Candidate for
Board Member; Lafayette School District

Nancy is running for the Lafayette School District Governing Board because she wants to help our District ensure a world-class education for all of its students -- gifted, high achieving, typically developing, those who need extra support and those with special needs. Providing a world-class education for all students in these economic times requires proven leadership and experience.

Nancy believes the most significant issue facing the District and schools throughout out California is insufficient funding. Nancy has a long track record of working to raise additional funds for our District. While our parent body has been amazing through all of these efforts, the continued state budget crisis also requires that our District make tough decisions about our own budget. Managing our finances while continuing to provide top quality education will unfortunately continue to be our District's biggest challenge for the foreseeable future.



Other issues we are currently facing include the continual need to remain technologically current, maintaining differentiation with fewer and fewer supporting resources, consistency of curriculum across grade, and development of a cohesive and fully coordinated curriculum from transitional kindergarten -8th grade.

Nancy also believes that if we really want to offer our students a world- class education then the District needs to consider the addition of a foreign language program starting in kindergarten, stronger STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs, full day kindergarten and continuation of the excellent music programs we have enjoyed.



Nancy also believes that if the District provides a world-class education for typically developing children, it also needs to provide a similar quality of education for children with special needs and learning differences. Funding for special education is complicated, but it is important to realize that because of the way education is funded, providing quality services for children with special needs or learning differences does not directly trade off with money available to educate our general education students. For the past 15 years our District has followed a philosophy that providing top quality services to children with special needs and learning differences is not only morally and ethically right, but also minimizes special education expenses. That philosophy has allowed this District to consistently spend less per capita on special education services than any other District in Contra Costa County for years and to often spend less money on special education than the funding it receives for providing that education. The District needs to continue this philosophy of special education.

If you would like to learn more about Nancy and her vision for our District you can visit her website at http://www.NancyWallace2012.com.