League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Jaime Rosso Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Gilroy Unified 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?

I have a personal commitment to visit every school listening to administrators, teachers, students, staff and parents. I ask questions and listen to concerns. As a board member I participate in district study sessions to review budgets and establish priorities. I have a focus on targeting district resources that support improving student achievement for ALL students and addressing equity to make sure all students needs are being addressed. I raise issues at board meetings to make sure important concerns are handled in an appropriate manner that supports the needs of students and our schools.

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

Our job as board members is to make sure that ALL students are making the progress necessary and expected to achieve grade level proficiency and to maximize student potential for every student. Our district leadership is very much focused on improving student achievement, however more needs to be done to move all students forward to succeed. Test results are showing that we are making steady progress in improving student achievement but some schools still remain in "program improvement" or "PI" until our most challenging students needs are being met. Our district must implement more aggressive strategies to better address the specific needs of English Language learners to close the "achievement gap" demonstrating that ALL students in our district are achieving.

3. Where do want the district to be 5 years from now? What steps should the district take to get there?

Gilroy Unified needs to continue to impliment innovative instructional strategies to continue improving academic achievement and success for ALL students. There can be NO EXCUSES for students not making the necessary progress to achieve grade level proficiency. Teachers and educational leaders and parents need to be held accountable to making sure all students are being successful. Teachers need to be given all the support, training and resources necessary to move students forward. The District must continue to recruit and retain high quality teachers that provide high quality instruction to all students. Interventions need to be provided for those students that need it. English Language learners and all student subgroups also must achieve grade level profeciency as is expected under NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. ALL students need to be challenged to reach their full potential and we have schools proving it can be done. Within the next 4 years I would like to see all schools surpass the state achievement performance target score of 800 as measured by the Achievement Performance Index (API) and that all schools meet our target set under No Child Left Behind legislation. Others schools with similiar demographics such as ours are doing it and so can we!

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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. Answers must not refer directly or indirectly to another candidate.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 3, 2010 17:25
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