,
our
teachers
will
need
more
support
and
expertise
on
effective
student
assessment.
We
also
need
to
be
sure
that
changes
to
testing
do
not
result
in
more
students
moving
from
grade
to
grade
without
real
learning.
As
the
Program
Director
for
Truancy
Court,
I
regularly
see
students
in
middle
and
high
school
that
are
academically
performing
well
below
grade
school
level
and
do
not
have
the
skills
needed
to
be
successful
in
a
career,
technical
college
or
university.
Many
of
our
children
get
passed
from
grade
to
grade
without
being
able
to
read
or
understand
basic
concepts
in
math
and
science
and
without
the
necessary
interventions
in
place
to
help
them
academically.
It
is
important
that
in
our
efforts
to
reduce
the
reliance
on
standardized
testing
and
testing
generally
that
we
are
ever
more
mindful
of
the
need
to
help
and
support
our
struggling
students.
5. In spite of the introduction of magnet schools, it appears that Durham Public
Schools have become increasingly segregated by socioeconomic status and
race. What are your thoughts on this situation?
The
segregation
of
Durham
schools
by
race
and/or
socioeconomic
status
is
troubling
and
hurts
students
of
all
backgrounds.
While
school
policy
and
strategic
planning
can
play
a
role
in
de-­‐segregating
our
schools,
there
are
many
other
factors
that
impact
segregation
that
are
beyond
the
control
of
our
school
board
such
as
housing
patterns.
Nevertheless,
Board
members
should
be
conscious
of
this
evolution
and
whenever
possible
explore
and
adopt
policies
that
further
desegregation.
Not
only
should
we
take
steps
to
change
laws,
regulations,
and
funding
to
promote
de-­‐segregation,
we
must
also
counteract
the
negative
effects
of
segregation.
Segregation
is
not
merely
physical
separateness.
Segregation
cuts
students
off
from
parts
of
society
they
must
learn
to
navigate
in
order
to
attend
college,
obtain
meaningful
employment,
and
be
engaged
citizens.
Therefore,
we
must
deliberately
connect
students
to
the
society
beyond
segregated
schools
and
communities.
Children
in
high-­‐poverty
segregated
schools
need
opportunities
middle-­‐class
children
take
for
granted.
It
is
vital
that
our
school
culture
is
caring
while
maintaining
high
expectations,
with
access
to
healthy
food,
music
lessons,
art
programs,
safe
recreational
space,
and
travel
opportunities.
We
should
consider
adopting
policies
that
connect
less
integrated
schools
with
those
that
are
more
diverse.
Above
all,
school
board
members
must
institute
policies
that
focus
on
ensuring
that
every
child
regardless
of
race
or
socioeconomic
status
has
available
to
them
an
excellent
public
education
that
includes
an
understanding
of
the
opportunities
that
exist
in
our
diverse
world.

7. 6
6. Does DPS need to make changes to its school suspension policy? If so,
what changes would you work for as a Board Member?
I
strongly
believe
that
DPS
desperately
needs
to
change
its
policies
and
practices
in
addressing
school
discipline
and
suspension.
In
December,
I
served
as
a
facilitator
at
the
series
of
community
conversations
on
the
discipline
and
suspension
issue
DPS
held,
which
gave
me
the
opportunity
to
listen
directly
to
parents
and
concerned
citizens.
I
also
attended
a
showing
of
the
School
to
Prison
Pipeline,
a
documentary
on
North
Carolina
Schools,
which
highlighted
the
criminalizing
of
student
behavior
and
the
devastating
impacts
it
has
on
our
students
and
community.
Many
of
our
students
and
families
feel
alienated
from
our
education
system.
And,
all
too
often
typical
student
behavior
is
criminalized
causing
students
to
be
pushed
out
of
our
education
system
and
into
the
criminal
justice
system.
This
has
to
stop.
It
is
hurting
our
students
and
our
community.
As
the
Director
of
the
Truancy
Court
Program,
I
have
seen
how
many
of
our
youth
are
facing
serious
personal
and
family
challenges
daily,
including
homelessness,
domestic
violence,
gang
violence,
neglect,
disabilities,
mental
health
issues
and
hunger.
When
these
students
come
to
school,
often
they
are
not
ready
to
learn
and
are
more
likely
to
act
out
and
be
suspended
or
become
court
involved.
I
have
set
forth
my
specific
proposals
on
this
how
we
must
rethink
student
discipline
on
my
website,
which
includes
the
following:
1. Promote
strong
support
services.
This
begins
with
excellent
leadership
and
a
clear
understanding
of
the
problems
and
a
clear
strategy
for
addressing
the
issues.
Only
by
engaging
directly
with
community
and
family
members
will
we
find
out
the
true
needs
of
the
students.
