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Political Philosophy for Andrea (Lerner) Thompson
Candidate for |
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Issue #1: Academic Excellence
Issue #2: The Need for Vision There are a number of important issues confronting the district. While some may say the main concern is budgetary, or others might point to facilities or ADA or declining enrollment, for me what is most pressing is the apparent lack of a vision in the central administration. What do we want our schools to emphasize? Although test scores are an important tool, are there other methods to be used to assess the schools? What kind of education do we wish students to receive in this district? What are our priorities? What is the ideal student/teacher ratio? How big should our schools be? Like so many other large organizations, I feel that the administration gets side-tracked by the day to day or weekly pressing demands and tries to repair them as they arise. What emerges then is a piecemeal approach to a large institution. I think this community needs a set of focused discussions to set our priorities in order and to make changes as needed toward a focused direction. Issue #3: Support for students and teachers
The most important ingredients in the educational equation are motivated students and teachers who are willing to work passionately, patiently and exuberantly towards reaching all students.
As a teacher myself, I know how many hours are spent weekends, evenings, and throughout the summer "vacation" in preparing for our students' weekly needs. As a CUSD parent, I know it is not uncommon to drive by any of our schools on a Sunday afternoon and see the parking lot half full as teachers prepare classes, grade materials, or even mentor their students.
Issue #4: Greater transparency & communication Another serious issue is an apparent lack of transparency and open communication between all of the stakeholders in the district: parents, students, teachers, administration and Board members. Too often this results in a top-down approach, where policy and decisions are made at the highest levels and then "applied" to the staff. In my view, when possible, decision making should take place by those closest to the kids. While this cannot always be the case, I see a need for more site-based decision making. Issue #5: Facilities & overcrowding Making our facilities safe, clean environments that are conducive to learning is key. As a parent, I have had the opportunity to visit many of the schools, and I would say that far too many have inadequate facilities. Throughout the district ,we have overcrowded classrooms, musty portables, dirty carpets and classrooms, inadequate lunch facilities, and schools that look as if the delayed maintenance has been delayed for several decades. Issue #6: Fiscal responsibility The decisions we make today must prepare us for tomorrow. We need to ask tough questions about the budget. For example, with Chico Country Day moving to the former Fair View campus, and with Fair View moving to the former Jay Partridge campus, and with Nord becoming a charter and doubling its enrollment, what are the actual savings from the closure of schools last year? |
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Created from information supplied by the candidate: November 2, 2006 22:24
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