By Barbara A. Preston | August 31, 2020
Montgomery resident Patrick Todd is the Associate Director, Test Security, for The College Board
Family: Patricia Todd, attorney; Cameron, 21; Evan, 14
Todd is running unopposed for the unexpired term left vacant by Minkyo Chenette
Q: What do you consider to be the three most important challenges facing the Montgomery School District at this time? Briefly, how would you address these issues?
Need to improve communication.
Need to improve development comprehensive plan to address getting back to in-person learning.
Need to improve transparency.
"The BOE needs to be more transparent in its actions and decision making so that the community is kept informed. This can be done by insuring communications go out in a timely manner and the the district website is updated on a more timely basis.
The BOE needs to improve its communication with parents and the community at large to ensure that all stakeholders are routinely and immediately informed of any issues that arise that will impact students, teachers, staff, or the community. This can be addressed by improved communications via email blasts, telephone blasts, or text messaging.
The BOE must ensure that all stakeholders are involved with the planning and implementation of returning to in-person learning as it is critical to the development of our children. However, these decisions must be made taking into account the health and safety of all involved stakeholders."
Q: What professional and personal experiences have prepared you for serving on the board?
"I spent 25 years in law enforcement and will bring the lessons I have learned to the position. I have learned how to negotiate with people from all walks of life. I have also learned decision making skills and how those decisions can have long lasting effects on individuals. I will carefully gather and evaluate all relevant information before making decisions.
Additionally, I have been on the boards of two different HOAs and served as president of one. Serving on those boards allowed me to interact with homeowners and listen to their concerns. I acted with empathy while listening and took into account their concerns while making decisions that impacted the entire community.
My current position at The College Boards affords me the opportunity to speak with students and parents from around the world allowing them to express their views while investigating test security incidents. I again gather all relevant information and present it to management for decision making. I will bring this same decision making strategy to the BOE."
Q: Why are you running for the board?
"The recent events that have taken place in our community and country have been a personal call to action for me. As I listened to the concerns and experiences of the current and former students of the high school, it broke my heart to hear about the injustices they have faced throughout their school years. I felt it to be my responsibility as a community member to step and do my part in ensuring that the students in this district all have equal opportunity to learn and excel."
Q: The success of Montgomery Schools impacts everyone in Montgomery and Rocky Hill, whether they have a student enrolled in the district, have a home whose value is impacted, or both. What role should the community play in forming policy and monitoring the school district? Is the current structure adequate? If not, what do you propose to improve transparency and community involvement?
"The community should play a vital role in forming policies of the district. Every decision made by the BOE will have an affect of the community as a whole whether or not the community member has children attending school in the district. The BOE must be held accountable and must be responsible for its policies and decision making. Currently, the BOE must improve its outreach to community members to obtain their input in order to make informed decisions."
Q: Should Montgomery offer in-person classes during the pandemic? What about sports? What parameters would you implement?
"The decision to return in-person learning will certainly be a very tough decision for the BOE and will not please everyone. However, the decision making process must be made public and must be pursued with the health and safety of all stakeholders in mind. The guidance of the County and State BOE must be taken into account and there are too many unknowns right now. I believe that we must go virtual until we have more answers from the county and state as to how we can return our children and staff to a safe environment. The same would apply to fall sports."
