League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 3, 2009 Election
	Ben Liao Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Cupertino Union School District

The questions were prepared by the the League of Women Voters of Cupertino/Sunnyvale 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?

I will utilize a budget committee that will examine the school district budget line by line. This committee will meet at least three times a year and will include teachers, school staff, and community members. In order to provide transparency on this important issue, we will release our findings to the public in the yearly town hall meeting. The public is also invited to sit in on school board meetings, where we discuss the budget in further detail.

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

Giving appropriate instructions to each student has been a point of emphasis in almost every board meeting and continue to be a goal for the district. In the last few years, we have provided teachers with student performance from the state, identifying individual student's strengths and weaknesses in math and language arts. This will allow teachers to adjust curriculum to fit the abilities of their students. We have four alternative schools, as well as ELD programs and programs for special needs children.

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

In five years, I hope we will have the 21 century learning initiative truly integrated in every classroom and the whole community will embraced the life long learning concept. The district is starting to get a plan for 21 century learning beginning with five middle schools, and the plan will be implemented with partnership from Krause center of Innovation and Apple Computer. From schools, we will involve parents, then the community at large.

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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 15, 2009 23:38
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