2. Emphasize
and
fund
restorative
Justice
programs.
Programs
like
Truancy
Court,
Peer
Mediation,
and
Peaceful
Schools
can
reduce
and
prevent
suspensions.
These
programs
only
work
if
they
are
properly
staffed,
funded,
executed
and
evaluated.
3. Create
district
wide
policies
that
mandate
no
arrests
or
out
of
school
suspension
for
minor
offenses.
4. Find
additional
resources
or
divert
existing
resources
to
school-­‐based
mental
health
services.
This
is
critical
to
the
success
of
many
of
our
most
at-­‐risk
students.
5. Staff
our
schools
with
a
dedicated
qualified
social
worker.
This
is
particularly
important
in
elementary
school
where
students
need
more
support
with
family
issues
in
order
to
be
successful
in
school.

8. 7
6. Support
our
teachers
by
having
effective
evidence-­‐based
programs
in
place
for
students
engaged
in
disruptive
behavior.
While
the
student
may
leave
the
class,
we
need
to
keep
the
child
in
the
school.
7. Re-­‐examine
Lakeview
to
see
if
it
is
serving
its
purpose.
Provide
these
students
with
true
wrap-­‐around
services
while
still
educating
them.
Don’t
let
it
continue
as
little
more
than
a
holding
cell
for
many
students.
8. Mandate
proper
training
for
SRO
officers
on
how
to
treat
children.
Children
are
not
just
smaller
adults,
they
are
organically
different.
9. Ensure
that
the
SRO
officers
and
principals
communicate.
Students
should
not
be
arrested
for
something
at
school
without
principal
involvement.
10. Cultivate
creativity
in
finding
ways
to
hold
students
accountable
for
their
mistakes
while
not
suspending
them
from
school.
7. What is your opinion about the Charter School movement?
I
currently
serve
as
the
Vice-­‐President
of
Maureen
Joy
Charter
School
located
in
East
Durham
and
in
my
eight
years
of
board
service,
I
have
learned
a
tremendous
amount
about
education.
As
a
board
member,
I
have
been
integrally
involved
in
the
selection
and
review
of
the
school’s
leadership,
its
mission
and
overseeing
its
finances.
I
have
used
my
position
to
hire
and
support
strong
school
leadership
singularly
focused
on
the
needs
of
its
students
and
dedicated
to
the
belief
that
every
child
can
succeed.
As
the
head
of
the
school’s
Personnel
Committee,
I
am
charged
with
ensuring
the
Principal
receives
meaningful,
comprehensive
annual
reviews
which
includes
input
from
all
those
who
work
at
the
school.
I
also
address
all
human
resource
matters.
I
review
and
advise
on
organizational,
policy,
and
instructional
changes.
Importantly,
I
regularly
review
and
approve
the
budget
to
ensure
funds
are
spent
appropriately.
Through
my
board
service
at
Maureen
Joy
as
well
as
my
work
with
Durham
Public
Schools
as
the
Truancy
Court
Program
Director,
I
have
come
to
believe
that
continuing
to
engage
in
an
ideological
discussion
regarding
the
propriety
of
charter
schools
in
North
Carolina
will
not
improve
student
education
in
Durham.
Charter
schools
are
now
firmly
rooted
in
the
fabric
of
North
Carolina’s
education
system.
Our
focus
must
shift
to
charter
growth
and
collaboration.
I
voiced
my
views
on
charter
growth
in
opinions
published
in
the
News
&
Observer
on
September
17,
2013
and
the
Herald
Sun
on
January
12,
2014.
I

9. 8
believe
we
need
excellent
schools
that
serve
all
of
our
children’s
needs
and
that
the
ideological
discourse
is
a
distraction
our
students
can
ill
afford.
Instead,
we
need
to
focus
on
improving
the
education
of
all
our
students
regardless
of
where
they
attend
school.
To
begin,
we
must
be
better
informed
about
the
charter
schools
in
Durham.
An
honest
conversation
requires
we
have
accurate
information
about
Durham’s
charters:
• Durham
charters
primarily
serve
economically
disadvantaged
minority
students.
• Durham
currently
has
10
charters
and
by
Fall
2014
there
will
likely
be
a
total
of
12-­‐13
charters.
• According
to
the
Durham
Public
School
budget,
during
the
2012-­‐2013
school
year,
Durham’s
charters
serve
about
ten-­‐percent
of
Durham’s
student
population
and
receive
four-­‐percent
of
Durham
Public
School’s
budget.
• Charters
do
not
receive
funding
for
facilities
or
for
transportation.
• Most
Durham
charters
provide
free
and
reduced
meals
and
the
majority
provides
students
with
free
bus
transportation.
