Excellence in education, harmony between teachers, staff, administrators and students.

By James Welsh

Many people with good intentions run for school boards. Yet in most cases, school boards just become rubber stamps for charming superintendents. What is also needed, besides good intentions, is a commitment to examine various sides of all issues and a knowledge of how to get something positive accomplished in this particular system. I have the commitment to getting information from any and all sources and the knowledge of the system necessary to achieve positive resolutions of problems.

- Creating a new environment for managing a school, establishing a new relationship of cooperation among equals. A first step might be a better method of evaluating administrators and holding them accountable for the treatment of their staff.

- Empower talented teachers so that they have more control over the conditions under which they work, such as the size of the classes, choice of curricula, access to resources, class interruptions.

- At risk kids continue in large numbers to slip through the cracks. They need to be identified as early as possible and all of our educational and social resources brought to focus to try to help them to leave school as normal, functional adults.

- The teaching of mathematics, especially remedial mathematics, and many other subjects, is still approached in so unimaginative a manner as to be almost criminal waste of a student's time. This needs to be changed.

- Our college bound students need a much improved level of counseling and help in terms of taking tests, competing for scholarships, getting financial aid and preparing resumes. An example of what could be done is shown by the success of Allan Edwards of McKinleyville High School in getting his students placed in prestigious schools and getting scholarships and financial aid for those students.

- We have a large number of "latch-key kids" who go home to empty houses. We should follow the lead of elementary schools and provide programs that involve kids in constructive and enjoyable positive activities from 3 to 6 PM.

- I believe that sports and extracurricular activities of all kinds are important parts of a child's development. Every positive niche we create usually means a happy, busy kid. We need physical and social activities as well as intellectual to develop the whole person. However, these activities should not take place at the expense of the academic program nor should the brunt of their management be borne by the classroom teacher. In general, I would favor athletic activities that involve large numbers of kids rather than semi-professional activities like basketball that have a few talented kids actively participating and a large number of vicarious spectators. I would like to see a position established for a Fine Arts Director, equivalent of the Athletic Director, who would coordinate and promote an energized performing arts program. A beginning goal might be four performances a year at each school.

These are a few of the concerns that, with your support, I would like to pursue cooperatively with administrators, teachers, parents and students.

You have several good candidates to choose from. I ask you to vote for me because I think I have a unique background of experience, because I know these two schools, their strengths and weaknesses, and because I think I have some ideas about how to fix these problem areas and how to maintain and increase areas of success. After 40 years of successful teaching and years of struggling to improve the academic and vocational programs, the overall school environment, and the status of teachers, and 20 years of "board watching," I am convinced that I can make things happen that will result in better schools for all kids and a greater harmony between teachers, staff and administrators so that everyone's energy is being put towards the success of our kids instead of into petty squabbling and unproductive labor disputes.

I humbly ask for your support.

Thank you.