School Board Candidate Q&A: Bill Levine

Editor's Note: This week, we will introduce you to the five school board candidates with Q&A articles. Look for a new article every morning through Friday. The school board election is on Nov. 8 and four seats are up for grabs.

St. Louis Park Patch: Why did you decide to run?

Bill Levine: I ran two years ago and fell just short of being elected. I’ve been a teacher the past 36 years … I have two daughters who attend school in St. Louis Park. So, I have a vested interested in, first off, my children getting a good education, but I also love the community. My wife and I moved into the community 18 years ago because we loved St. Louis Park. And as a teacher, I feel I really have something to offer to students here in the Park. I feel like there needs to be a “teacher voice” on the board, which is missing and has been missing for a long time.

St. Louis Park Patch: What do you think are some of the main issues facing St. Louis Park schools right now?

Levine: I’d say the biggest issue is the achievement gap (between students of different races and socioeconomic statuses). It’s one thing that everybody talks about, and granted there are some faults of No Child Left Behind, one of them being if a school district falls short in an area of special education, for example, those students are on individual education plans and they have accommodations and they’re learning. They take these tests, and it’s just not fair for them. So districts can’t make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress). Also, school districts get penalized for not making AYP, whereas you have these districts in the greatest need and you’re taking money away from them. So, it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. That being said, St. Louis Park has failed to make AYP as a district I think now five or six years (in a row). In the latest figures that came out, only one school in the entire district made AYP. What’s interesting to me is that I’ve gone to the board numerous times and talked to them about the achievement gap, (and) they keep talking about how they’re “on board” and doing all these “interventions.” But the facts don’t lie … This district has really failed to serve those who are most in need, despite talking about how they’re addressing it.

St. Louis Park Patch: What are some specific policy goals you might have, particularly to address the achievement gap?

Levine: One of the ways that the district says they’re addressing the achievement gap (is through) “differentiating curriculum.” Those of us who are teachers and have taught for many years understand the complexity and difficulty of truly differentiating curriculum. Because in a classroom, with class sizes going up, (trying) to address the different ability levels (of students) is almost an impossibility. It can be done, but it has to be done with a lot of intensive and directive staff development. Not a half-day early release, or a half-day late start. We’re talking about, and in my district we do this, academies where we have a couple weeks during the summer where we have staff development … (And) it doesn’t really negatively impact the students because you’re not pulling teachers out of the classroom.

St. Louis Park Patch: How has campaigning gone so far? What strategies have you used?

Levine: I have some signs that I’ve been putting out. I’ve created (fliers), and my friends in specific neighborhoods throughout the city will put up signs and hand these out. So, I’m getting my name out there. Last time around, I generated an email list, and I’ve emailed them and let them know … I’ve got (data) from the state of Minnesota that’s public record, and I can look and see who has voted in the last elections. So, I really try to at least target those people who will get out and vote. But basically, word of mouth and walking the neighborhoods as much as I can.

St. Louis Park Patch: What makes you a good fit for the school board?

Levine: I think the fact that I have 36 years of classroom experience. I have taught every grade from third through eighth ... I think there needs to be a (teacher) voice on the school board … The fact that I have pretty much lived education for the last 36 years makes me a great fit.

St. Louis Park Patch: You mentioned that you’re a teacher. Tell me a little bit more about your career path.

Levine: I started off at Soderberg Elementary in the Anoka-Hennepin School District. I taught third grade for two years, a third and fourth grade combination for one year, then sixth grade for seven years. Then I moved to Johnsville Elementary because I wanted a change. Because there was declining enrollment there, they were eliminating two fourth-grade positions. We were opening a brand new school, Andover Elementary, so I interviewed for that and went there for 10 years, teaching fourth grade. During that time, I took a year-long sabbatical, went back to the University of Minnesota, and got my middle school license in English and social studies … I got a job at Coon Rapids Middle School, and for 13 or 14 years, I taught eighth-grade integrated language arts. Now I’m teaching sixth grade.

St. Louis Park Patch: What do you think are some strengths and weaknesses of St. Louis Park Schools?

Levine: I think a strength is that you have a community that’s very engaged, very passionate about education. You have a lot of parents who volunteer, who love the community, and I think when they get involved they have a lot of passion for it, and they want what is best for a child’s education. I think a weakness is that when you have a smaller school district, you have administrative costs that don’t get spread thin enough. And so what happens is that a smaller percentage of the dollars get put into the classroom. (Also) I’m going to say it straight out, there’s no diversity on the board. I think that is a weakness, because they’re pretty much the stewards of the community. Other than I think two board members, I don’t think anyone even has children in the system anymore. I think that’s a weakness. I think a strength of the district is the immersion program. I think that’s huge ... I think the IB (International Baccalaureate) program a lot of people feel is a strength, but unfortunately there is a gap. They have it in the elementary, they have it at the high school, they don’t have it in the middle. On one hand, it’s a strength, but on the other side it’s like, "What happened there?"

St. Louis Park Patch: What do you like about living in St. Louis Park?

Levine: I love the fact that it’s a community. We live on 28th and Kentucky, and we have our neighbors, and we know our neighbors. We have sidewalks, we have an alley. We have what I liked growing up as a child (in Duluth). You have a city that has great city services. I’ve lived in places where it has snowed and it’s kind of like, “Where is the plow?” All the city services are great. We love the proximity to places … (St. Louis Park) has the feel of the city, it has a lot of diversity. We love the diversity. Our perception is that the people here in the Park are very accepting.

St. Louis Park Patch: Outside of your job and outside of campaigning, tell me a little about yourself. What are some hobbies and interests? Also, tell me about your family.

Levine: My wife is Lorna. I met Lorna on a bike ride across Iowa, called RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI is the oldest and largest week-long cross-state ride in the nation. It stands for “(Des Moines) Register Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.” You’d always go from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River. Ten thousand, 15,000 riders, and you’d go through these small towns in Iowa, and they’d roll out the red carpet. So, I met her on this ride … I’m an avid runner. I should say ex-runner. I’ve transitioned in my old age—I’m 58—into biking. I bike a lot. I bike 500, 600 miles a month. We as a family like to travel … Our daughters both go to . They take piano lessons next door from our (neighbor). They both take gymnastics. They’re both now taking Hebrew school. We head up to Duluth every once and a while—I have a brother who lives up there … We all enjoy reading quite a bit. We (also) have a tradition that every Saturday night we’ve gone out to dinner since the girls were born ... Every four weeks, each of us chooses where we go out for dinner.