As
one
of
the
first
charter
schools
in
Durham,
Maureen
Joy,
opened
its
doors
in
1997
and
it
has
become
invaluable
to
our
community.
It
strives
to
serve
as
a
model
of
how
urban
public
schools
can
provide
a
comprehensive
educational
program
that
put
students
on
a
path
to
college.
The
school
serves
students
that
all
too
often
are
marginalized
in
the
public
education
system.
Maureen
Joy’s
population
is
nearly
all
minority,
with
85%
of
students
receiving
free
or
reduced
meals.
Over
one
third
of
Maureen
Joy’s
students
receive
special
education
services
such
as
ESL
and
EC.
Like
traditional
public
schools,
Maureen
Joy
provides
bus
transportation
and
free/reduced
breakfast
and
lunch.
But
most
importantly,
Maureen
Joy
students
achieve
academically,
consistently
outperforming
their
peers
across
the
state
and
in
Durham.
Maureen
Joy
has
been
classified
as
“high-­‐growth”
for
four
years
in
a
row
and
the
North
Carolina
Department
of
Public
Instruction
selected
Maureen
Joy
as
one
of
only
six
charter
schools
in
the
state
that
showed
the
ability
to
close
the
achievement
gap
for
students
of
minorities
and
low-­‐income
backgrounds.
Importantly,
Maureen
Joy
has
outperformed
every
school
in
Durham
that
has
65%
or
more
students
who
qualify
for
free
or
reduced
price
lunch.
Maureen
Joy
achieves
these
results
without
a
private
endowment
or
extra
funding.
Instead,
as
a
charter
school,
Maureen
Joy
receives
less
funds
from
DPS
than
traditional
public
schools.
What
Maureen
Joy
is
doing
should
serve
to
inspire
Durham’s
public
schools.
It
shows
that
it
is
possible
to
close
the
achievement
gap
using
already
existing
funding.
What’s
more
is
that
Maureen
Joy
is
doing
exactly
what
charters
were
intended
to
do—be
innovators
of

10. 9
education
that
result
in
improving
student
education.
While
replication
might
not
be
practicable,
I
believe
that
Durham
Public
Schools
should
look
at
schools
like
Maureen
Joy
and
learn
from
them.
See
what
they
are
doing
and
how
that
might
be
incorporated
into
DPS
schools.
We
must
not
ignore
what’s
working
in
education
because
of
ideological
differences;
instead,
we
must
put
our
children
first.
The
idea
of
charters
and
traditional
school
districts
collaborating
is
gaining
traction.
As
part
of
my
board
service
at
Maureen
Joy,
I
have
spent
the
past
year
working
on
charter
school
collaboration.
This
was
intended
to
be
the
start
of
discussions
that
would
work
towards
DPS
and
the
Durham
charters
entering
into
a
compact.
School
districts
around
the
country
are
exploring
district-­‐
charter
collaboration
and
some
districts,
like
Denver
Public
Schools,
have
entered
into
a
District-­‐Charter
Compact.
Since
Denver,
a
district
with
a
student
population
78%
economically
disadvantaged
and
79%
minority,
entered
into
a
district-­‐compact,
it
has
resulted
in
consistent
student
improvement
year
over
year.
Further,
charters
serve
primarily
economically
disadvantaged
minority
students
and
are
consistently
outperforming
traditional
public
school
in
individual
student
growth.
What’s
more
is
that
Denver
is
actually
reversing
“white
flight”
and
bringing
students
and
families
back
to
the
public
school
system.
At
the
heart
of
the
Denver
system
is
a
commitment
to
three
equities:
equity
of
opportunity,
equity
of
responsibility
and
equity
of
accountability.
While
a
formal
compact
between
DPS
and
Durham
charter
schools
may
be
some
time
off,
there
are
ways
that
DPS
and
the
charters
can
and
should
collaborate
to
create
a
unified
inclusive
education
system.
We
must
make
this
a
priority
and
put
an
end
to
the
ideological
bickering.
Working
collaboratively
rather
than
competitively
we
will
better
serve
our
students
and
our
community.
8. What is your opinion about school vouchers?
I
believe
that
vouchers
have
no
place
on
our
public
education
system.
Based
on
my
reading
of
the
law
and
review
of
legal
analysis
of
the
voucher
system
created
by
our
legislators
in
North
Carolina,
I
believe
that
vouchers
are
unconstitutional.
Beyond
that,
vouchers
are
a
terrible
policy
choice
that
will
lead
to
a
less
robust
education
system.
It
will
encourage
the
creation
of
private
schools
that
have
virtually
no
oversight
and
whose
motivations
may
be
less
about
educating
student
and
more
about
profits.
