League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Alameda County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues School Director; Oakland Unified School District; Trustee Area 5

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on , , , Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. (Teacher recruitment and retention) What should be done to support the recruitment and retention of qualified and experienced teachers in Oakland public schools? Answer from Rosie Torres: Match young teachers with mentors made up of experienced and highly effective tenured teachers. Provide principals better training so teacher selection is a better match to the school sites needs. Develop improved opportunities for parent involvement to increase engagement and teacher support. 2. (Training for skilled trades careers) Not all Oakland students will opt to go to college or a university after high school. How will you use your position as a School Board Member to support training for careers in the skilled trades? Answer from Rosie Torres: I will ensure more opportunities through the current Linked Learning program are developed and properly executed to maximize participation by all students who desire to see firsthand careers of interest. I will ask the business community to step up and offer more internships, mentors and provide teachers with additional resources needed to match skills needed for today's 21st century jobs. 3. (Disparities among ethnic groups) What specifically can and should be done about the disparity of academic achievement among various ethnic groups in Oakland, and what can and will you do as a school board member to address these disparities? Answer from Rosie Torres: The key is raising the bar for all students since at birth I do not believe an achievement gap existed, yet the disparate level of opportunities afforded to children creates the illusion of a gap. Oakland is made up of communities that want to see positive growth and development but we need to coherently work together to help all our children see themselves having a bright future. We must work together better. 4. (Criteria for approvals and closures) Do you support the opening of new Charter Schools at a time when traditional public schools are being closed or threatened with closure? What criteria should be used in deciding what schools should be closed and which new ones be approved? Answer from Rosie Torres: I support the goal of keeping our traditional public schools open amd thriving toward excellence. We can and must work with our public schools to improve and create the appeal that keeps families enrolling their children in public schools. The changes to our population that will continue, with many children learning English as a second language, requires our public schools to quickly adapt and ensure students don't fall behind for long. Meanwhile we must improve performance for all students so they are being challenged and college ready. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are presented as submitted. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.