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The questions were prepared by the the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Role of CBOE,
Charter Schools,
Special Education
Click on a name for other candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What do you see as the role of the County Board of Education in relation to local school districts and the State Department of Education?
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Answer from Jeff Ota:
The role of the County Board of Education is to ensure that the quality of education for all of the students in our county meets and exceeds the level demanded by the residents of Santa Clara County and by the State Department of Education. The County Board must provide a structre that most efficiently provides services that support the local districts to achieve those two requirements.
Answer from Bill Evers:
The State of California has adopted academic standards that are tough but achievable. Yet a few schools have been stuck for years at the lowest levels of performance. Children in those schools deserve a countywide effort to boost performance. Every child in Santa Clara County deserves a chance.
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2. What should be the role of the County Board of Education with regard to charter schools?
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Answer from Bill Evers:
It's part of County Board of Education's job is to support new and existing charter schools. Another job is to monitor existing charter schools to make sure that learning is taking place, children and teachers are safe, and budgets are followed. Both support and monitoring by the Board is crucial if children in charter schools are to succeed.
Answer from Jeff Ota:
The County Board of Education should encourage the creation of more charter schools and advocate for stronger support of the charter schools by the home districts.
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3. What changes, if any, would you recommend in the County's special education programs?
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Answer from Bill Evers:
We need to look at costs and programs to ensure that the County is wisely using every dollar available from the state and federal government. We need more of a preventative and less of a red-tape approach. We must never compromise the quality of services.
Answer from Jeff Ota:
We need to actively pursue additional funding to balance the costs of special education that come as unfunded mandated requirements by the state and federal governments.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Until noon on September 24 candidates must limit their answers to 300 words total for all questions so that those Leagues which are publishing a paper Voters Guide may copy the answers. After that time word limits will no longer apply. Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League or by Smart Voter.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