Lawmakers
frustrated
with
aspects
of
our
public
education
system
should
work
with
the
system
finding
ways
to
improve
it
rather
than
abandoned
the
system
through
vouchers.
Far
from
creating
accountability
and
improving
the
education
of
our
students,
vouchers
will
shift
monies
away
from
our
existing
education
system
further
exacerbating
budget
challenges.

11. 10
9. As a board member how would you lead the decisions addressing the needs
of the students who are at risk for low achievement and dropping out?
As
a
board
member,
I
would
act
to
adopt
policies
that
promote
a
strategic,
thoughtful
and
deliberate
approach
to
address
the
needs
of
our
students
at
risk
of
low
achievement
and
dropping
out
of
school.
As
the
Director
of
the
Truancy
Court
program,
my
work
is
dedicated
to
reaching
precisely
those
students.
I
have
hands-­‐on
experience
working
with
at
risk
students
and
their
families
in
dozens
of
schools
across
our
district,
as
well
as
with
administration
and
Central
Office
personnel.
This
broad
perspective
will
inform
my
work
on
the
board
and
will
prepare
me
to
take
a
leadership
role
with
respect
to
decisions
addressing
at
risk
students.
Based
on
my
experience,
to
truly
meet
the
needs
of
our
at
risk
students,
the
Board
needs
to
ensure
that
Student
Support
Services
has
strong
leadership
with
a
clear
strategic
vision.
The
Board
should
expect
the
leadership
to
review
every
program
DPS
currently
has
available
for
these
students.
While
DPS
has
a
slew
of
interventions,
including
SAP
and
CFST,
these
programs
are
currently
not
being
evaluated
in
any
meaningful
way.
Without
effective
program
evaluation,
it
is
impossible
to
know
what
is
and
is
not
working
well
for
our
students
and
why.
We
need
to
create
a
strategic
and
comprehensive
approach
to
understand
exactly
why
certain
programs
are
successful
so
that
we
might
continue
to
fund
these
efforts
and
emulate
their
methods
and
best
practices
where
possible.
For
any
program
that
is
not
working,
we
need
to
understand
the
problems
and
decide
whether
the
program
should
be
discontinued
or
modified.
After
program
evaluations
have
been
completed,
we
must
determine
what
gaps
exist
and
identify
evidence-­‐based
programs
that
can
best
meet
the
needs
of
our
students.
We
must
recognize
that
what
works
in
one
school,
may
not
work
in
another
and
what
works
for
one
student
may
not
work
for
another.
There
is
no
one
size
fits
all
approach.
We
also
need
to
be
sure
that
interventions
take
place
swiftly
and
that
students
not
continue
to
languish
in
the
face
of
information
that
the
child
is
at
risk
of
not
learning
or
that
the
child
is
at
risk
of
dropping
out
altogether.
An
integral
part
of
the
Truancy
Court
program
is
to
identify
and
connect
students
and
families
to
services
both
in
school
and
out
of
school.
In
many
instances
our
at
risk
students
need
interventions
and
referrals
to
outside
services
such
as
mental
health,
behavior
management
or
assistance
for
the
student’s
family.
These
considerations
squarely
fall
within
the
responsibility
of
Student
Support
Services
and
Board
members
must
be
committed
to
bolstering
this
critical
piece
of
the
DPS
system.

12. 11
10. Why do you think that parents choose to take their children out of the public
schools in Durham or don’t choose them at all? How would you address this
issue?
As
someone
who
falls
in
this
category
(my
husband
and
I
chose
to
remove
our
daughter
from
Githens
Middle
School
after
her
sixth
grade
year)
and
who
has
many
friends
and
neighbors
that
have
made
the
same
difficult
decision
to
leave
Durham
Public
Schools
or
are
reluctant
to
send
their
children
to
Durham
Public
School,
I
have
unique
insight
on
this
issue.
I
received
and
have
always
been
deeply
committed
to
public
school
education.
In
fact,
I
believe
a
successful
public
school
system
is
critical
to
the
economic
success
of
this
region
and
to
the
country
at
large.
That
is
why
I
work
every
day
to
help
Durham
Public
School
students
succeed
as
Director
of
the
Truancy
Court
Program
and
that
is
why
I
am
running
for
School
Board.
That
is
also
why
my
decision
to
pull
my
daughter
out
of
DPS
was
not
made
lightly.
In
fact,
no
parent
I
have
spoken
with
who
has
left
DPS
was
happy
to
do
so.
Each
one
did
so
with
a
heavy
heart
and
is
substantially
sacrificing
by
not
sending
their
children
to
a
Durham
Public
School.
While
I
cannot
speak
for
everyone,
here
is
my
experience
and
what
I
have
learned.
