Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Templeton Unified School District

My name is Nelson Yamagata, and my wife, Naomi, two sons, Jonah and Tyrus, and I have resided in the Templeton School District for 10 years. I am a product of the California public school system, graduating from San Pedro High School in Los Angeles, obtaining my B.S. at UCLA, and earning my M.D. at UC Irvine. I am proud of my accomplishments, and I have a strong admiration for the system that gave me the opportunity to achieve these accomplishments.

It is in that same system that I watched my two sons flourish, and I am amazed at the opportunities they have had so far!

Unfortunately, we are facing difficult economic times, as the budget cuts seem endless. The stresses have burdened our school staff, and morale is especially low. These stresses cannot help but affect our children, and I worry that our new graduates will not feel the same sense of hopefulness and encouragement I felt as I embarked on my further training.

To lift us out of the doldrums, we need new people to put a fresh perspective on our schools' situation and to point us towards becoming a better institution, guiding our young people and helping them to confidently enter into the next stages of their lives.

My strengths lie in my ability to analyze situations and weigh the merits of opposing viewpoints. I can work logically through arguments and come up with well-thought out opinions. I realize that people might disagree with the positions I might take as a board member. However,I will strive to ensure that none question my methods or motivation in deciding upon those positions.

I believe that a good leader is not one who knows it all. More importantly, a good leader is one who knows what he doesn't know; but understands where to turn for the answers! Our district has some of the sharpest minds who are well trained in education and finance; and soon, we will also have a new district superintendent. We must assist these professionals and use their wisdom in developing and attaining the long term vision of our schools.

We cannot throw money at our problems to make them go away, as our district's budget will likely shrink before it expands. However, we must foster enthusiasm in our staff to devise a curriculum which challenges our students and encourages them to participate. We need to understand that our students have diverse interests and goals, and we will use multiple avenues and programs to reach each. We must open their horizons to techniques which enhances their ability to think critically, and not just focus on rote memorization.

Finally, we must promote optimism in these young minds, who will finish through our schools hopefully ready to face life's challenges. Some say our district's glory years have passed; but I choose to believe that our best days are ahead!

I would appreciate your support; but it any event, I would appreciate your coming out to vote. Vote for 2!