League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Trustee; Santa Clara Unified School District; Trustee Area 2

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Funding, Instruction, Future Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 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? Answer from Patricia C. "Pat" Flot: The district receives allocations of funds for the different categories. These funds come with very strict guidelines. The funds are apportioned to their proper places for use. The Assistant Superintendent of Business checks for accuracy. We have an annual outside audit to be sure that we are compliant. The staff makes reports to the board during open meetings which can be attended by all members of the community. The budget is available for view on the website. Answer from Viola Smith: School finance is a critical issue and one of the most important factors in education. While working to obtain my master's degree in education administration, I was often told by fellow classmates that the one class they did not look forward to taking was the School Finance course because it was `so complicated.' A district's budget definitely requires some level of familiarity and understanding in finance to manage and allocate wisely. School funds come from various sources and are classified into certain "pots." As a result, the monies can only be used for specific purposes and in a particular manner depending on which pot or category the funds come from, or are earmarked for. Therefore, my number one priority would be to make sure that the monies are being spent in the manner for which they were intended. The ultimate purpose of school funds is to provide services, resources, materials, and programs for our children so that they can have everything they need from the school, in order to have the opportunity to do well. I would want to have a good working relationship with the assistant superintendent of business services, and make myself familiar with the working budget in order to ensure proper use and allocation of funds. I am also an advocate of financial transparency and would be amenable to having an occasional outside audit of the budget completed, which would be a useful tool in determining if we are using our monies in the most efficient manner, and getting the biggest bang for our buck. I definitely believe in financial accountability in regards to the funds of this district. As stakeholders in this community, we deserve full disclosure of the budget (expenditures and allocations) and I would want that information to be made available on the district's website. Additionally, I would make sure that ample notification be made to the public by mail, televised announcement, or telephonically, to inform them of when the adoption of the district's budget would be on the school board agenda and discussed. During these uncertain economic times, we cannot afford to make financial decisions that will have negative implications in the classroom and, ultimately, cause our children to pay the price for our carelessness or short-sightedness. I would work together with fellow Board members to use deliberate, sound judgment, and rational reasoning in the allocation and use of all funds. Answer from Christine Ellen "Chris" Koltermann, Ph.D.: School funding comes from a variety of federal, state, and local government sources and school districts are responsible for following all applicable laws regarding how those funds are spent. Title 1 is the largest federal source of funds for elementary and secondary education; Title 1 funds are provided specifically to help disadvantaged children. Federal law also governs spending on special education programs. Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) is a 'Basic Aid' district, which means that local property taxes are our major source of revenue. In fact, our schools receive a larger proportion of our property tax dollars than any other government agency, with 38% of our property taxes going to SCUSD. Taxpayers have the right to know how our school district allocates its resources. The school district should at all times have publicly available information about all sources of funds coming into the district versus how those funds are allocated. Information must be written in a manner accessible to our community. As a Trustee, I would require that our schools report how federal, state, and local funds are spent in the following ways: The school district's website should maintain current budget information accessible to the community with descriptions in lay-person's terms. Budget information should be translated into the predominant languages spoken by community residents. The school district's twice yearly newsletter should contain budget information that is understandable to the community and described in lay-person's terms. Periodically, budget updates should be sent home to parents in our students' weekly envelopes. Periodically, community forums to present budget information, including a breakdown of how federal, state, and local funds are being spent, should be held throughout the school district. Notification of these meetings must be made to the entire community. Taxpayers deserve full disclosure of what happens at school district board meetings. SCUSD school board meetings ought to be broadcast on our school district's cable channel; just as our Santa Clara City Council meetings are broadcast. In addition, in a fashion similar to our City Council, the SCUSD board meeting agendas should be online and linked to video of the meetings, so that SCUSD residents can click on budget agenda items and view board meeting budget discussions and decisions. The school district meetings should be made available for viewing on demand 24/7. Our city already has the technology to do this for city council meetings; transparency in governance requires that our school district do the same. As a Trustee, I would insist on administrative accountability, full financial disclosure, and transparency in governance. Answer from Anna M. Strauss: Having attended SCUSD school board meetings on a regular basis, I have come to have a greater appreciation of the complexities involved within a school district. I would immerse myself in