Q & A from Paso Robles Press, October 5, 2012 Unedited Version

By Chris Bausch

On October 5th, 2012, Mr. Josh Petray of the Paso Robles Press / news@pasoroblespress.com http://www.pasoroblespress.com asked the seven candidates who are running for the Paso Robles School Board to supply a statement and provided an opportunity to answer seven questions. Space allowed only 50 words per answer on six of the questions. Here then, is my full, unedited,response.

I would appreciate hearing from you with any feedback. Please email me at chrisb4sb@gmail.com. Thank you, Chris

Your Voice of Reason

CHRIS BAUSCH FOR PASO SCHOOL BOARD, 2012

Committee ID Number 1351708

The following text is the full version of my responses to questions posed by Mr. Josh Petray of the Paso Robles Press newspaper on October 5, 2012. My sincere thanks to Mr. Petray.

Name: Chris Bausch

Occupation: Parent, Businessman, REALTOR®

Spouse: Julie, 33 years

Children:(5) Melissa, Lauren, John, Chrissie and Jacob, and (2) Grandchildren

City/area of residence: Paso Robles

Years there: 25

Contact information: chrisb4sb@gmail.com

1146 Caddie Lane, Paso Robles, CA 93446

805.440-5960/cell
805.237-4700, ext.27/office
805.237-4711/fax

Webpage: http://smartvoter.org/vote/bausch

Candidate's statement: I am running for the office of Paso Robles School Board Trustee for several reasons:

• To reciprocate the blessings our schools gave our children that allowed them to go onto successful college/ professional careers.
• To work hard to avoid state takeover
• To help our School Board refocus on its role to provide vision, resources, advocacy, leadership and accountability to achieve what should be the Board's primary goal, helping students, parents and teachers increase Student Achievement.
• To lead those who believe that Paso Schools will continue to increase Student Achievement, inspire success and be recognized as the premier school district in SLO County.

Questions from the Paso Robles Press:

1. What are your top three issues/priorities?

• Avoiding State Take Over
• Increase Student Achievement, Career & College Readiness and Average Daily Attendance
• Improve Communication, Accountability & Transparency

2. What qualities/strengths do you bring to the school board?

I will bring a unique and balanced perspective that combines 25 years of executive experience and business acumen with my passion and respect for education including students, teachers and administration. I have considerable experience forming and/or serving on boards of directors of all sorts including my own and other for profit businesses as well as non-profits such as parish Pastoral and Finance Councils. I was elected to serve as 2012 president of the Paso Robles Association of REALTORS® and now serve as a director for the 187,000 member strong California Association of REALTORS®. I am familiar with building consensus and in collaborating with others to accomplish the task at hand.

Having been an active and engaged Paso Robles Schools parent since 1988, I will hit the ground running. I began my service to schools in 1991 by serving on School Site Council for Pat Butler Elementary. I have volunteered/ supported various on campus activities including among others AVID, Athletics, the Arts, PTA/PTSA, Cub Scout Den Leader, overnight Field Trip volunteer/driver, and Chess Club Coordinator. As a Lifetime Heritage Foundation member, I was the conceptual sponsor of the Midstate Fair Industrial Arts Auction. I have taught Elementary, Middle and High School Religious Education. Today, I serve as Chairperson of the School Site Council for Flamson Middle School.

3. How would your views or stances on the issues complement those already on the school board?

First, I would thank our current School Board for their service. In light of the current California budget short fall, they have performed very well. Let us assume that our top priority is to increase Student Achievement in an era of ever increasing costs and declining revenue. Our Trustees must support and respect all Students, Parents, Teachers, Staff and Administrators. I believe it is best to encourage Students to learn, Parents to participate, Teachers to teach, and Staff and Administrators to provide an environment that makes learning happen. Trustees are community representatives, policy makers, and employers. As a team, Trustees must avoid personal agendas in order to represent all students. Trustees adopt plans, collective bargaining agreements, and budgets that provide both vision and facilities. Trustees hold the ultimate responsibility for the district. I have the experience necessary to work with all of our Trustees to accomplish these tasks.

4. What would you change?

• Restore Trust & Confidence-- Parents, Students and employees of Paso Schools deserve to know that the School Board is doing everything possible to maintain the delicate balance between increasing Student Achievement, preserving head of household jobs, and maintaining/ replacing our aging infrastructure. Doing so will help to diminish the need for additional charter schools.

