League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Ray J. Turner Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Alum Rock Union Elementary 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 would compare this district's expenses with other comparable districts and County standards/guidelines, with special emphasis on expenses not directly related to students. As Trustee I would report findings to the community via district web site, newspaper news releases, parent "take home packs" from school, and neighborhood community meetings. I would break down expenses into relevant categories and compare this with districts similar in make-up to ours. I strongly believe in transparency with our parents and citizens. You have a right to know if we are spending your money to educate our children in the most effective way.

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

No. We currently focus most of our attention on the students who are not at grade level to improve their performance. In part this is due to federal and state requirements and the desire to get all of our students at least up to grade level. Of course we must do this. But we must not forget to provide an opportunity for our proficient and advanced students to achieve their maximum potential. We need a variety of enrichment programs and I believe this is an area where we can tap the resources of our community such as Dr. George Castro has done with his science program. This program partners San Jose State University engineering students with local companies, the San Jose City's Parks and Rec. dept., with funding from Mountain Winery Kid's Foundation and Agilent to create great results.

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

As a baseline, all students need to be performing at or above grade level. But that's not nearly good enough. We need to be bringing in additional funding beyond the inadequate amount from the State, through grants and local and national foundations. We need to have established enrichment programs by partnering with local companies, community organizations, and parents to help ALL our students reach their full potential. When we see parents and community members actively involved with our children, we will know we are well on our way. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.

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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: September 13, 2010 21:26
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