learning exactly how money comes in to the district and how it is being spent. I would take a very close look at our budget, going line by line, speaking to teachers, principals, staff, parents and students to help prioritize and become more efficient in maintaining and expanding the district's successful programs. Answer from Ina K. Bendis, MD: What will I do as a Board Member (Trustee)? A Trustee's primary fiduciary duties are governing with fiscal responsibility, ensuring educational equity for all students, and holding Administration accountable for cost-effectively implementing the Board's direction. In the 2010-2014 term, our Board will have two immense and far-reaching jobs, both of which impinge on these fundamental duties: [1] Hiring a new Superintendent and, [2] Implementing a new long-range strategic plan. I will advocate for a broad and robust Superintendent search, rather than merely "promoting from within" as our District has tended to do in the recent past. My professional experience in Executive Search will add value to my role as a Board Member, in this endeavor. Our District's next leader must have the courage and strength to make needed changes that narrow and ultimately obliterate our achievement gap, and truly meet the learning needs of every child. He or she will also need the team-building skills to inspire all stakeholders to embrace and take ownership of those changes. (See below). The 2010-2014 Board will also need to develop and begin implementing a long-range strategic plan to deal with our increasing enrollment and changing demographics. This difficult and painful decision making process will necessarily involve reopening closed schools, expanding existing schools, restructuring schools, acquiring land for and building new schools, and changing some school boundaries. As the local economy recovers and developers resume previously-planned building, we will need to negotiate contracts for purchasing land and building new schools. My experience as an Attorney and Real Estate Broker, my Masters education at Stanford Business School, and my CSBA Masters In Governance training, uniquely enable me to add value to the Board's decisions and implementations. How will I keep the Community informed? The Board acts as a unit, so all formal reporting to the Community on behalf of the District must come from the Board through its Actions at and Minutes of Public Meetings. In that context, I will continue my advocacy for open and transparent governance on the part of the Board and the District, with full compliance with all "sunshine laws" both in their letter and in their spirit. I will also continue to ask questions when clarification is needed, to share my perspective during Board discussions and deliberations, and to actively encourage all other Trustees to do the same, to ensure our Public fully understands our reasons for voting one way or another, on any given Agenda Item. In addition to each Trustee's responsibility to provide insight to the Community by asking questions and providing our rationales behind our votes at Board Meetings, I believe each Trustee also has the duty to reach out and be available to Community Members who have questions or concerns. This way, we stay in touch with the people whose interests it is our job to represent, and to whom we are ultimately accountable. 2. Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students? Answer from Patricia C. "Pat" Flot: Our schools do offer appropriate instruction to our students. While there will always be room to improve, we address the needs of all of our students - English learners, special needs, GATE, and all others. Answer from Christine Ellen "Chris" Koltermann, Ph.D.: While efforts are being made to offer instruction that addresses the diverse educational abilities of our students, we can do better. While SCUSD has seen growth in API scores at many schools, too many students remain below proficient in English/Language Arts and Mathematics. The data show that proficiencies peak in 4th grade in our district and then start a long, slow, slide downward all the way to the end of high school. Many children start middle school and high school without being proficient in the basics. I believe that we need earlier intervention for students who are struggling. We have an achievement gap in our district at many of our schools, with many of our Title 1 schools obtaining lower API scores than our non-Title 1 schools. Following trends observed nationwide, the achievement gap shows up in standardized testing as early as 2nd/3rd grade and persists through high school. There are instructional techniques which have been proven to help close the achievement gap, such as direct instruction, frequent readiness assessments coupled with readiness groupings. One of our district Title 1 elementary schools, Bracher, has closed the achievement gap using quarterly assessments (NWEA MAPS assessment tools) coupled with readiness groupings in English/Language Arts and Mathematics, direct instruction, and teacher collaboration. As students learn the readiness groupings are re-evaluated. The curriculum used is the same throughout the district, but the learning results differ because of the implementation of different instructional methods. Starting September 2010, more of our Title 1 schools are using the NWEA MAPS assessment tools. As a Trustee, I would want to see the successful instructional methods used at Bracher propagated to our other elementary schools. We owe it to our students and families to use the best available teaching practices throughout the district. In addition, our district has 2 alternative elementary schools with substantial waiting lists. One school is our back to basics school, and the other is our parent participation school. The waiting lists show the popularity of these schools with district parents; SCUSD needs to expand its alternative offerings to satisfy the demand for alternative education within our district. Finally, the number of SCUSD students who are transferred to charter schools also shows that our district parents are seeking alternative forms of education for their children. Our district has a responsibility to provide for the diverse educational needs of our families. Many