Candidate for
Board Member; Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

My campaign is focused on three main issues: Financial Responsibility, Leadership and Communication. Many of our families have personally felt the result of the district's financial problems. I believe our district will continue to experience cycle after cycle of financial problems unless budget issues are more aggressively managed by the board. While I'm not suggesting that the board has been responsible for the loss of $12 million in revenue in the last 4 years, I am suggesting that careful management of the budget could produce incremental improvements that translate into substantial financial amounts. With a budget of almost $90 million, a 1% efficiency in the overall budget would result in nearly $900,000 in savings. I have experience dealing with budgets exceeding $1 billion as well as the perspective of a small businessperson where budgetary prudence is the difference between success and failure. The board needs members capable of directing the staff toward actions that ensure every budgetary option is considered, that there is a transparency to the budget to ensure every dollar is spent efficiently and that best financial practices from the private sector are utilized within the district. In addition, the board members need to be much stronger advocates for equalization.

My focus on Leadership is a result of my continuing observation of the board at their meetings. The fact that our board members are referred to as "trustees" is a very important point. The board is elected by the community to represent the people of the community. The board must position its' actions to be consistent with the desires of the community. That means the board should be directing the district staff in a direction that is consistent with the community. However, I believe the current board has things backward. There is an appearance, in my observations, that the board is taking its direction from the staff with the expectation that the community should accept that direction. Leadership, at the board level, needs to remember that the actual "product" of the district is the learning achieved by our children through the skills of our classroom teachers. The board needs to, at the heart of every action they take, be supporting the day to day experience of our children with their teachers.

My third focus is Communications. Many of us have experienced the frustration of attending and speaking at school closure meetings, charter school hearings and board meetings. I've always felt frustration at the fact that when members of the public present interesting solutions, important facts and well considered opinions they simply seem to disappear as soon as the words are spoken. It creates a sense of futility that the board rarely seems to act on any of the public comment. I believe that every reasonable and carefully thought out comment, question and/or solution deserves a careful review by the staff and some reasonable feedback from the staff. My pledge is that I will insist that the well reasoned input of the public, whether or not I personally agree or disagree with that input, be given careful consideration and feedback prior to my agreeing to vote on a deciding action. I also find the 3 minute limit, common at these meetings, prevents dialogue from occurring between the board and the public. This creates a situation where the public can not discuss key issues with a member of the board in a manner that promotes mutual understanding. If elected, I pledge to hold quarterly "town hall" meetings meant to generate a detailed information exchange between one or two board members and the public.

Hopefully, you agree it is time to change the membership of the board by electing new trustees. These new trustees will bring a fresh look at the district's budget issues and its overall practices. I believe I will be a trustee that will lead this new wave of fiscal responsibility, leading in the public's interest and desires and creating an environment where the comments, suggestions and ideas of the most important factors in the success of our children's education, our teachers and the parents, are the key factors in the direction of our school district.