STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York

PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205

www.sdwny.org
OFFICERS Bryan Ball President Kitty Lambert-Rudd Vice President, Community Affairs Terry Purdue Vice President, Party Affairs Ronald Groth Treasurer Bruce Kogan Secretary

Website:

April 1, 2013 Dear City of Buffalo Board of Education Candidate, Stonewall Democrats of Western New York is the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Democratic voice in western New York. We are the largest LGBT political organization in WNY, working to advance the civil rights of the LGBT community in our community and government and elect candidates who are supportive of the civil rights movement and other progressive issues important to our community. Since the 1990s, our membership has included community activists and citizens, straight allies and representatives from city, town and village, county, state and federal government. We have begun our 2013 election season. As a candidate for the Buffalo Board of Education, we are interested in your candidacy and would like to provide you with the opportunity to engage in our candidate forum and process for endorsement by SDWNY. As you may know, an endorsement from SDWNY is important to many LGBT community members, as well as our family, friends and supporters, as they decide whether to volunteer for particular campaigns, and as they prepare to head for the polls to cast their vote. We are interested in the Buffalo Board of Education election not only as members of the LGBT community, but as parents of school children and taxpayers, who are residents of the City of Buffalo and the surrounding region. We look forward to working with candidates for school board intent on promoting the well being, safety and dignity of all children in Buffalo schools. To be considered for endorsement, please complete and return the enclosed questionnaire to us by Friday, April 19, 2013 so that we may consider endorsement for the school board at our next meeting. In addition, you will be asked to appear in front of the organization during the meeting on Tuesday, March 23 at 6pm. Please contact Bruce Kogan (716-886-7283) or Tom Gleed (716-510-5507) of our Endorsement Committee to schedule a time for your interview.The completed questionnaire should be either emailed to endorsements@sdwny.org, faxed to (716) 853-2448 (Attention: Bryan Ball, Stonewall Democrats of WNY) or mailed to: Attention: Endorsement Committee Stonewall Democrats of WNY PO Box 857 Buffalo, NY 14205 You should also be aware that our revised endorsement process is attached. Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us. We thank you and look forward to receiving your completed questionnaire for consideration for endorsement by Stonewall Democrats of WNY. Sincerely, Bryan Ball President, Stonewall Democrats of WNY

Stonewall Democrats of Western New York Endorsement Process Candidates for elected office who wish to be considered for endorsement must complete our questionnaire and schedule an interview appointment with the membership at a general meeting. Endorsement of a candidate requires a vote of sixty percent of the membership present at that meeting. If no candidate receives the required sixty percent vote for endorsement, subsequent ballots shall be taken deleting the candidate receiving the least number of votes or no votes on the previous ballot. If, after the completion of balloting, no candidate has received the sixty percent of the vote required, candidates may be rated as acceptable, unacceptable, or no position, depending upon the candidates record and/or position statements. If sixty percent of those voting cannot agree on a rating, the candidate will be assigned the rating of no consensus. If a candidate is endorsed, the remaining candidates will not be rated. Please Note: Stonewall Democrats of Western New York Buffalo Board of Education Candidate Forum 2013 Due to the number of candidates running for district office to the Buffalo Board of Education, all endorsement interviews at our candidate forum will be scheduled in fifteen minute intervals. Interview will consist of a candidates presentation (five minutes) and a question and answer portion (ten minutes.)

Stonewall Democrats WNY City of Buffalo, Board of Education Endorsement Questionnaire 2013, page 2

STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York

PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205
www.sdwny.org Website:

2013 ENDORSEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE CITY OF BUFFALO BOARD OF EDUCATION

Name:___Dr. Wendy Mistretta__________________________________________________ Campaign Address:____22 Bidwell Pkwy, Buffalo, NY 14222_________________________________ Email:______wendy.mistretta@live.com__________________________________________________ Phone:__(716) 316-6023_______________________ Fax:_______________________________ School Board District Office Sought:_North Subdistrict______________________________________
Before you continue, please understand that: Stonewall Democrats of WNY may publicize your responses in press releases and voters guides, on our web site, and via other channels of communication. Stonewall Democrats of WNY will also identify candidates who fail to respond to this questionnaire. Stonewall Democrats of WNY will hold you publicly accountable for actions inconsistent with your responses during your campaign and if elected during your term in office. Stonewall Democrats of WNY will not consider endorsement of any candidate if they support any state or national version of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) legislation. Part 1: Please submit your typewritten responses to the following questions on a separate sheet. 1) Why are you seeking this office?