Both
of
my
daughters
began
their
education
at
a
Jewish
day
school
because
I
wanted
them
to
understand
and
be
able
to
connect
to
their
heritage.
My
younger
daughter
is
in
second
grade
and
is
still
in
that
educational
setting.
My
older
daughter
went
on
to
attend
Creekside
Elementary
School,
where
I
was
class
parent
and
provided
support
to
the
school
whenever
possible,
and
then
spent
her
first
year
of
middle
school
at
Githens
Middle
School.
My
daughter’s
sixth
grade
year
proved
to
be
an
incredibly
trying
year
for
her
and
for
us.
My
husband
and
I
watched
as
our
daughter
went
from
a
happy
child
who
loved
school
and
enjoyed
learning,
to
one
who
was
sad,
frustrated
and
not
challenged
academically.
While
we
made
every
effort
to
engage
with
the
school,
administration
and
faculty,
and
make
the
situation
workable,
in
the
end,
we
determined
that
our
daughter’s
educational
needs
could
not
be
met
at
Githens.
I
detailed
our
family’s
experience
in
an
eight-­‐page
letter
to
the
school
board
and
the
superintendent.
My
husband
and
I
struggled
with
what
to
do
after
sixth
grade.
We
are
both
products
of
a
public
school
education
and
always
envisioned
that
was
how
our
children
would
be
educated.
When
our
daughter
did
not
get
into
a
magnet
school,
we
faced
a
difficult
but
inescapable
decision
and
enrolled
her
in
private
school
for
the
remainder
of
middle
school.
Other
parents
have
shared
similar
experiences
with
me.
Many
have
found
that
Durham
public
schools
are
not
responsive
to
parent
concerns
or
student
needs,
that
teachers
are
overworked,
underappreciated,
and
therefore
not
able

13. 12
to
provide
their
child
with
what
they
need.
(Some
of
my
neighbors
were
told
by
teachers
at
Durham
Public
Schools
that
they
should
put
their
child
in
a
private
school.)
Parents
are
also
concerned
about
safety,
student
discipline,
lack
of
educational
rigor,
poor
performing
schools,
and
the
large
size
of
many
schools
in
Durham.
Parent
concerns
were
also
the
subject
of
a
recent
survey
done
by
charter
schools
in
Durham.
The
charter
schools
survey
asked
their
parents
a
single
survey
question,
“Why
did
you
choose
a
charter
school?”
The
top
ten
answers
in
order
were:
(1)
Smaller
School,
(2)
Safer
Environment,
(3)
Strong
Teachers,
(4)
Innovative
and
Progressive
Curriculum,
(5)
Structure
and
Discipline,
(6)
Challenging
Academics,
(7)
Responsive
to
Parents/Students,
(8)
Less
Bureaucracy,
(9)
Unhappy
with
Prior
School,
and
(10)
Better
Cultural
Diversity.
I
strongly
believe
that
many
families
that
have
chosen
to
leave
DPS
would
love
to
send
their
children
to
our
public
schools.
We
must
do
what
it
takes
to
restore
the
confidence
of
these
families
and
convince
the
community
at
large
that
DPS
schools
are
the
best
place
to
send
their
child
to
be
educated.
I
believe
the
first
step
in
this
process
is
to
select
a
dynamic
superintendent
along
the
lines
I
have
set
out
above.
We
should
also
place
a
high
priority
on
recruiting,
hiring
and
retaining
strong
teachers—making
sure
we
provide
teachers
with
mentoring
programs,
higher
salaries,
meaningful
evaluation
and
professional
development.
Finally,
we
need
a
Support
Service
that
is
strategic
and
dedicated
to
helping
students
with
behavioral
problems
so
that
they
can
get
the
education
they
need
while
not
disrupting
other
students
from
learning.
Parents
want
what
is
best
for
their
children
and
if
they
see
a
school
system
dedicated
to
providing
children
with
a
safe
environment,
satisfied
teachers
and
a
rich
rigorous
curriculum,
parents
will
see
real
change
and
want
to
send
their
children
to
Durham
Public
Schools.
11. If you could do three things to improve Durham Public Schools, what would
they be?
1.
Facilitate
system-­‐wide
culture
shift
at
DPS
that
will:
• Change
what
is
driving
the
perception
of
our
school
system
by
truly
improving
our
education
system
at
every
level.
• Create
a
child
and
school
centered
approach
rather
than
a
focus
on
Central
Office.
We
must
recognize
that
our
education
system’s
purpose
is
to
educate
its
students.
Great
teachers
and
principals
are
at
the
heart
of
this
endeavor.
The
school
system
must
focus
on
supporting
them
and
valuing
their
expertise
when
decision
are
made
about
how
to
best
educate
our
students.

