Candidate for
Board Member; Vista Unified School District

Why I am a candidate

1. All children reading and writing English at grade level or above

The school board is doing its job, which is to set policy and evaluate implementation. Our new superintendent has helped our teachers turn our district around. In 2004 37% of our students were reading at grade level today we are at 49% and if we keep this course in a year or two we will be at 66%. This is the best our district has been in over 22 years! VUSD is the district on the move.

Only the union bosses oppose this effort to improve our students literacy. VTA executive committee member, Randy Weins, spoke against it at the board meeting of October 2006 and others from the committee have followed suit. Unable to get the board to stray from its goal. The union has used the PTA and the School Site Councils to defund this effort.

Each effort has failed. This election, the real issue is can the union get three votes to fire the superintendent and stop this effort of all children reading and writing English at grade level or above. The candidates aren't taking the union's $30,000 support and supporting the superintendent.

2. We have tightened our belts together as a team to balance our budget.

Facing a huge budget deficit this year the superintendent brought the parents, teachers, other employees and members of the community together to cut over $8 million from our $200 million budget and managed to preserve smaller class size for grades 1 to 3 at the same time.

Teacher morale is high not only because they kept their jobs, but with these new education tools brought to them by the superintendent they are getting better results in the classroom. We have become a team and the team is winning!

3. We need to live within our means and stop going to the taxpayer for more money.

Many of us are suffering during this recession. People are losing their jobs, and losing their homes. In essence, times are tough. And our government consumes over half our income in taxes and regulations.

This burden often forces both parents to work leaving their children in daycare. Moreover, the number one topic married families argue over is money. I will not add to their stress. Especially, as the government wastes so much money by adding ever increasing numbers of bureaucrats and lucrative privileges for special interests.

I am not on the board to break-up your family so that the government can waste your money. This last term I voted against every tax increase no matter how it was disguised. I promise to keep this stand - No fees, no loans, no bonds - for as long as I remain in office.