I am the mother of two children at International School #45, but my oldest will be a student at City Honors School in the fall. The differences between the academic and extracurricular programs between these two schools are stark and unsettling. We cannot allow a two-tiered system of education to continue in our city. I have a Ph.D. in Higher Education and nearly twenty years of professional and academic experience in education. Further, in the last four years I have served on more than a dozen school-based and district-wide committees, including; the Parent-Teacher Organization (Treasurer, President), District Parent Coordinating Council (Parliamentarian), the Multilingual Education Advisory Committee (CoChair), and the Strategic Plan Steering Committee. With these experiences, I have developed a comprehensive understanding of the financial and organizational challenges our district faces from the points of view of our students, families, teachers, administrators, and community partners. My
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work on these committees as put me in contact with the best and the brightest in this area. Together we have developed plans to improve our school district, and I want to see these plans implemented. Thus, this in-depth understanding of the challenges of our district combined with my knowledge of potential solutions and personal feeling of urgency to implement sweeping changes would make me an ideal member of the Board of Education.
2) Why are you seeking the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of WNY?

I admire the Stonewall Democrats commitment of advocating for the LGBT community and encouraging participation in the democratic process. I believe we share common interests in ensuring that all children in the city of Buffalo have access to healthy, safe, and high quality learning environments.
3) What three issues do you consider to be most important to the people served by the office you seek? For each issue: a) Provide an example of specific action you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private citizen--to bring about positive change relative to this issue; and b) Specify what additional action in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.

1 - The system of education in Buffalo does not welcome the inclusion of multiple stakeholders in decision making. a In an effort to include more parents of our English Language Learners in assisting International School #45, in 2011 I shared my allotted hours as a parent facilitator with three other parents so that we could have facilitators who spoke Burmese, Karen, Arabic, Somali, and Urdu. b- I will address this on the board level by having meetings with pre-announced agendas in accessible locations, improving partnerships with district committees and organizations, and enforcing current guidelines for shared-decision making. 2- Inequitable programs and services throughout the district. a I have volunteered my time to serve on the Multilingual Education Advisory Committee to develop an action plan to address the needs of our English Language Learner community. b As a member of the BOE, I will do everything in my power to ensure that ALL children have access to schools which are close to home with appropriate in- and outof-school programs and services. Such programs and services should include (but not be limited to) gift & talented, special education, ESL/Bilingual, AP, CTE, and extracurricular programs. 3- Our teachers have too many other responsibilities that distract from providing quality instruction for their students. a - As a homeroom parent, PTO president, and parent facilitator, I have coordinated multilingual parents to act as translators and interpreters for teachers in communications with other parents. And, I have organized our family nights so that the teachers can concentrate on working with the children. I have also worked with the DPCC to identify parent leaders to participate in Asset Based Community Development. b- As a member of the BOE, I will continue to work with the DPCC and Office of Parent and Family Engagement to aid with the identification of parents who can work closely with teachers to provide assistance for our children. In addition, I will work with the
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district and the teachers to ensure appropriate allocations of time for trainings, meetings, paperwork, and reports to minimize the impact on instruction time.
4) What three civil rights issues do you perceive to be the most important to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, our children and our families? For each issue: a) Provide an example of specific action(s) you have previously taken--either as a public official or as a private citizen--to bring about positive change relative to this issue; and b) Specify what additional action(s) in regard to this issue you intend to propose if elected to the office you seek.

1 - DOMA a- My support for LGBT rights dates back more than 20 years. In 1993 I drove with my friend to Washington, DC to participate in the March on Washington. In 2003, I wrote to state and local representatives against the Federal Marriage Amendment. I did not keep the reply from Jack Quinn, because it made me so angry that I swore I would never vote for him, and then he decided not to seek reelection. b- More recently, I have been watching the movement against DOMA with great interest. I will continue to support marriage and family equality for the entire LGBT community in and out of our school district. 2 DASA a- As PTO president, I have participated in an information session for parents regarding DASA. b- I also believe this should be viewed in a larger context in terms of our new District Wellness Policy and Code of Conduct. As a member of the BOE, I will ensure that students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators are all trained in the meaning of DASA, the prevention of discrimination and/or bullying (whether by children or adults), and the responses should such discrimination and/or bullying occur. 3 GENDA a- I must admit that GENDA is new to me, but I understand its importance. I just received a mailing requesting that I call Senator Grisanti regarding his vote, and I have done so. b- I promise that I will do everything to ensure that the rights of adults and students will never be violated based on gender identity or expression.
5) Stonewall Democrats of WNY strongly believes that candidates have a responsibility to provide voters with truthful, fair and clean campaigns for public office and to conduct themselves in a manner conducive to a civil, issue-oriented debate with their fellow candidates. Would you sign a written pledge to conduct your campaign accordingly?

Without hesitation
6) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you list the endorsement on all applicable campaign literature (i.e., all literature listing any other endorsements)?

Absolutely
7) If endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of WNY, will you attend a LGBT community forum to introduce endorsed candidates?