district families are asking for more educational choices at the middle school and high school level. We are in the heart of Silicon Valley, and many families are asking for more focus on math, technology, and science in our schools. In addition to meeting the needs of students who are not yet proficient in English/Language Arts and Mathematics, we need to provide a challenging educational environment for our students who are proficient or advanced in their studies. Answer from Ina K. Bendis, MD: Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students? During my 2006 campaign I advocated passionately for expansion of our successful Basics programs and for readiness-leveled classrooms, because this combination of educational methodologies provides the most cost-efficient and effective way to attain top achievement for every child. During my first two years on the Board, I met substantial resistance on the part of Administration and some fellow Trustees, but during the past two years I've been gratified to see progress on both fronts. Our 2010 CST scores demonstrate that emphasis on mastering Basics and creating classroom environments geared to meet each child's readiness to learn, especially in Math and English, can result in total obliteration of the achievement gap with 100% proficiency before the end of elementary school, regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds, race, culture, or native language. (See below.) This year our District is expanding our readiness-leveled approach to learning in some additional Title One schools, and we plan to expand our Basics-plus Open Enrollment program at Millikin Elementary School. This is a good start, but it is just a start. While it's true that not every child will thrive in a Direct Instruction, Basics, Readiness-Leveled Classroom environment, it's also true that every year many hundreds children whose parents see this as the best learning environment for them, are denied the opportunity to access it. Merely expanding Millikin by one or two classrooms for each grade level, or adding a section or two at Peterson Plus is not nearly enough to meet this growing need. Therefore, I will continue my impassioned advocacy for continued expansion of our Basis programs at both the Elementary and Middle School levels, until we have sufficient Basics-plus spaces to meet our children's needs. Our budgetary challenges have necessitated reductions in staff, increased class sizes and cutbacks in important ancillary programs, and have prevented us from giving our fine teachers and staff the kinds of compensation increases they merit. Yet, I was the only Trustee who advocated and voted against spending our scarce monies on Administrator promotions with pay raises and on huge expenditures on consultants, one of whom we paid $130,000 annually for two years in a row over my strenuous objection. I will keep my firm commitment to spend whatever discretionary funds we have to support our Teachers and Staff in our classrooms and schools, rather than to promote Administrators and hire expensive consultants, so our children will directly benefit. Answer from Anna M. Strauss: I believe that SCUSD has done a good job at identifying the groups that need additional support and challenges. The district hosts several schools of choice and paths to choose from -- Milliken Basics+, Washington Open, Mission Middle College, High School Academies, Downtown College Prep Charter School, and a strong vocational curriculum. Yet, with a student enrollment of more than 14,000 students, more resources and choices are needed to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Answer from Viola Smith: Santa Clara schools are a work in progress because education itself is a work in progress. Being a unified school district, we have the responsibility of educating children at every grade and ability level, and as any parent of school age children knows (or will soon find out), children grow and change -- physically and academically -- over this period of time. Therefore, it is a huge task for schools to meet the diverse educational needs of all students. I believe that all students can learn -- and learn well, regardless of their socio-economic condition or status. That being said, I definitely believe it is the responsibility of schools to provide intensive, basic instruction in the core subjects in order to build a strong foundation for each child in the earliest grades. As a high school math teacher, I am fully aware that there are no subjects more crucial to the academic success and development of students than reading and math. Although our schools offer instruction in these areas, the question is whether the program or curriculum being used is the most effective for all students. Our district offers a few great alternative school programs for our youngest learners, but I do not believe that all students have the opportunity to take advantage of these programs, should they choose, or if their parents believe the local school is unable to meet their diverse educational need. All children are not the same and definitely vary in their abilities; however, given an equitable education at the earliest stage (K-5), many of the problems encountered later in the adolescent years can be mitigated. The most important task of schools during this time in a child's life is to engage all students through various teaching strategies and methods, and to provide support and intervention programs as soon as the child begins to fall behind their grade level standards. This is something that our district has focused heavily on and has now put into practice within all of our elementary schools and we are definitely seeing the results of those efforts reflected in our API scores throughout the district. This is something that teachers, staff, and administrators have invested time and great effort in, and it is paying off. In the secondary grades, the same type of effort is being made to support each student at their respective academic level, and provide interventions in the areas of reading and math, as needed. Teachers are able to use data to determine where a student may have gaps in understanding of a particular content area and, as a result, can work to begin filling those gaps so the student can eventually reach grade level proficiency standards. Meeting grade level standards is the first step towards ensuring students have the opportunity for academic success and, eventually, going to college. However, there must also be educational options available for the student who does not wish to attend college upon graduating high school. As a district, we owe it to every student to provide them with the opportunity to participate in the education process, through whatever mechanism best suits them. Although we have several wonderful programs, they are limited as to the number of students that can participate and benefit from their innovative approach to education. Many students in our community do not fit the typical student profile that traditional schools are designed to serve. As educators, our job is to provide equitable options for every student and meet their specific academic needs. 