Candidate for
Trustee; San Mateo County Board of Education; Trustee Area 3

Prudent policies should direct the funds; the amount (or lack) of funds shouldn't direct the policies.

Children only learn when they make mistakes! We need to make schools safe and stimulating environments to grow; where children can make mistakes, learn from them, and discover their true passion in life.

We need to increase mentoring opportunities; support vocational, court & community schools; and increase communication and efficiency of the County's school administration.

Increase mentoring/collaboration opportunities by promoting:

• Staff Development Days - Allow teachers to collaborate with one another on what works & what doesn't.
• Block Scheduling - In contrast to scheduling one hour classes every day, allow teachers greater flexibility each week by blocking off several hours for each class to enhance students' absorption and provide opportunities for peer mentorship, which benefits both mentor and mentoree.

• Vocational Education (ie: Regional Occupation Programs) - High school graduates need to be more than just college-ready, they need to be job-ready. Over 50% of students entering college develop psychological problems, and over 80% do not graduate. We need to mandate vocational education as a college prerequisite, otherwise it will disappear completely from High Schools.
• Special Education and Community Schools - Provide cost effective services for students with special needs.

• Court Schools - Education prevents repeat offenders.

For Accountability, Leadership, and Vision, please VOTE for Jeffrey Tong!