Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Westside Union Elementary School District

My philophy is based upon what I have learned, and experienced. Learned in a classroom and forged in reality. I believe that elected official should treat taxpayers and consituents with respect and honesty. I know this is not reality but I will try to make it a reality for Westside residents.

• Restore Class Size Reduction (CSR): The benefits out weigh the costs. With the additional funding provided through the state for instituting CSR, the cost to the district is roughly a half-million dollars. The benefits to the district out weigh any cost that are incurred. Numerous studies have shown that smaller class sizes increase student achievement, increases parent participation, increase ADA (average daily attendance)and teacher productivity. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

• Institute a 5-10 year comprehensive plan to mitigate student population in the Westside School District. By consulting all stakeholders with vested intersts (Parents, Teachers, Developers, Elected Officials, Engineers and Administrators)we can formaulate a plan to handle the population growth that we have incurred and are about to incur. Shortsightedness is one of the reasons that governments fail.

• Eliminate wasteful spending: As a district we need to keep our financial house in order. With a budget as big as 45 million dollars we need to do a better job of accounting for all the expenditures. We need to do this to ensure that as much money as possible is being spent on our children's education in the classroom. Leadership starts at the top and you need to lead by example. If sacrafices are to be made, then we start at the top and work our way down to the classroom. The classroom is the last place that is ever to be touched.

• Anticipatory Government: Hoping for the best but planning for the worst. It needs to be done. Today the district is in trouble of losing it's high academic standards that have been achieved in the past for the lack of planning. The district is overcrowded and it is getting worse. Traffic is a big problem and is becoming more dangerous as the school year progresses. I have already contacted local law enforcement official to increase their patrols around Westside schools and they have done so. I have contacted City Officials about traffic signs and school zone signage. That too has also been done. I am being pro-active and not re-active. By planning for the worst governments can avoid disasters. For the last 12 years the district has been on auto-pilot and we as a district can no longer operate like that. We need to change the atmosphere and the direction that the Board is taking us.

• Generate innovative ways of funding our budget: Since the passage of Propostition 13, districts throughout the state of California have come up with ways to increase their budgets, we can do the same. I am willing to put the time and effort to create innovative programs so our children in the classroom can have a new computer or enough text books. There are Federal,State and Private grants that can make a difference. I believe that as a district the Westside needs to tap into all of its resources. I believe that Westside has not fully achieved that. I want to ensure that we do.

• Teachers: Attract and maintain the best qualified educators that we can. We can do this through several ways. 1) Salary inceases 2) Increase benefits 3) Reduce number of students in the classroom. 4) Offer other incentives.

I believe that an elected official should make every effort to be as fruggle as possible with the taxpayers money.

I offer my energy and ideas as a new driving force to help propel the Westside School District into the future. Thank you,

John Curiel

"Putting Your Kids First"