League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Los Angeles County, CA March 5, 2013 Election
	Annamarie Montañez Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Los Angeles Unified School District; District 2

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What is the single most important issue facing LAUSD today? As a Board Member, what would you do to deal with it?

Inadequate state funding is having the greatest impact on the challenges facing the Los Angeles Unified School District. California is currently ranked 49th in the Nation in per pupil educational spending, this is unacceptable. In order for our schools to be successful, they must receive adequate funding to provide educators with the resources every classroom and student needs. As a Board Member, I would work diligently and aggressively with the State Legislature to revisit the way public education is funded in California. I would partner with other school districts, elected officials and community groups to ensure that this issue is prioritized.

2. How would you prioritize your local constituency in overseeing LAUSD management, setting District policy, and day-to-day decision-making?

I would plan monthly forums to serve as platforms for the community to discuss and listen to current issues facing our local schools. By ensuring school board meetings are held at times when working parents and educators can attend. And also by moving the location of board meetings to accommodate the constituents throughout the District.

3. What experience in general management, fiscal management, and budgetary oversight would you bring to the job of Board Member?

My experience includes serving on an adult school budget committee that determined expenditures of 4 million dollars and aligned money to directly support classroom instruction. I also coordinated a program for English language learners that brought thousands of dollars of additional revenues that contributed to teacher jobs and increasing class offerings.

4. How should LAUSD deal with its rapidly increasing costs for retiree and employee health care?

Revisiting the collective bargaining agreements of school employees to determine new guidelines for newly hired employees. Bargain effectively with HMOs and health care providers to collaborate on cost saving measures.

5. What part should standardized testing play in LAUSD’s educational programs?

Test scores should inform instruction, and also pose serious questions to the quality of instructional pedagogy, curriculum, and operations of a school. Learning can not happen in confusion, or a void, and we must use assessment data to inform and identify trends and strategies for improvement.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League. 

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: February 23, 2013 21:46
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