14. 13
• Engage
in
clear,
focused,
and
authentic
communication
with
parents,
students
and
the
community.
• Create
a
unified
school
district
through
collaboration
between
our
traditional
public
schools
and
charter
schools.
2.
Provide
strong
Support
Services
that
will:
• Promote
dynamic
and
committed
leadership
that
understands
the
challenges
facing
our
most
at-­‐risk
students
and
is
dedicated
to
serving
students
swiftly
and
with
a
sense
of
urgency.
• Dedicate
competent
social
workers
in
nearly
every
school.
• Embrace
restorative
justice
models
to
address
behavioral
issues
such
as
peer
mediation,
preventative
mediation,
re-­‐entry
mediation
and
peaceful
schools.
3.
Promote
fiscal
responsibility,
transparency
and
clear
accountability
that
includes:
• The
School
Board
and
top
administrators
to
be
committed
to
understanding
how
public
education
money
is
spent
and
whether
money
is
being
spent
effectively
and
responsibly.
Community
budget
advisory
committee
must
have
complete
access
to
clear
budget
information
for
the
entire
budget.
• Determine
best
practices
and
eliminate
ineffective
procedures.
There
must
be
regular
evaluation
of
all
existing
programing
to
best
identify
what
works
and
what
does
not.
We
should
no
longer
add
new
programming
without
eliminating
those
programs
that
are
not
serving
their
purpose.
• Establish
clear
standards
of
performance
and
meaningful
reviews
of
Central
Office
and
administrative
staff.
We
should
stop
promoting
and
shifting
individuals
who
do
not
perform,
and
instead,
support
improved
performance
or
separate
poorly
performing
staff.
Personal Information
12. Please describe your educational background, noting any degrees and
honors you have earned. (skip if resume included)
See
Resume
13. Do you have children? Where do they or did they attend school?

15. 14
Please
see
answer
to
Number
10
above.
I
have
two
daughters.
One
attends
The
Lerner
Jewish
Day
School
and
the
other
now
attends
Carolina
Friends
School.
14. Please describe your adult employment history (skip if resume included)
See
Resume

16. Lisa Gordon Stella, CV
LISA
GORDON
STELLA
4325
Swarthmore
Road
Durham,
N.C.
27707
(919)
274-­‐5719
Email:
lisa.stella@me.com
EDUCATION
University
of
Minnesota
Law
School,
Minneapolis,
MN
J.D.
1998,
Magna
Cum
Laude,
Order
of
the
Coif
Note
&
Comment
Editor
Minnesota
Law
Review
University
of
California
at
Davis,
Davis,
CA
B.A.
1994,
Political
Science,
Summa
Cum
Laude,
Phi
Beta
Kappa
EDUCATION
AND
BOARD
EXPERIENCE
Program
Director,
In
School
Truancy
Court
(2012-­‐present),
experience
and
responsibilities
include:
1. Recruit
and
Train
25-­‐35
professionals
to
serve
as
truancy
court
judges
in
Durham
Public
Schools,
including
law
professors,
retired
law
enforcement,
attorneys,
mediators,
retired
educators,
and
law
students.
2. Coordinate
and
assign
judges
to
serve
every
Durham
public
school.
3. Supervised
25-­‐35
judges
to
ensure
truancy
court
operating
effectively.
4. Evaluate
and
provide
feedback
to
every
social
worker
(20-­‐25)
assigned
to
a
Durham
public
school.
5. Develop
and
draft
a
truancy
court
manual
and
forms
to
standardize
truancy
court
operations
throughout
Durham
public
schools
in
collaboration
with
DPS
administration.
6. Create
a
data
collection
tool
to
track
truancy
court
efficacy
in
collaboration
with
administrators
and
staff
at
DPS.
7. Provide
in
person
truancy
court
training
to
all
social
workers
serving
DPS.
8. Travel
to,
and
observe,
truancy
courts
throughout
Durham
public
schools.
9. Engage
regularly
with
DPS
central
office
and
administrative
staff
to
improve
truancy
court.
10. Met
and
communicated
with
former
superintendent
Dr.
Becoats
to
improve
truancy
court,
discuss
challenges
at
DPS,
and
assist
with
community
engagement.
11. Present
truancy
court
outcomes
and
experiences
to
the
Durham
Public
School
Board
at
their
Support
Services
work
session.
12. Serve
as
a
truancy
court
judge
at
the
following
schools:
• Elementary
Schools:
Creekside,
Parkwood,
Oak
Grove,
Spring
Valley,
Merrick
Moore,
Bethesda
,
Burton,
RN
Harris,
Hillandale,
Forest
View,

17. Lisa Gordon Stella, CV
Southwest,
Holt,
Hope
Valley,
Lakewood,
Little
River.
