Candidate for
Board Member; Elk Grove Unified School District; Area 2

I want to expand on my priorities here.

Provide Modern, Safe Schools for All Our Children.

As I have spoken with numerous parents during my campaign and interviewed many educators some things have become very apparent. Overall our educators are a dedicated group of people who want only the best for our children. I have heard many stories about their sacrifices to do the job and to make sure they are able to reach the "1" child. Yet they lack many of the tools we in the private sector take for granted.

I know of technologies which would allow a Police Officer to pull up to any given school, hit a couple buttons on his laptop, and view what is going on inside the school via the schools CCTV camera system. Yet how can we reach this level of technology in the schools when the majority of our teachers do not have Voice Mail? My own daughter's teacher gives out his home number for just this purpose. If you look at the cost-benefit analysis of such technologies the question is not How can we afford it... it is How can we NOT afford it!

To move into this type of thought pattern you need someone who has grown up with technology, understands it, and knows how to implement it in a practical manner which benefits all.

Advocate for the Family, the Students, and the Community.

This is a very comprehensive subject and one which really separates me from the incumbent. The incumbent is a registered supportor of Phil Angelitis - and therefore all the liberal socialism he wishes to bring into our schools.

I describe myself as a fiscal moderate and a social conservative. I do not automatically judge a proposition merely based on a headline or some pre-packaged political party jargen. I carefully look at the pros and cons of a proposal and do what I can to make an informed decision. I don't vote straight party line. For example there are several bonds relating to education on this year's ballot. I am opposed to a couple of them and in favor of others. Why? Because those I favor are well thought out, have a plan, specific projects and look to be a wise investment of tax payer monies.

The legislature is flooded with special interest groups which want to influence what our children learn while they are at impressionable ages. I am grateful for standardized tests which limit the amount of teacher-activism in the classroom. Yet these special interest groups are trying to do away with much of the classical "3 R's" approach to education. I promise to fight any effort to change textbooks, change curriculum, or entrench on campus these groups so that our children may graduate with the tools they need to survive in the 'real world'.

High Standards and Accountability for Students, Teachers and Administrators.

The State has laid out standards of achievement for our children via standardized tests. Our teachers our held accountable to teach so that our children can pass those tests. It's easy to track a class's performance via these tests as well as a school's track record in making sure they are doing their job.

Yet what about Administrators? As I read through the latest Budget Report of the EGUSD, I could not help but notice page after page of six figure salaries being paid to faceless administrators. Since they are being paid with pubic monies, they should also be expected to live up to some level of public accountability.

I am all for people being paid a good wage - one they can build a future with. And for someone to move into our community, they just about need to be earning that kind of a salary. Yet where is the accountability? Are they judged by the number of pencils they go through?

If elected it will not be "business as usual". I will question, probe, and bring to light the issues which warrant that kind of treatment. Things the incumbent would rather not deal with and just forget about.

We need a change in the way things are done and a vote for me is the first step on that path.