Candidate for
Trustee; Fresno Unified School District; Trustee Area 7

Since joining the Fresno School Board in 2003, Patricia Barr has been a driving force for positive change. Patricia helped lead the District out of its financial crisis, preventing a threatened state takeover. She's been a strong supporter of the new Superintendent Hanson's efforts to build an effective leadership team and restructure the Central Administration to be more responsive to school sites.

Patricia Barr knows our students can do better. The gradual improvement in test scores over the past two years confirms that our kids have the desire and ability to learn. Patricia believes FUSD teachers, support staff and administrators have been working extra hard to erase past shortcomings. But we have a long way to go to raise test scores to just average performance. Helping students do even better takes a Fresno Unified school board that gives teachers the resources and tools they need, by managing District finances responsibly.

Patricia Barr has been through the darkest days of the FUSD crisis, fighting every step of the way for the reforms that are now underway + reforms that have dramatically improved teaching and student learning in other districts.

Patricia has played an active leadership role on the School Board since 2003 (Board President, 2004). She has had the courage to make many difficult choices as the Board:

• Tackled a serious financial crisis, averting a state takeover of the District,

• Hired an outstanding Superintendent and built an effective leadership team,

• Restructured the Central Office to refocus staff and fiscal resources on supporting classroom instruction, and

• Set strong goals and adopted clear policies to accelerate academic achievement for every student.

This school year, the Board put 251 additional teachers in classrooms to:

• Reduce class sizes in 9th grade English and math classes,

• Work with groups of struggling students in English and Math, freeing the regular teacher to move ahead with the rest of the class

• Provide an in-school classroom alternative for suspended students, and

• Expand AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) classes to middle schools.

• FUSD also funded 84 instructional coaches to help teachers improve skills and 76 counselors, social workers, intervention specialists and activities directors to make schools a safer place to learn.

Patricia's top priorities are:

• Fund educational programs that accelerate student learning. The District must remain focused on improving student achievement, both in terms of how fiscal resources are expended, staff development and curriculum.

• FUSD must provide teachers the support they need + including teacher development and additional teachers and counselors on school campuses to better help students in need.

• Career Tech Ed + focus additional resources and add additional classes in areas where there is employment demand

• Reduce FUSD's unacceptably high dropout, suspension and expulsion rates

• Build quality educational programs for our students

• Personnel + Invest in our valued employees through competitive compensation

• Finances + Achieve and preserve the District's fiscal health

While significant gains have been made, substantial challenges remain. Patricia Barr is an experienced leader on the School Board with a detailed understanding of issues, and the courage to challenge the status quo, as we reform FUSD.