League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Susan Pyne Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Cambrian School District

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. How would you determine that the schools are using federal, state and local funds wisely and fairly and how would you report your findings to the community?

As a school board member, I carefully review a variety of financial information, plans and reports to ensure that district resources are used wisely and fairly. Examples include: monthly warrant lists (lists of itemized expenditures), school plans, annual district budgets, mid-year and year-end comparisons of actual expenditures to budget, and annual audits. When Cambrian began its five-year school modernization program, I worked with the program manager, district administrators and other board members to develop a reporting system that enabled the Board to carefully monitor construction costs and the related state and local funding sources. We were very pleased to complete the five-year project last year on-time and on-budget.

One of my top priorities is to maintain fiscal responsibility, with a focus on aligning budgets with district priorities. Last year, Cambrian updated its district mission, vision, goals and priorities. This work was guided by the results of a community survey and supported by a task force comprised of community members, parents, teachers and staff, and administrators. Administrators and school site councils have been asked to prepare school plans in a format which will reflect, and communicate to the community, the alignment of programs and related budgets with the District's priorities. School plans are available on school web sites and are discussed publicly at meetings of the School Board, School Site Councils and Home & School Clubs.

2. Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students?

Cambrian schools offer a variety of programs and instructional strategies designed to meet the needs of students of diverse educational abilities. All teachers are trained in, and provided with materials to support, differentiated instruction strategies.

Last year, an innovative program was introduced in Cambrian to support struggling students in smaller group settings, while also challenging higher achieving students to reach new heights. During a designated portion of the language arts block, students of all levels receive instruction on the same standards at the same time, but at varying levels of complexity. The coordination of instruction facilitates a seamless transfer of students to different levels of instruction as their individual needs dictate the need for additional challenges or additional support. This program is one example of Cambrian's efforts to offer effective and appropriate instruction to students of diverse educational abilities.

In addition, Cambrian continues to emphasize differentiated instruction in all classrooms and subject areas, and supports before and after school tutoring and homework center programs, Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs, and a wide variety of enrichment programs and special education services. As a school board member, I support Cambrian's efforts to continuously improve its programs and to look for innovative approaches to help all children learn.

3. Where do you want the District to be five years from now? What steps should the District take to get there?

Last spring, I participated in developing, and voted to approve, the following Strategic Goals for the District:

All students will...

• Meet and exceed student learning goals at each grade level.
• Demonstrate and apply critical thinking skills.
• Exhibit effective interpersonal skills and value diversity.

The district has in place a variety of academic and social programs designed to achieve these goals. As a board member, I believe in encouraging a district culture that values innovation, effective communication and collaboration, and deliberate efforts toward common goals. Achieving the goals requires ongoing discipline and focus. One step to ensure steady progress toward goals is to set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals at each level of the organization. Goals for the District, schools, administrators, grade level teams and teachers should all be aligned in support of the same ultimate targets.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 18, 2008 19:13
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