League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Michele Ryan Answers Questions Candidate for Trustee; Santa Clara Unified School District; Trustee Area 3

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. How would you determine that the schools are using federal, state and local funds wisely and fairly and how would you report your findings to the community?

Santa Clara Unified School District has faced three financial scandals in the last two and a half years, and these findings demonstrate that we need a school board that will demand greater accountability for spending tax dollars wisely and fairly. The Governing Board is responsible for the financial decisions made by the district, and it must ensure that all public funds are spent carefully and effectively. The Board must ensure that all decisions are made in the best interests of the students in Santa Clara Unified Schools and that district assets are protected. The Governing Board needs to conduct active outreach to the community to ensure that all stakeholders have a voice in establishing budget priorities and making spending decisions. In addition to increasing the number of budget hearings, the Board should provide additional ways, such as community surveys, for community members to learn about the budget process and to provide their input. Once the budget is set, the Governing Board needs to receive regular updates on how the money has been spent, review the spending reports thoroughly, and communicate these reports to the entire community. In addition to posting board agenda items on the district website, I would support the live broadcast of board meetings on the school's television channel. In addition, the Governing Board has several bond oversight committees established to oversee the spending of bond funds and to report back to the Board. The Board needs to ensure that the District reaches out to the entire community to solicit applications for these appointments, that the appointment process is open and transparent, and that the appointments are not awarded to political insiders.

2. Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students?

While the district currently offers instruction that meets the needs of some students, two important facts indicate that the district needs to do more to meet the needs of all learners.

First, the fact that many parents in our district choose to send their children to charter and private schools indicates that a significant proportion of our parent population does not believe the district offers the type of academic programs they believe would best meet their children's needs. Parents who have options vote with their feet, and many of these parents who value education are looking outside the district for their children's education. Currently, the district sends over $1,000,000 per year to charter schools to contribute to the cost of educating district students at charter schools, and that figure is projected to increase every year. If we want those students and their active, involved parents to remain in district schools, we have to do a better job of providing the academic programs they want for their children.

Second, the fact that our high school math proficiency scores on the state tests are, with very few exceptions, so much lower than all of the districts that surround us clearly indicates that we need to improve our instruction in math.

For example, take Algebra 1 proficiency for 9th graders in 2012:

Campbell HSD+ 23% Fremont Union [Sunnyvale, Cupertino]+ 24% San Jose Unified + 25% Santa Clara Unified + 11%

The fact that our proficiency level is HALF that of neighboring districts is a clear sign that we need to be doing more.

Clearly, for both our high achieving and our lower achieving students, the district is not offering enough instruction that is appropriate for their abilities

3. Where do you want the District to be five years from now? What steps should the District take to get there?

In five years, I expect to see higher proficiency levels in math and English throughout the district, especially in our high schools.

I expect our district to offer a wider variety of educational options, particularly for our middle and high school students. Such options might include a STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math] academy for middle school students, and expanded access to the middle school Basics+ program.

I also expect to see expanded access for our elementary school educational options, the Basics+ and the parent participation programs. We can expand these options without additional cost and while preserving neighborhood schools.

To achieve these goals, the School Board and the district administration need to have a clear focus on preparing students to succeed in a global marketplace that rewards strong academic achievement.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Please answer each question in no more than 400 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: November 5, 2012 13:06
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