3. Where do want the district to be 5 years from now? What steps should the district take to get there? Answer from Anna M. Strauss: In addition to continuing it's focus on closing the achievement gap, especially for those students who fall in the district's large socio-economically disadvantaged category, I would like the district to keep programs strong, identify and meet other areas of academic and student needs, and adequately address the facility needs of a growing population. One of the most vital ways of meeting these goals will be in choosing a new superintendent who has a strong record of excellence, has a vision that challenges the norm, yet is a collaborative and inspiring leader. Answer from Patricia C. "Pat" Flot: As we continue to grow in population, I would like to see us develop more choices for students. Not all students learn in the same way or have the same interests. This is especially true in middle and high schools. With our continued growth and need to open/reopen/build new schools, we will have exciting opportunities ahead. Answer from Christine Ellen "Chris" Koltermann, Ph.D.: The November 2, 2010 election is a critical vote for our school district because the next SCUSD board will hire the next Superintendent, who will lead our district for the next 5 to 10 years. I believe in casting a wide net for our next superintendent by conducting a thorough, nationwide search for the best person to lead our school district into the future. In contrast, our school board has hired the last 2 superintendents from within without conducting a thorough search. My experience during my bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degrees at 3 different universities and my experience teaching at a university have shown me the value of inviting all interested parties to apply. The next superintendent must work diligently to hold administrative staff and teachers accountable for implementing instructional methods which have been shown to close the achievement gap. I want our next superintendent to propagate methods - such as the frequent assessments coupled with readiness groupings in individual subjects, direct instruction, and grade-level teacher collaboration - to all of our schools. The next SCUSD board will also be responsible for implementing a new long-range plan for our school district. Our district is growing at a rate of 400 students every 2 years (the equivalent of one elementary school every 2 years), primarily because Santa Clara Unified is growing due to the amount of new housing being added to the cities in our district (Santa Clara, and parts of Sunnyvale and northern San Jose). Unless we take appropriate steps, our high schools are projected to increase to 3000 students each. Some of our campuses already have portables to deal with overcrowding. Our district will be re-opening some of its elementary schools that have been rented to private schools, but more space will be needed in the future, particularly at the middle and high school levels. Our district has placed a bond measure - Measure H - on the ballot to purchase land on the north side of our district (Agnews). This land will be used eventually for a new high school and, I hope, a new middle school. The land is being sold by the state at below market rates. With the tremendous growth in housing on the north side of Santa Clara Unified, we really do need a middle and high school in that area. I hope voters will see the value in purchasing this land to keep our secondary school sizes reasonable and to strengthen our property values. Increasing the quality of our schools raises our property values and therefore increases the property taxes upon which our school district is primarily funded. I want to see Santa Clara Unified partner with the City of Santa Clara, private businesses, and non-profit agencies to create SC2020, just as San Jose schools have partnered with the City of San Jose, private businesses and non-profit agencies to create SJ020, an organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by 2020. As a small business owner, I understand the need for the business community to have a well-educated workforce. As a scientist, I understand the need to strengthen the math, science, and technology teaching in our schools. As a parent who devoted more than 2000 hours to volunteering in SCUSD schools, I understand the dedicated parental involvement that helps make our schools strong and the desire of parents to have the district provide educational options for families. As a property owner within SCUSD, I understand how strongly the quality of our schools affects our property values. For more information about my education, experience, community service history, and vision for our school district, please visit: http://www.chriskoltermann.com Answer from Ina K. Bendis, MD: Where do I want the district to be 5 years from now? What steps should the district take to get there? The Board you elect will hire our new Superintendent, and by 5 years from now that person will have had ample time to analyze our strengths and weaknesses, get the Board's authorization for his or her recommended educational fiscal and management strategies, and implement changes to continue improving the education we provide our students and the accountability we owe our Community. I want to see a Superintendent