Anytime, anyplace
8) What are you doing or what will you do to advocate for greater LGBT representation and empowerment at the ballot box and in elected office through the Board of Education locally?
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The first thing I did was reach out to the Stonewall Democrats for support through my friend, Loren Kent. I believe that all voices must be heard in this election. The Buffalo Public School system is important to all of our children and our families. Its success is also critical to our community.
9) Do you support the Dignity for All Students Act, which is now law in New York State? As a member of the Buffalo Board of Education, what can you and the Board do to create a discrimination, intimidation and harassment free environment for all children in Buffalo schools? Explain.

Yes, I do. (Please see my reply to Question #4.) I believe the Board of Education must lead by example. As a member of the Board, I will always seek to understand all sides of any issue and be respectful of anyone with whom I disagree.
10) Should teachers and administrators receive specific training about harassment, bullying and intimidation of LGBT students and staff? Explain.

Such training is a must, but it should be a part of a larger training regarding treating everyone with respect. Most of our teachers and administrators treat others with dignity. However, I have heard of situations where students are belittled and bullied by teachers. This cannot be tolerated under any circumstances and I will reach out to administration and teachers for assistance wherever necessary.
11) Do you support the voluntary formation of Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in public high schools and community colleges? Explain.

Our students must have the right to form any groups that promote tolerance, understanding, and acceptance.
12) Would you advocate for the right of students to take a same-sex partner to school functions? Explain.

I would. And, I would work with any school that was concerned about any potential challenges that may occur. Our students should have same rights to take same-sex partners to school functions as our opposite-sex couples do, AND they must feel safe while doing so.
13) Do you believe that entities receiving public funds or resources should be allowed to violate non-discrimination policies? (For example, the Boy Scouts being allowed rent-free facilities at the publics expense?) Explain.

No. I dont even like the idea of the groups being allowed to discriminate in private residences.
14) Do you support the inclusion of age-appropriate education about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues? What kinds of instruction and when?

I am assuming that this question refers to age-appropriate sex education? This must be a included as a part of our larger discussion regarding age-appropriate sex education that is currently being discussed in terms of the new District Wellness Policy. If you are referring to other issues, my stance is essentially the same. Unless specific incidences occur that must be addressed, LGBT issues should be included in larger discussions.
15) Would you work to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered parents in school activities? Explain.

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I believe that our schools and our district need to be more open to all parental participation. Too often and for too long we have been treated as people in need of services rather than partners in all schoolbased and district-wide decision making. I have worked very hard to ensure that the district is more responsive to the needs of our immigrant and refugee population. Wherever necessary, I would gladly do the same for LGBT parents.
16) Would you support mandatory diversity training for public education employees that includes LGBT issues? Explain.

Yes, this should be included as a part of training for DASA and the new Code of Conduct.
17) Would you advocate on behalf of a student who identifies as gendered other than that of her or his biological gender, and, if so, what accommodations in school are appropriate? Explain.

Such accommodations must take into account the dignity, health, and safety of all the students. I would work with the student first (if the administrators cannot) to see if we can reach an accommodation that respects the privacy of the individual. If not, we may need a larger group solution.
18) Do you support the right of LGBT teachers, teachers aides, counselors, coaches or administrators to be out to their students? If so, under what circumstances? Explain.

No one should ever feel the need to be in the closet. However, while people should not be discrete about their sexual orientation, all should be discrete about their sexual activities.
19) Do you support equal marriage laws, permitting same-gender couples to marry under state law just as opposite-gender couples are able to do? Explain.

And, all marriages (and parental rights) should be recognized by the federal government. Please see my response to #4.
20) Would you knowingly seek endorsement of or advertise on any homophobic media? Yes

No - NEVER

Part 2: Please indicate your level of support or non-support for the legislative priorities listed below. Though you may never be afforded the chance to vote on this legislation, the below legislation concerns issues important to the LGBT community and LGBT youth. Legislation Support Oppose

A04226-A | S00195 Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA): Prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression; defines "gender identity or expression" as having or being perceived as having a gender identity, self image,

I do not support the right of any individual, government, or

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appearance, behavior or expression whether or not that gender identity, self image, appearance, behavior or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the sex assigned to that person at birth; further includes offenses regarding gender identity or expression within the list of offenses subject to treatment as hate crimes.

organization to discriminate against anyone for any reason.

I attest that this questionnaire represents my opinion of the issues on this questionnaire:

Candidates Signature:______________Wendy Mistretta_______________________________ Date: _______April 22, 2013______________________________ Please complete the attached issues surveys, sign below and return questionnaire, surveys and your resume by Friday, April 19 by either by email to endorsements@sdwny.org, faxed to (716) 853-2448 (Attention: Endorsement

Committee, Stonewall Democrats of WNY) or mailed to: Attention: Endorsement Committee Stonewall Democrats of WNY PO Box 857 Buffalo, NY 14205

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