Why I Am Running

By Rhoda Bress

The question I am asked most frequently is why I am running for the Gilroy School Board.

This is the question I am asked most frequently. The answer is not a simple one.

I grew up in a home of educators who instilled in me a joy of learning and a love of books. For first generation Americans like my husband and myself, there was no American institution more highly valued than the public school system. It provided us with a quality educational experience and opened doors to opportunities that never would have been opened otherwise. In my opinion, the public school system has and always will be one of the institutions that have made this country great. My husband and I vowed to always support public schools and to enroll our children in them.

I have had children in the Gilroy Unified School District ever since we moved to Gilroy in 1986. I have watched proudly as three sons graduated from Gilroy High School, and I still have one son enrolled. No one cheers louder than I do for this District's accomplishments, and, like so many other parents, I have chosen to volunteer my time to improve the academic environment for all students.

One cannot deny certain facts. Student achievement is low, and parents are losing confidence in our District's ability to provide a quality educational experience for their children. There is a gap between parents' expectations of a public school system and what is being delivered. Parents like me have challenged the status quo and demanded that the school board deliver an educational product that allows all children to meet their full academic potential. We are often met with suspicion, hostility, and disdain.

Gilroy is a great city famous for community events and volunteer efforts. The same people who support and work hard for the Garlic Festival would do the same for its public school system if it were meeting their needs. The loss of Gilroy students to the private school system and other public high schools is well known, and was documented in a 2002 survey done by the Gilroy Dispatch ("Private School Pull," December 20, 2002. http://www.gilroydispatch.com). This lack of support and the distrust in our schools are eating away at the foundation of the public school system, demoralizing students who are eager to learn and parents who know that a strong education is a necessity.

After years of being a parent advocate for academic excellence, I have concluded that what is missing on our School Board is strong leadership and representation of the community's needs. Gilroyans are stating loudly and clearly that they want the classroom experience to be this District's first priority and that they are dissatisfied with the educational product that they fund with their tax dollars.

The time has come for me to do what I can to save a system that means so much to me. I bring to my candidacy a knowledge of the Gilroy School District and a vision of how great a public school system must be if it is to open doors of opportunities for all Gilroy students.