Information sheet to be provided to audience members attending this forum on Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Why I'm running for School Board:
I've served on the board for six years now and have learned a great deal. When I was first elected, I had been teaching for many years and thought I knew everything there was to know about the education system. As a parent I had also been involved as a PTA member and a School Site Council member. But I found the learning curve was steep when I started on the board. I became active in the California School Boards Association and completed their Masters' in Governance program, an intensive training program that covers 9 modules, each a day long, which takes one to two years to complete. So now that I have served for 6 years and incorporated my past educational experience, I really believe I have a comprehensive understanding of the operations of our district and of the California public education system as a whole. I would like an opportunity to apply this knowledge in working to solve some of the specific problems we're facing now as a district, and in California.
What do you consider to be the major issues facing the District?
Of course the most obvious issue is the budget. Like every district in California, we have had our budget reduced by over 20% during the last three years. We have very limited discretionary funds and most of these, about 96% are salaries. As a result we have had to propose furlough days and salary cuts, in order to remain solvent during the next couple of years. When the economy improves, I will certainly support the restoration of these cuts.
Another issue involves teacher morale. Although this is related to the budget issue, I think there is more to it. We need to greatly improve our communications between staff, administration, board and community as a whole. Concerns must be heard and acted on. Teachers are on the front lines and we need to be sure we are utilizing their creativity, experience, and knowledge, in order to teach our kids to become critical thinkers.
Finally, an ongoing issue is increasing parent involvement. We need to find new and creative ways to entice parents to our campuses. They should feel very welcome and safe when they visit and encouraged to participate in their children's learning. We must all work together to create the village it takes to ensure a successful district.
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