Candidate for
City; City of Santa Rosa High School District

Board members must never stop looking ahead. Since I have been on the board, we have not.

Even in our current economy, we are breaking ground at Piner High School's new Science Technology Engineering and Math Center, the first of its kind in Sonoma County. The Geospatial Technology Pathway is already housed there and no other high school in the country - yes, country - offers a three-year pathway program like it. On a local level, this pathway also leads directly into a certification program at SRJC, which leads to jobs and/or higher learning.

Our district is working to make "Cradle to Career" a reality here in Santa Rosa. In conjunction with Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County (CAP Sonoma), we are envisioning a program that will address student/parent learning from preschool through eighth grade - all the while preparing students for the rigors of high school and acceptance into the post-secondary schools of their choice.

While school financing has been cut year after year, we have not and will not abandon our Advanced Placement classes or our International Baccalaureate program leading to the IB Diploma. As a result, our students will continue to be accepted into the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country.

Our vision can only be realized if all the key players are in on the plan. Santa Rosa City Schools has excellent teachers. They demonstrate their devotion to our students every day both in and outside of the classroom by teaching, mentoring, and coaching. By agreeing to furlough days, our teachers have taken pay cuts to help us balance the budget during these very difficult financial times. But teachers need to be taught, mentored, coached, and supported as well. We must make teacher training and collaboration a priority so that they are continually growing and thriving professionally.

I believe that we must strive to meet the needs of each and every individual child in our school system. It is with that goal in mind that I weigh every issue that comes before our board. With a unity of purpose on our board and in our community, we can create a positive, productive, and effective learning environment for all students.