Candidate for
Board Member; Natomas Unified School District

My three concerns

As with every school district in California, our primary concern should be recruitment and retention of well-qualified, credentialed teachers. Qualified teachers are pivotal to the formulation and execution of a quality education at both the strategic and tactical levels. In order to overcome the competition for the limited resource of qualified, credentialed teachers the District needs to devise a positive recruitment strategy, incentivized so that individuals entering the profession are not financially handicapped as they are today. I am for using various options to include providing, " work force housing," incentives available through HUD and the State of California to attract teachers. Once in the system, teachers need to be provided professional development and advancement opportunities to progress in their profession. Most of all, teachers must have pay parity with other professions in order to attract dedicated teachers. Our Children's future cannot be relegated to one of second-class citizens because we cannot attract and retain dedicated, well-qualified, credentialed teachers.

Secondly, the students must be provided safe, stress free productive learning environments. I am a staunch believer in the " The Collaborative for High Performing Schools," and subscribe to their design standards for optimizing the classroom as a center for better individual performance. I look forward to the legislative signing of SB 311 (Sher), " Class size reduction," so we can, " right size," our classrooms and provide optimal opportunities for students to excel. I am also intimately aware that our High Schools need our special attention or order to lessen the propensity for violence. I am interested in calling in Law enforcement professional as well as industry to assist in stemming the tide of campus violence. We need to forge an alliance with The Sacramento City Police, Sacramento Sheriff's Department and the Department of Homeland Defense to strategize on programs to mitigate unrest.

Thirdly, schools need to be, "Community Centers," where individuals of all ages can go to study, learn and have fun. I am a firm believer in the policies of the, "Coalition for Community Schools," and their advocacy efforts to define community schools as a vehicle for strengthening schools, families and communities. I am enthused and heartened by the proposed legislative efforts such as H.R. 4585, " The Full Service Community Schools Act of 2004," which will provide new funding for school districts that embrace the philosophy of Community Schools. Part of the solution to providing, " excellence in education," is an educated community. We need to assist parents in certain areas of the district to actively participate in their children's education regardless of their personal financial status. Quality education is the duty of a community not just the teachers.