League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Alameda County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Trish Spencer Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Alameda Unified School District

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

Questions & Answers

1. (Most pressing problem) What is the single most pressing problem facing the Alameda Unified School District in the next 24 months and how would you work with your elected colleagues to solve it?

The District's top priority is always quality of education for all of our students. That is why families send their children to us: to educate them. Too many students are not achieving their potential across the academic spectrum. Too many students have other issues and concerns that contribute to their inability to achieve their potential. It is only by working together with all our stakeholders (parents, students, employees, community members) that we will best be able to serve all our students and help them achieve their potential. Unfortunately, many now believe employee morale is at an all-time low. I am proudly endorsed by both our Teachers' Union (AEA) and our Classified Staff Union (CSEA); I am the only incumbent endorsed by either of these Unions. I am the only candidate with a proven track record of working with our employees. That doesn't mean that I always vote the way they want; it means I reach out to them for input on decisions that I believe they may be able to help solve. I also reach out to parents, students, and community members for their input. It is very hard to provide quality education for all students, especially with limited funds. It truly takes a team effort to educate children and my record shows that I'm an effective team player.

2. (Community input) What process would you recommend the School Board use for the community to provide advice for the district's consideration in decisionmaking and how would you make it evident that the district considers the advice?

The School Board needs to reach out to all stakeholders, parents, students, employees, and community members, for their input and concerns about how to best provide quality education to all our students. As Board members, we regularly receive emails and phone calls expressing concerns. I always respond. I meet with parents and others and try to help guide them through the process and listen to their concerns. During Board meetings, I sometimes ask Staff questions or express concerns that others have shared with me. Unfortunately, too often I hear that I'm the only one that responded to a constituent's email. When members of the public come to Board meetings and express a concern, if appropriate, I will request that the matter be placed on an upcoming agenda. Again, I'm the only Board member that regularly does that. I first ran for School Board after serving as PTA Council President for two years. I am the only PTA Council Pres. that has ever done that. It was after seeing how non-responsive our Board is to the public, that I ran for School Board. Unfortunately, I'm only one person on the Board and do the best I can as one person on a five person Board.

3. (School District Ð City Cooperation) How might the School District work more effectively with the City?

There is a joint School District/City Committee. That committee could and should meet more regularly and encourage and invite the public to participate. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. The School Board operates like other Boards, the majority of the Board dictates. Here, the majority is three people, and I regularly find myself in the minority. I am truly interested in working collaboratively with not only the City but our other stakeholders, parents, students, employees, community members; but again, I am in the minority. Recently our Board voted to install an unsightly fence around Alameda High and after the fact the City's Historical Advisory Board had it on their agenda to review. That should have happened before the School Board made its decision, not after. It is critical that the School Board work collaboratively with the City as we need them as effective partners. The swimming pools are another example. The City currently helps pay some of the costs of operating the high schools' swimming pools. The City is currently only committing to help with this cost on a year-to-year basis and there have been suggestions that this support may end, as the City partners with other organizations for pools. That would be a serious problem for the school district and our students. Alameda is too small a City to not have its City and School District partnering wherever possible.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are presented as submitted. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: November 4, 2012 10:35
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