• Elevate Expectations-- Sure, we are caught in California's budget trap. Does this mean we can't explore productivity increases through better use of technology? Just one example, should we hire more teachers to increase test scores or would it be more cost effective to move forward by educating the best of our current teachers to use technology more efficiently allowing us to hire fewer teachers in the years ahead but being able to pay them more. Fewer teachers could reduce the pension and retirement burden that threatens to cripple our public sector.

• Market/Promote our Schools-- To survive in business, a company must articulate its value proposition to the consumer. We don't seem to want to share our amazing successes that our students, faculty, coaches, and volunteers generate year after year. Marketing and promoting our schools, being proud of what is accomplished and telling the families that are relocating to Paso Robles will help attract more students to our schools.

• Allow more Volunteers-- I was surprised to learn that there are certain types of work volunteers are not allowed to perform. Not in an attempt to permanently replace anyone's job, but simply to foster a better learning environment, I think we need to negotiate this policy if only to temporarily survive Sacramento.

• Increase Revenue--The traditional way of raising money for a school is to increase enrollment in order to receive additional ADA/Average Daily Attendance funds. The thought occurred to me that while we say we want better schools (resulting in less crime, better property values, quality of life, etc.) we, as tax payers, don't want to bear the cost. This leads to "voluntary" increased taxes, general obligation bonds or fundraising as alternatives. Our local schools host small fundraisers. We would do well to contemplate a broader approach to include the entire community especially our successful alumni. I was also surprised to learn that schools are not allowed to work with another critical component of our local economy, our wineries. I believe that policy should be reviewed as well.

• Ask Service Clubs to consider redirecting a portion of their college/university scholarships back to local schools and/or classrooms based on need and merit.

Thanks to our current and past Trustees and more importantly, a professional and dedicated staff at our District Office, 2006's Measure T leveraged a $20 million bond into over $43 million worth of improvements. As a result we have state of the art Career Tech Education and Ag Academy, a graphic arts lab, television/media studio, 18 upgraded lab classrooms and a modernized visual and performing arts center. The programs that funded the extra $23 million our business office was able to secure are long gone, but I am willing to pursue local funding to enhance our two existing local elementary magnet school programs and to encourage our two middle school's attempts to start magnet programs of their own. I would also support developing a new "magnet school' approach for our high school including Athletics.

6. Have you run for public office in the past? What office and when?

No, I have not although I have sought leadership positions in various business, religious as well as not-for-profit organizations. I am usually, but not always successful in these attempts. My chances seem to improve with age and experience.

7. What do you think are some of the biggest challenges for the PRJUSD, and how do you plan to help address them?

We need to survive the state and federal failures to fund mandated education expenditures in order to avoid state take over. If they pass, both Prop 30 and 38 dedicate funds that, in my opinion, are already supposed to be sent to our schools--it really isn't new money for schools. I have heard Governor Brown say that Sacramento isn't afraid of parents or schools not because we are unimportant but because we are disorganized. As parents, teachers and citizens of California, we must come together to demand that Sacramento and Washington do more than pay lip service to education. We must demand that they pay what is already by law due to our schools. Meanwhile, we must take every precaution, save every penny, and do all we can to protect our schools from state take over. Belt tightening won't be permanent but state takeover most likely will be.

Unfortunately, Paso Robles Schools suffer from an image problem. While some of the less than flattering image is self-imposed, some of it comes by the media, some of it is urban legend. If perception is reality, then too many families are requesting inter-district transfers, or enroll in parochial or now charter schools. It is time to let our community know that we really do have great students, concerned parents and grandparents, inspirational teachers, dedicated staff, a talented administration and improving test scores. In short, we have very good schools. Learning happens here.

We can accomplish this daunting task of rethinking how we educate in Paso Robles when times are lean and we can do so in a collegial and respectful manner. We must take that crucial first step in building the very best district in San Luis Obispo County. Not because we have more money or smaller classes or more extra-curricular activities. No, Paso Robles will be the very best school district in San Luis County because all of us, our Students, Parents, Teachers, Staff and Administrators want this dream to come true. If we truly believe that being the best is possible, we will demand it of ourselves and hold each other accountable because we respect each other for what we bring to the table to increase Student Achievement.

In closing, my goal is not to run the schools but to see that our schools are well run.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Chris Bausch