Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Fremont Unified School District

There are many issues that I hope to tackle as a School Board member.

1.) Seismic/Safety Bond:

Fremont needs to pass a Seismic/Safety bond. The recent discovery of mold at not only Glankler Elementary School but also Brier and Azeveda elementary schools are only the beginning of further serious problems throughout our district. As more of our schools begin the modernization process, health and safety issues are bound to be discovered all over the district. We can only solve these problems with money. We need to go out to the community and develop a bond that addresses the many safety issues at our schools. These items should include seismic retrofit, leaky roofs that cause mold, emergency telephone systems in every classroom, safe drop off/pickup zones, unhealthy bathrooms, to name a few. We need to be certain that each site and the entire community - businesses, seniors, etc, have input into the process.

2.) Community involvement:

It is necessary to be proactive about communication with our community groups instead of seeking reactions to decisions that have already been made. I am committed as a board member to be accessible to the community and to meet with community groups on a regular basis. We have had several years of the current board seeking reactive input to plans that are already in place or decisions that have already been made. We need to take a proactive approach to communicating with the community. I am currently serving on the new Parent Representative Advisory Assembly and will continue to promote this group as a board member. The assembly consists of two elected representatives from each school. Our task is to be a conduit of information between the board and our schools.

3.) Better Communication Between the Board, the Community and the City:

The board, the community, and the city need to maintain a regular dialog in order to resolve any differences we may have and to be able to work cooperatively on projects. I pledge to work hard to address our past and future challenges and provide a better learning environment for our children. We need to continue the joint meetings between the the School Board and the City that were reestablished this year. They are currently meeting between two and four times a year. I think it is important that they meet at least four times if not more often. There are many areas where services between the two groups overlap. There also needs to be more joint planning for growth in Fremont so that changes in demographics can be anticipated and school attendance areas can be adjusted to meet these changes.

I will bring a common sense decision making approach to the school board. Often I have seen decisions made that do not keep in mind the faces that make up our community, especially the children that we serve. I hope to bring more partnerships between the schools and the local businesses. Some examples of what can happen are the Smartlab at Irvington High School and the Quest project at Irvington which sends students out into the community in their senior year to mentor with a businessperson. I will be part of the solution.