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The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Use of Funds,
Appropriate Instruction,
District Goals
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. How would you determine that the schools are using federal, state and local funds wisely and fairly and how would you report your findings to the community?
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Answer from Linda "Jopp" Goytia:
First, by educating myself on the budget procedures and then consulting with both District officials and an outside professional to be sure that I understand the data. A "wise and fair" use of funds would mean an appropriate balance between reserves and expenditures, expenditures that are driven by student needs, and expenditure levels that are equitable at all school sites. In terms of reporting budget matters to the community, I believe that better use could be made of the District website. I will be available and in attendance at the public budget meetings held by District officials at the school sites.
Answer from Rick Costanzo:
The Campbell Union High School District has a 112 year history of fiscal responsibility and solvency, and the present board is dedicated to maintaining that record of wise financial decision-making during this difficult state budget crisis. Our superintendent and chief financial officer make presentations to community organizations, and to the PTA and staff of each of our schools several times annually. In addition, parents sit on our district financial advisory committee, and we make use of school and district newsletters to update all parents. I intend to push for making greater use of School Loop, our web-based school-parent-teacher-student communication system, to provide more information to stakeholders as well.
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2. Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students?
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Answer from Linda "Jopp" Goytia:
All District teachers are now CLAD certified and have received intensive instruction in scaffolding and diversifying instruction. Much recent in-service has been directed at identifying and accommodating different learning styles. All students have access to a rigorous curriculum but there is always more to do in this area. I can state with certitude that this is a focus at all our school sites.
Answer from Rick Costanzo:
The district has made many strides towards providing instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of its students.
CUHSD State testing (API) scores, district-wide, have gone up 22 points in the last two years, with the score for white students going up 28 points. However, the score for African American students has gone up 36 points during the same time period, with a 27 point gain for Hispanics, an 18 point gain for English language learners, a 12 point gain for disadvantaged students and a 10 point gain for those with disabilities. Clearly, the achievement gap for CUHSD is being narrowed, so we are on the right track. I will continue to advocate for finding the funds needed to keep the programs targeted to provide the extra student support necessary to continue this trend.
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3. Where do you want the District to be five years from now? What steps should the District take to get there?
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Answer from Rick Costanzo:
In the next five years our school district must continue to build on the community's trust.
The biggest challenge is always how to improve student learning. Today, the biggest obstacle to that challenge, statewide, is the budget crisis. It has brought many districts to the brink of disaster and crippled many others. The challenge, as I see it, is that, when financial times are good, we all tend to do more, but, when financial times are bad, we must do better. We must make certain that what little money we have is spent on the things most likely to improve student performance. I intend to push for greater involvement on the part of teachers in formal committees made up of teachers and school and district administrators to identify the best equipment, training, and materials upon which to spend limited resources, in order to ensure that we maintain and improve the education we afford our students.
Answer from Linda "Jopp" Goytia:
I am optimistic that either Proposition 30 or Proposition 38 will pass and that we will be able to renew the Parcel Tax. The voters of our community have always been very generous in supporting education. I would be relieved to see the District become financially stable and able to restore some programs that had to be cut in the past few years. I hardly need to say that furlough days, which further reduce instructional time, are simply unacceptable. I would like to see us have the ability to add some enrichment programs and more rigor in the curriculum, as well as invest in vocational programs for students who are not college-bound. And we MUST be able to update our aging technology to give students every opportunity to be competitive in a 21st century environment.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' statements are presented as
submitted. Please answer each question in no more than 400 words.
Direct references to opponents are not permitted.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
