Herbert L. Bryan

Office sought: At-Large School Board
Party: Independent
Age: 68
Residence: Ashburn.
Web site:
http://herbbryan.com
E-mail:
herbbryan@comcast.net

Occupaton: Retired patent professional, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Education: BS, electrical engineering, Howard University.

Elected offices/civic activities: Current chairman, Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee for Loudoun County School Board; chairman and treasurer, Patent and Trademark Office Federal Credit Union; treasurer, the Children's School in Arlington.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why should voters elect you?

A: I have considerable experience working with the Loudoun School System and I believe I have some unique insight to addressing the problems it faces.

Q: Recent census figures show that Loudoun's minority and immigrant populations are growing rapidly. Do you forsee the need for any changes in school programs, staffing or policies because of this increasing diversity?

A: Yes, there is a need to consider changes in all three - school programs, staffing and policies. Loudoun's diverse student population has grown to about 35% of the total number of students, according to assistant superintendent Sharon Ackerman, and it continues to grow. There is a corresponding need to both increase and improve English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for many immigrant students. Also, differences in culture and religion need to be addressed in teacher training programs and school calendar planning. Hiring of qualified teachers who reflect the diversity of the student population should also be a priority. Currently, minority staffing - teachers and administrative staff - is around 12% of the total staff population. In focus sessions with parents of minorities and teachers, a leading concern is to increase minority hiring. Cultural differences may also necessitate a more proactive approach to encourage parental involvement. For example, this past year, the academic achievement advisory committee, that I chair for the School Board, in conjunction with LCPS, conducted the county's first Parent Involvement Symposium. More Parent Liaisons may need to be hired and deployed to improve school and home communication and cooperation. School principals may need to consider outreach policies and programs for their staffs to establish good relationships with parents. Consideration should also be given to expanding the school system's Supervisor of Outreach staff.

Q: Are you satisfied with the current process for choosing the sites for new schools? If not, what changes would you make?

A: Ideally, new school sites should be incorporated into new housing developments, but this is apparently not always possible, especially in western Loudoun. LCPS has a whole division within its system devoted to planning for new school development. School Board officials have to rely on the advice of experts balanced against the needs of the educational system. I believe parents, residents and local community organizations and officials should be given ample opportunity to voice their concerns about new school location in their neighborhoods during the decision making process. I would also be in favor of hearing about new solutions to school construction that are different from the current models.

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the Loudoun County school system?

A: As I see it, the most pressing issues facing the Loudoun County school system are: 1. Growth- The student population is growing at the rate of about 4,000 new students every year. With that growth rate the Loudoun school system has doubled in size in the last 6 years! This rate of growth creates tremendous pressure on the county and the School Board to build/create new facilities and to hire new highly qualified teachers to educate the increase in the number of students. The location of new school buildings with their accompanying impact on their neighborhood communities, environment and school boundaries have created additional problems for the school system. 2. Funding- Each year it seems there are increasingly heated battles over the Loudoun school system's budget between the Board of Supervisors and the School Board. Just this past year the School Board's budget came within one vote on the Board of Supervisors of having to deal with a cut in school funding of "draconian" proportions. There is a need to find ways for both sides to work more in harmony with each other. 3. Achievement Gap- While Loudoun's school system is one of the best in the nation in many ways, it isn't perfect. A sizable "achievement gap" in SOL pass rates, of 10% to 20% in core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, exists between majority and minority students. As chairman of an advisory committee on student achievement to the School Board for the last 6 years, this is an issue that I am very familiar with. Indeed, by implementing initiatives recommended by my committee, strides have been made in recent years, with SOL test scores for minority students showing marked improvement in some areas. I believe given Loudoun county's people and resources, by working together - its families, the school system and the community - the "achievement gap" can be ELIMINATED on a sustained basis in Loudoun County.

Your Thoughts...

As the financial crisis has worsened, have you found yourself avoiding a peek at your retirement accounts?