Candidate for
Board Member; Point Arena Joint Union High School District

The ability of school boards to determine the destinies of their districts is no more. Now, authority which used to lie with the district, has been centralized in Sacramento. And, not surprisingly, little discretionary income remains for school boards to employ. Instead, most district expenditures are predetermined by state and federal laws. While school boards are not powerless in this process, they usually are put in a place where their only option is to implement what already has been decided in the California legislature or Washington. And yet, in almost every district, school boards and unions argue and negotiate as they have done for decades - as if they are on opposite sides and their negotiations will significantly affect the stark budget realities. And this assumption is incorrect.

The time has come for change. If we are to do the best for our students and teachers, school boards and unions must realize that they are now on the same side. The centralization of power in Sacramento has shifted the ancient political boundaries. The California legislature which has yet to fully fund promises made by the voters, must be held accountable for most school budget problems. And this can happen only if the school board, teachers, and unions stand together.

All of the objectives I have identified can be accomplished through teamwork. And my central policy to to develop policies and processes that allow teachers and boards to work together to help tackle the problems facing our districts.