in place who has expertise, creativity, vision, proven leadership qualities, and a collaborative style that invites inquiry, analytic thinking, and respect for varying views. To "get there," we will need to undertake a broad, robust search for the best-qualified candidate with proven effectiveness in implementing successful approaches to education, which will further our District's educational mission while at the same time fitting in with our District culture. Regardless of what any Candidate "wants," the Board you elect will realistically have many more students to educate 5 years from now, due to continually increasing enrollment and continued new housing development in our District. As a Basic Aid District we depend on property taxes to survive, so our ability to continue providing the best possible education, to meet all students' needs, will necessarily depend on how quickly the Silicon Valley economy recovers from its current downturn. The money that will flow to us from the new will have started to provide some respite, but not nearly enough to meet our needs. Therefore, in addition to wanting an end to the recession, which is not something you or I have much control over, I desperately want to see passage our Bond proposition, Measure H, without which we will not have the money to provide the facilities and infrastructure our students will need in 5 years. To "get there," every current Board Member and every Candidate, whether or not running in this election, must actively advocate for passage of Measure H, and every voter should weigh the small cost against the huge benefit so we have the funds we need to do our job. Please help us "get there" by supporting our District -- Your District! -- with your Yes! vote on Measure H. For many years we have known, from our experience at Millikin Elementary, that an educational approach using Basics, practice-makes-perfect and readiness-leveled classrooms can result in 100% proficiency in Math and English for affluent children with well-educated parents. Now, our experience at Bracher Elementary has proven these methods can achieve 100% proficiency in Math and English for all 4th graders, and nearly as high in 5th grade, regardless of socioeconomic status or other challenging demographic characteristics. What I want 5 years from now is for these kinds of effective practices to become our District norm rather than our District exception. The only way to "get there" is for our 2010-2014 Board to search for and hire a Superintendent with the courage and skills to institute the changes we need to accomplish this throughout the District, and then hold Administration accountable for providing all children the top achievement we have proven is possible for us to deliver, regardless of whether they win a lottery at Open Enrollment time and regardless of what school boundary they reside in. This means that, to "get there," our Voters must elect candidates who have consistently advocate for the kinds of changes we need, and who have consistently demonstrated the courage to hold Administrators accountable. Answer from Viola Smith: Because I am not only a parent in this district, but am also a teacher, I have very high hopes, standards, and expectations of excellence from our schools. I don't believe that we as a district need to `wait for Superman' to improve our schools. As Geoffrey Canada stated (9/24/10 on the Oprah Winfrey show), "We need to be the superwomen and supermen..." that our children need us to be. So, in five years, I would want our district to have no less than 90% of our schools with an API score greater than 800, while continuing to show annual growth within all diverse subgroups (which the Federal government requires within the No Child Left Behind Legislation). Additionally, I would want to see a significant and consistent increase in the number of students graduating with university eligibility. I also would like to see the district create stronger parent relationships throughout the SCUSD community, especially in the communities most impacted by the achievement gap. There are many steps needed to accomplish these goals. First and foremost, we must put students first by making sure we are able to retain and recruit the best teachers we possibly can. The greatest impact to a student's education, aside from their families' influence on them, is the quality of the classroom instruction. The teacher makes a difference. Second, we should utilize the best teaching strategies and programs proven to produce results in the primary grades, while offering meaningful options for our students, especially at the high school level. I believe this would allow more students to be engaged in and excited about the education process and, therefore, less likely to drop out. Third, we must partner with students and their families to empower them to take ownership of their education. More opportunities should be made available for parents to participate within the school system to impact their child's education. Finally, given that our district will be looking to hire a new superintendent with the impending retirement of our current superintendent, it is crucial that the Board chooses a person who is a great instructional leader with a proven track record of the same; one who is able to motivate and inspire; one who is of high moral character and who is able to work with all stakeholders in the community. She or he must also respect the voices and concerns of students, parents, teachers and staff, and work to truly make Santa Clara a `unified' school district. That is the type of district I would want to see in five years and as a school board member, I would work towards that end. Ultimately, the best way to elevate our community is by elevating our school system. Not only will we produce a better `product' so to speak (high performing students), but we will attract more homebuyers to our community because of our great schools, leading to an eventual increase in property values and tax revenues, which will eventually come back to our schools. It's a win-win situation. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. Answers must not refer directly or indirectly to another candidate. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.