Why I'm Running

By Maya Tuve

It's a significant time of transition for our district; we're facing big challenges and equally big opportunities.

An effective school board works well as a team. If elected, I will work hard and be ready to collaborate. I understand the significance of fostering good will in the community and amongst our local agencies and leaders, all while balancing the needs of our students, parents, and community members. This requires thoughtful leadership, cooperation, transparency and good communication. These are qualities I'll bring to the role of trustee. It would be my honor to serve our community as a trustee for the Larkspur-Corte Madera School Board.

Here are some of the issues and opportunities facing our school district:

• We're moving from two to three schools.
• We're adopting the Common Core Curriculum and new Assessments.
• We integrating technology more deeply into our classrooms.
• The California state funding model for our school district is changing.
• As we add a campus, increase enrollment, and are faced with the potential of a new freeway interchange, we need to ensure safe routes to schools across the district.

I'm so appreciative of our community, and its support of Measure A. Already families like mine with children at Neil Cummins are enjoying the many positive impacts. And there will be more to come with the completion of the Cove School. A second elementary school will begin to help relieve the over crowding at Neil Cummins + which continues to be a challenge. This year there are 9 Kindergarten classes, including the Transitional Kindergarten Class. As our district's student population has already reached the numbers anticipated for the year 2017, it's clear the need for the Phase II expansion of our facilities is just around the corner. At this time, with one major construction project underway and the possibility of more in our near future, the professional experience I bring is especially relevant.

During this transition, it will be crucial to maintain a strong sense of community across our district. We need to find ways to connect the students, and the cultures, of the two elementary schools. Then, when they meet at Hall, they'll have a sense of social connection and shared experience. It's vital that our district work to sustain the excellence of all three of our schools, reaching every student at their level and giving them the academic confidence they'll need to succeed.

Common Core Curriculum and New Assessments

This is a significant time in education for us and for the many other states that are adopting the new Common Core Curriculum and Assessments. The new assessments will be an adjustment and test scores may shift in the short run. As we work through this transition, our Teachers will need support as they guide our students through this new approach towards learning and testing.

Looking at the big picture, I believe the shift is a positive one for our students. A common core curriculum encourages project-based and inquiry-based learning and will better prepare our students to be be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and problem identifiers. These shifts will help them well beyond Hall, as they prepare for the challenges of college and changes in the 21st century workforce. I'm so proud of the effort our District's administrators and teachers are already engaged in, even for our youngest students.

Last year my daughter's 1st grade class studied the rainforest as a theme. Her teachers integrated art, science, music, technology, and social studies. I wouldn't be surprised if there was math in the lesson too! All in all, I believe it's a good thing.

Integrating Technology

First I'd like to say "thanks" to SPARK and its many supporters for bringing more technology into our classrooms.

With technology now at our fingertips, it's important to integrate it into our schools in a meaningful way. Our teachers and specialists are using technology to drive more interaction and collaboration with teachers and students, for great project based learning that joins visual arts with technology.

A great example of new approaches integrating technology with learning was presented by a teacher at Hall. In his flipped classroom, students viewed videos of his lectures at home so that class time could be spent in direct interaction and discussion with the teacher. I think this type of exploration is really exciting.

It's just a reality that our kids are going to interact with technology in different ways than we did. I think we should embrace that and guide it rather than ignore it.

Changes in California State Funding

The California State Funding Model is changing. It's anticipated that our District will fall into the LCFF, or Local Control Funding Formula. This shift to the new funding model will roll-out over the next seven to eight years. While the implications are yet not fully known, it's expected that these changes will yield some welcome stabilization. LCFF is largely based on average daily attendance. Higher average daily attendance yields more income for our schools. So let's shoot for perfect attendance, everyone.

Safe Routes to School

I believe it's vital to provide safe routes to schools from each side of the highway. I agree with our district's goal of promoting healthy lifestyles and alternate means of transportation to school, including biking and walking. Coming from a family of avid cyclists I believe biking is a fantastic way to get to school and work.

Currently families and students from the East Side of Corte Madera cross back and forth, over and beneath, 101 to access the bike path to Neil Cummins and Hall Middle School (and Redwood, while we're at it).

Soon, we will have schools on both sides of the highway. I would make it a district priority to ensure safe crossings at 101, especially now that the Greenbrae interchange is being studied and options are explored. It's critical that our district has a strong voice in this process.

http://mayatuveforschoolboard.com/why-im-running/