Candidate for
Board Member; Aromas-San Juan Unified School District

In the last year, I have attended numerous school board meetings and read through education-related articles, Web sites, and books. I've also met with administrators, principals, teachers, union representatives, and parents. As I type this message, I can tell you one thing I've learned for certain...the process of public education is critical, time-consuming, and complex. What I find encouraging, however, is that the American public education system is not all doom-and-gloom despite what we read in the news. There are many positive signs, nationwide, that suggest public education is in the early stages of reinvention. This is an exciting and affirming time. But before you take my perspective on the matter, I want to impart some of the fundamental things I've learned in the last several months, and I want to encourage you to begin the arduous task of getting an education on education.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

As a result of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the California Department of Education posts its' Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report (2003 Phase I and Phase III) on-line to document state-, county-, district-, and school-level data. The purpose of the data is to track how schools are doing in English-language arts and mathematics, assessment participation rates, academic performance, and graduation rates.

At the state level, our Academic Performance Index (API)--which documents the results of the California Standards Test (CST), California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), California Achievement Tests Sixth Edition (CAT/6), and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE)--met AYP criteria; our 87.0% graduation rate met AYP criteria; and our AYP Phase I report (percent proficient and participation rates) did not meet AYP criteria.

At the San Benito County level, specifically ASJUSD schools:

Aromas School met all 2003 AYP criteria. San Juan School met 2003 AYP criteria for API, but did not meet criteria for graduation rates and AYP Phase I. Anzar High School met all 2003 AYP criteria. As for how ASJUSD schools compare to similar schools (http://api.cde.ca.gov), here's a summary of our 2003 API ranking:

Aromas School is ranked 1 (to similar schools), ranked 5 (statewide), and ranked 4 (2003-04 target).

San Juan School is ranked 1 (to similar schools); ranked 3 (statewide), and ranked 7 (2003-04 target).

Anzar High School is ranked 1 (to similar schools), ranked 5 (statewide), and ranked 8 (2003-04 target).

Rank Key: 9 or 10 Well-above average 7 or 8 Above average 5 or 6 About average 3 or 4 Below average 1 or 2 Well-below average

All California school districts are presently awaiting the results of the 2004 API Growth report (due this month) and the full 2003-04 API Growth report (due in October 2004). The 2003 data (above) is the data candidate Bonnie Mahler sited in her comments to the Hollister Free Lance ("SBC School Elections Underway" by Christine Tognetti; dated August 12th). I agree with Bonnie...we need schools that help our children survive in the "real world." But more than survive, I want our children to thrive.

ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABILITY

Though our district numbers are hard to accept in the context of NCLB, according to the California Department of Education (CDE), ASJUSD schools fall under the Alternative Schools Accountability Model (ASAM), which is an accountability model provided to alternative schools serving very high-risk, highly mobile students. According to the CDE, ASAM schools do not receive target information, rankings, statewide or similar schools rankings in recognition of their markedly different educational missions and populations served. Our schools are different...and though being different makes it hard to measure accountability in ways that many consider customary, our willingness to create forward-thinking accountability systems with educators is both courageous and critical to improved student and teacher performance.

As required by Education Code 52052, schools that fall under the ASAM model are covered under an alternative accountability system, not the API accountability system. However, API information is required to comply with the federal NCLB law. This means that those of us who read and attempt to analyze the NCLB data must temper the data in ways that truly reflect our district's education philosophy, the demographics and socioeconomic status of our students, and ASAM standards.

According to my research, ASAM appears to be a new model, and the first round of data for 2003-04 has not been reported yet. Superintendents were required to submit their data between June 15 and August 23, 2004. It's not clear to me when the public will have access to the ASAM standards, along with timely data for our district. For more information on ASAM schools, go to: http://inet2.cde.ca.gov/altschoolind/logon.asp.

WHY I AM RUNNING FOR OFFICE

As an active San Benito County resident (for nearly 18 years), I love every nook and cranny of this beautiful area I am fortunate to call my home. More importantly, I feel passionate about supporting children, and about our roles as parents and civic leaders. It's one thing to stand outside of public education and criticize...its entirely another thing to move beyond criticism to evaluate viable education alternatives. Our children need and deserve parents, educators, and trustees who are committed to making conscientious decisions together, and who will:

·understand "what" students need to know and "how" they learn best,

·comprehend public education at theoretical, statistical, and practical levels

·work in partnership with those who care most about education (e.g., students, parents, educators, trustees, and voters), while supporting the cultural diversity of our county.

SETTING HIGH STANDARDS

If we are to set high standards for our children, we must start by setting them for ourselves. This is not easy--particularly given the time constraints we face today--but it's well worth the effort. After all, a generation's future is at stake.

Among the high standards we can set as parents is our personal commitment to our own proactive learning. It is important for us to temper our reliance on overburdened educators, and to do the work of forming our opinions independently using a variety of reliable, independent sources (see a list of on-line sources later in this article). Educators are here to offer practical information about the school, and to educate our children effectively...and in my experience, they are more than willing to help. However, there is no substitute for a self-directed education, and communication is a shared responsibility. Ironically, the more we openly communicate and take the time to understand public education, the more likely we are to set aside blame, look beyond quick fixes, and begin the challenging, though truly rewarding, work of educating our children. We also become informed voters and encourage policy-makers to run campaigns that appeal to our higher understanding of education, rather than running in ways that soothe our concerns.

Educators must set high standards as well. They need to develop critical people skills, keep unsolicited advice in context, and work with the public openly. If teachers are willing to, they can learn a great deal from parents, peers, administrators, and consultants. And while working with others, they also have the opportunity to exchange information to help us all develop a much deeper understanding of the problems faced by educators. It is not acceptable for educators to feel as though their work is ignored and/or misunderstood by parents, administration, and policy makers. They must do their part to openly communicate and, as opportunities arise, to help roundout our perceptions.

