Candidate for
Member; San Diego County Board of Education; District 4

. ."THE MIND IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL OF HUMANITY, AND REASON IS ITS GREATEST VIRTUE" (Note my ballot reads,"Freelance Writer" but my ballot statement reads,"Educator/Freelance Writer". My passion is education.

BALLOT STATEMENT PLUS FOR BOARD OF EDUCATION SAN DIEGO COUNTY (District #4)

EXPERIENCE:

Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Irvine Unified School District.

Teacher and College Instructor.

Vice President /General Manager of the Kawai America Corporation, a world leader in the manufacturing and distribution of pianos and other musical instruments.

Assistant Chief of Staff 6th Army.

EDUCATION:

Bachelor of Arts -University of Minnesota. Master of Science-University of Southern California. PhD- Claremont Graduate University.

Graduate, Army Command and Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, The Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA. Course of study at The United States Army Institute of Military Assistance, Fort Bragg, NC.

PRIORITIES AND ALLIED MISCELLANY:

My personal philosophy is anchored in optimism. I believe our lives begin to end when we remain silent about things that matter. Education matters. I believe there is purpose and worth to each and to every life. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right. Faith and Freedom must be our guiding stars. "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be". "A honest heart being a first blessing a knowing head is the second".
1.The County Board by deed and example must be the Educational Leaders in the County.
2.The teacher is basic to a good educational system. A teacher takes a hand. Opens a mind. Touches a heart. Shapes a future. Remember that teacher that had an impact upon your life!
3.Not long ago , rocket ships and wrist radios were a figment of the imagination and found only in Comic Books. Today the figment of the imagination is tomorrow's reality. Our teachers have the ominous task of educating and training young people for jobs that do not exist today.
4.Leave teaching and the curriculum to the experts ,the teachers. Teaching is an art. Teachers have different styles. There is no one way to teach a 1000 children but a 1,000 ways to teach one. Teachers in the Juvenile Court and Community School programs are to be admired.
5.Reduce the volume of "paper work" imposed upon the teachers. Reduce administrative overhead and embrace technology to become more efficient. Extreme emphasis on multiculturalism may do harm to the idea of America as the "melting pot". Students must know about different culturs and have the opportunity to take foreign languages.
6.We are the "We" in the preamble of our Constitution. We are one Nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. The story of our great and unique Country must be told . There is no better place to do it than in a Public School.
7.Schools must provide a strong basic education and stress academic excellence. Students find their interests in a variety of subjects including the arts and "shops". Student interests many times trump test scores. Schools must be a healthy safe enironment. The classified(support) staff is important to a well managed school.
8.90% of our Nation's children are in public schools. The Gallop Poll indicates the vast majority of parents support their schools. Our Nations vitality, strength and future is predicated upon the quality of our educational system. Public education has its critics, including myself, but when all is said and done our schools have accomplished much in making our Great Land Great!
9.We may be at the beginning of a controversial moment in the history of public education. It is time when we must all pay attention, get involved in our schools and in so doing our Country's future.
10.To meet the challenges in our world the student, family, church and other institutions must also do their part. The formula for success is, Student + Teacher + Family = Success. Faith and Family are important.

I would like to think my life experiences would prove beneficial as the board develops policies that make a difference for students, teachers and parents on the front line. This is a non-partisan office. Teachers have an obligation to teach "all children" that walk through the classroom door.

In the words of that eminent American Philosopher, Ferris Bueller, Life moves fast and if you do not look around once in awhile you will miss it". It would be a privilege to represent District #4 on the County Board of Education. "When you are through learning you are through".

Go to jrajcic.com For: ◦WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT JOHN RAJCIC ◦COMMENTS AND ENDORSEMENTS FROM SUPERINTENDENTS ◦MEANINGFUL ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE TESTS ◦SUPPORT SHOP AND ART PROGRAMS ◦WHY TEACH MUSIC? ◦Testing... The Proficiency Illusion