Candidates Forum Opening Statement

By Jim Baker

First, I would like to say that I am proud to be part of this campaign with every one of the 15 other candidates. Contrary to some cynical opinions, the large number of candidates is not indicative of a plot by disgruntled parents to overturn the junior high closure decision or to restructure the administration of the district, although some of the individual candidates may be addressing those issues during the campaign. Neither of those two matters would be priorities for me in the immediate future, although I certainly will not rule out their consideration if I later come to believe that they would truly be in the long-term interest of our educational system. The number of candidates is in keeping, however, with a longstanding Southern Humboldt tradition of active community involvement and cooperation when the need arises. I have seen this occur during natural disasters like earthquakes, fires, and the 1955 and 1964 floods, and when problems arise which affect the entire community and can only be dealt with by putting our differences aside and coming together with a common purpose. I think our school district's present situation fits into that category. The school board's decision to organize a community advisory committee and its subsequent decision to close Miranda Junior High did do a good job of increasing public awareness of the financial plight of our schools. It was that new awareness which motivated 16 of us to step forward and commit a substantial portion of our lives for the next two to four years in an effort to improve the educational opportunities for our children. This election is unusual because the voters have the opportunity to put in place what is essentially an entirely new board, voting on 6 of the 7 board seats. This time around, they're not only voting for individuals, they are voting for an entire team of people to whom they will be entrusting the future of their school system. This makes it even more important for voters to make a reasoned, unemotional, informed decision on November 6. My immediate and long-range goals, if elected, include:

1) Review the District's vision and mission statements, revise them as necessary, and refer to them as our guide for every decision the board makes, and our yardstick by which to measure success. 2) Review the organizational configuration of the district and clarify the areas of authority, responsibility and accountability for everyone involved with our educational system. Create a simple, uncomplicated organizational chart, which makes clear what those relationships are, and make it freely available to the public. 3) Encourage and assist individual board members, especially new members, in educating themselves sufficiently on school issues that they feel confident that they can support the decisions they make on the basis of knowledge, logic, and adherence to the goals set forth in the vision and mission statements. 4) Encourage and facilitate appropriate communication throughout the system, especially with parents. Every frustrated parent who feels that a question or grievance is left unanswered is a possible financial loss to the district if a child is transferred out of one of our schools. 5) Encourage a team-building effort throughout the district, to foster a sense of identity with the district as a whole, while at the same time maintaining the sense of pride and unity exhibited by the individual sites. 6) Focus on the importance of maintaining some stability and predictability in the system, especially in the areas of administrative and teaching positions and classes, and expectations in student conduct. 7) Start the process of strategic planning which will allow the district to proceed confidently into the future with the knowledge that we have a plan to deal with any contingency.