• Middle
Schools:
Githens,
Lowes
Grove,
Brodgen
,
W.G.
Pearson.
• High
Schools:
City
of
Medicine
Academy,
Durham
School
of
the
Arts,
Jordan.
• Other
Schools:
Lakeview
Alternative
School.
President,
Elna
B.
Spaulding
Conflict
Resolution
Center,
Durham
(2010-­‐
present),
experience
and
responsibilities
include:
1. Examine,
evaluate
and
approve
budgets.
2. Address
budget
challenges
including
funding
cuts.
3. Creatively
problem-­‐solve
budget
cutbacks,
and
aggressively
identify
and
seek
additional
areas
of
revenue.
4. Lead
productive,
focused
board
meetings.
5. Recruit
board
members.
6. Lead
Board
retreats
for
successful
strategic
planning.
7. Organize
and
coordinate
yearly
fundraisers
that
have
consistently
increased
organizational
visibility
and
donation
base
year
over
year.
8. Engage
with
local
non-­‐profits
to
undergo
Board
review
and
evaluation
to
improve
board
performance,
outreach
and
communication.
9. Co-­‐trainer
of
community
mediators.
10. Train
Peer
Mediators
at
Githens
Middle
School.
11. Meet
with
DPS
Executive
Team
members
to
discuss
implementation
of
additional
restorative
justice
programs
in
Durham
Public
Schools
to
reduce
suspensions
and
behavioral
problems.
Vice
President
and
Board
Member,
Maureen
Joy
Charter
School,
Durham,
NC
(2004-­‐present),
experience
and
responsibilities
include:
1. Served
as
Vice
President
since
2012.
2. Conduct
board
meetings
to
ensure
all
agenda
items
addressed
and
meetings
stay
focused
and
on
time.
3. Review,
understand,
and
approve
budgets.
4. Actively
participate
in
the
interview
and
selection
process
of
school
leadership
including
the
current
principal
to
ensure
strong
dedicated
individuals
lead
the
school.
5. Chair
of
Personnel
Committee
charged
with
addressing
all
personnel
matters.
6. Conduct
meaningful
and
comprehensive
annual
reviews
of
the
Principal
that
include
staff
and
teacher
evaluations.
7. Evaluate
and
provide
direction
on
school
policies
and
procedures.
8. Engage
in
strategic
and
long
term
school
planning.
9. Negotiate
the
sale/lease
of
the
Maureen
Joy
Cornwallis
building
10. Review
and
approve
the
purchase
of
the
Maureen
Joy
S.
Driver
Street
campus.

18. Lisa Gordon Stella, CV
11. Represent
the
Board
in
meetings
with
Durham
Public
Schools
to
discuss
potential
collaborations,
including
meetings
with
DPS
Board
Members
Heidi
Carter
and
Minnie
Forte
Brown.
12. Receive
Board
training
from
the
N.C.
Department
of
Public
Instruction.
13. Designated
as
Board
representative
to
work
with
other
Durham
charters
schools
to
improve
education
and
collaborate
with
Durham
Public
Schools.
14. Initiated
the
Durham
Charter
Collaborative,
where
representatives
from
each
charter
school
in
Durham
meet
monthly
to
discuss
collaboration
among
the
charters
as
well
as
with
Durham
Public
Schools.
15. Organize
the
first
Durham
charter
school
fair
at
Northgate
Mall
to
increase
Latino
and
low-­‐income
student
access
to
charter
schools
in
Durham.
16. Communicate
with
County
Manager’s
office
regarding
charters
and
education
in
Durham,
including
budget,
student
performance
and
finances.
LEGAL
AND
BUSINESS
EXPERIENCE
Mediator
and
Investigator,
Triangle
Mediation
Services,
LLC,
Durham
NC
(2009-­‐present),
experience
and
responsibilities
include:
1. Certified
by
the
Dispute
Resolution
Commission
to
conduct
mediation
in
Superior
Court
matters.
2. Mediate
litigation
pending
in
Superior
Court.
3. Mediated
disputes
pending
in
Criminal
District
Court
in
Durham.
4. Employ
strong
listening
skills,
and
the
ability
to
navigate
differing
personalities
and
communication
styles
to
help
individuals
resolve
their
disputes
peacefully.
5. Train
employees
from
a
variety
of
government
entities
and
non-­‐profits
throughout
the
area
on
mediation
and
communication
skills,
with
a
focus
on
employee/supervisor
relations
and
relations
with
clients
from
low-­‐income
backgrounds.
6. Facilitate
DPS’
Community
Conversations
at
Hillandale
Staff
Development
Center,
Southern
High
School
and
White
Rock
Baptist
Church
in
December
2013.