While most teachers will agree with the basic goal of raising the achievement for all students through a high-quality education, they must also rediscover, again and again, what makes the profession of teaching rewarding so that they can bring that enthusiasm to our children. To be successful, our children need energetic and experienced teachers.

WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW TODAY

Given that our world has changed dramatically in the last quarter century, we need to reevaluate what students need to know today, and how to develop schools that will support their academic and emotional growth.

For example, students today need "soft" skills (e.g., emotional intelligence, which is gaining newfound respect in Corporate America) in order to develop into well-rounded employees. There are no federal- or state-approved tests that track students for self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and/or other social skills. And while we work to understand the skills our students need, we must also acknowledge the challenges administrators, teachers, and parents face today. The list is long...

REINVENTING PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Nearly everything has changed with the onset of the "information age." Subsequently, it stands to reason that schools must also change. We cannot expect our education system--an obsolete system that was invented more than one hundred years ago--to meet the needs of children today. We must move beyond overregulated, compliance-based systems...systems that are incapable of invention. We must reinvent our public schools.

Reinvention, however, takes courage and patience, and it requires parents, teachers, and administrators to deepen their understanding of education on a persistent basis and get involved. For example, to rely on testing data--which is conventional practice--as our primary indication of success and accountability is unjust. According to Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Learning and author of Making the Grade: Reinventing America's Schools (RoutledgeFalmer, copyright 2003):

"It is time for politicians to acknowledge that the high-stakes tests strategy, like every other effort to regulate public education in the past, is not getting the desired results. The state tests do no assess the skills most needed by students today, for the most part, and they are increasing the high school dropout rate, especially among minorities. They are also fermenting greater divisiveness within communities and contributing to the demoralization of teachers and students."

This is one perspective that I share...there are dozens more I expect to learn about as I further my own education.

"REAL" LEARNING

Real learning--not memorization--is the result of an intrinsic desire to understand the world. In my view, students learn best by invention and by student-driven decisions. "Pouring" data into students' minds may be conventional, but it is short-lived. Offering children hands-on opportunities to apply what they've learned, however, is effective and lasting. In fact, expanding curriculum to be connected to ways in which it might be used in the real world is even more effective.

This opinion follows a year of personal home school teaching experience and nearly ten years of volunteer experience working with young girls. I've seen the process...it works. How many of us--outside the walls of the education system--can remember even a fraction of our high school curriculum taught primarily through memorization? Educating our children is an immense job, and, in many ways, is frustratingly immeasurable.

Approaching the task of developing a solid adult understanding of public education is onerous. There are the pros and cons of academic programs, bilingual education, language immersion, after-school programs, extra curricular programs, sports, No Child Left Behind, standardized testing, whole language versus phonetics, staff development, teamwork, salaries, benefits, safety and security, facilities management, busing, lunch programs, and lottery/state/grant funding. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

For those of you who are up to the challenge, there are several Web sites I recommend to further your understanding of public education. There's the American Federation of Teachers (http://www.aft.org), the California League of Middle Schools (http://www.clms.net), the California Teachers Association (http://www.cta.org), the California Department of Education (http://www.cde.ca.gov), Education Week (http://www.edweek.org), Teacher Magazine (http://www.teachermagazine.org) to name a few. There is one particularly parent-friendly site, http://www.GreatSchools.net, which offers parents information about private, charter, and public schools nationwide, and has a series of articles written with parents needs in mind.

CIVIC SERVICE

Not only do we need to understand what students, parents, and educators need to know, what schools need to be successful, and the difference between "real" learning and memorization, we also have civic responsibilities in this democracy. Civic service makes a great deal of difference in our communities, and is often viewed as a tool for solving public problems. I cannot think of a better way to foster the importance of becoming a responsible citizen to my daughters--one who graduated from our district in 2002, and the other who is entering Anzar High School as a freshman--than to run for office.

There is a connection between community service, commonly referred to as service learning, and the future of civic service. Today's children will and must become tomorrow's responsible citizens. Service learning is one step toward preparing students for their civic roles in our democracy. Children learn by example, as well.

CAMPAIGNING RESPONSIBLY

Many believe that the best way for a candidate to win an election is to fuel dread in the hearts of voters by reaffirming their fear. Who wouldn't feel more confident knowing that the candidate they are selecting is aligned with the issues we are most concerned about. The trouble is that many of us don't have enough information--both about public education and the candidate--to make informed decisions.

Though I certainly understand the temptation to rally behind voters in areas of shared concern, I believe that candidates who may make direct decisions that impact children are obliged to keep the best interests of the children in mind at all times. It is imperative that candidates develop an understanding of the education problems we face before they offer solutions or make promises. We must tell as much of the truth, from a variety of perspectives, as we can...and we must not come to expect that readers will receive the truth equally, or will agree. That's what makes human beings wonderfully unique.

The bottom-line...we need trustees who bring energy, free time, and a willingness to address district issues in an informed, committed, and positive manner. They need to be able to understand the Aromas and San Juan Bautista communities--their institutions, local businesses, and people. They must bring decision-making and evaluative skills and learn the "ins" and "outs" of public education, while looking for ways to raise student's levels of competence, enhance student and teacher motivation, improve teaching conditions, and develop educators' skills. And though this goes without saying, they need to run on the premise of their personal skills and strengths, rather than espousing derisive positions or promising the moon.

Education takes meaningful collaboration, both in the classroom and at the polls...our children deserve no less.

Leslie Austin Candidate for ASJUSD Trustee August 22, 2004