7. Served
as
Co-­‐Editor
of
“The
Peacemaker,”
the
newsletter
of
the
Dispute
Resolution
Section
of
the
North
Carolina
Bar
Association.
8. Investigate
workplace
discrimination
claims
for
a
variety
of
employers,
including
schools.
Creator
and
Owner,
Kismet
Crackers
LLC,
(2011-­‐2012)
1. Founded
artisan
cracker
company
specializing
in
healthy,
delicious
crackers.
2. Marketed
and
sold
product
to
specialty
food
retailers
and
Whole
Foods
Stores
throughout
the
Triangle.
3. Created
website
and
company
logo.
4. Created
recipes.
5. Performed
all
financial
and
legal
duties.

19. Lisa Gordon Stella, CV
6. Company
achieved
profitability
in
less
than
one
year.
7. Sold
Company
to
successful
food
entrepreneur
in
the
Triangle
U.S.
Counsel/Corporate
Secretary,
Memscap,
Inc.,
RTP,
NC,
(2006-­‐2009)
1. Advise
company
on
all
legal
matters
in
the
United
States
market.
2. Contract
negotiation
and
drafting,
including
supply
agreements,
intellectual
property
agreements,
and
non-­‐disclosure
agreements.
3. Oversee
compliance
with
state
and
federal
laws.
4. Provide
employee
training
on
employments
laws
and
trade
secret
protection.
5. Provide
litigation
consulting,
support
and
oversight.
6. Draft
all
employee
relation
documents,
including
employee
handbook,
severance
agreements,
non-­‐compete
and
intellectual
property
agreements.
Associate/Of
Counsel,
Nelson,
Mullins,
Riley
&
Scarborough,
LLP,
Raleigh,
NC
(2003-­‐2006)
1. Represent
parties
in
litigation
in
health
care,
employment,
and
general
business
matters.
2. Represent
parents
living
in
Mexico,
Central
American
and
South
American
in
Federal
and
State
courts
throughout
North
Carolina
on
International
Child
Abduction
Matters
on
a
Pro
Bono
Basis.
3. Liaison
with
Legal
Aid
Advocates
for
Children.
4. Draft
Guardian
Ad
Litem
Appeals
Associate,
Kilpatrick
Stockton,
LLP,
Raleigh,
NC
(2001-­‐2003)
1. Represent
parties
in
litigation
matters
in
health
care,
employment,
and
general
business
litigation.
2. Represent
parents
living
in
Mexico,
Central
American
and
South
American
in
Federal
and
State
courts
throughout
North
Carolina
on
International
Child
Abduction
Matters
on
a
Pro
Bono
Basis.
Associate,
Caldwell,
Leslie
&
Proctor,
PLLC,
Los
Angeles,
CA
(1999-­‐2001)
1. Represent
parties
in
litigation
matters
and
international
arbitration.
2. Provide
pro
bono
services
on
a
variety
of
legal
matters.
Law
Clerk,
The
Honorable
Michael
Daly
Hawkins,
Ninth
Circuit
Court
of
Appeals,
Phoenix,
AZ
(1998-­‐1999)

20. Lisa Gordon Stella, CV
MEDIATION
CERTIFICATIONS/AFFILIATIONS
DRC
Certified
Superior
Court
Mediator
Community
Mediator,
Conflict
Resolution
Center,
Durham
MEMBERSHIPS/COMMITTEES
Member,
Dispute
Resolution
Section,
NC
Bar
Association
(2009-­‐present)
Member
California
Bar
Association
(1999
to
present)
Member
North
Carolina
Bar
Association
(2002
to
present)
Member,
14th
Judicial
District
Bar
(2006
to
present)
PUBLICATIONS/AWARDS/BOARDS
Author:
In-­‐School
Truancy
Court:
Using
Mediation
to
Address
Truancy
in
Durham,
The
Peacemaker,
February
2013.
Colorado
Republican
Federal
Campaign
Committee
v.
Federal
Election
Commission.:
A
Court
Divided-­‐-­‐One
Opinion
Properly
Subjects
Campaign
Finance
Jurisprudence
to
a
Reality
Check,
81
MINN.
L.
REV.
1565
(1997).
Editor
Peacemaker
Dispute
Resolution
Journal,
2009-­‐2012
Prognosis
Health
Law
Journal,
2002
–
2004
Recipient,
Award
of
Merit,
National
Center
for
Missing
&
Exploited
Children
(2004,
2005,
2006)
Pro
Bono
Award
N.C.
Bar
Association,
Young
Lawyers
Division
(2006)
Scarborough
Award
for
Outstanding
Work
for
the
Poor
Nelson,
Mullins,
Riley
&
Scarborough
(2006)