Candidate for
Member, Governing Board; Rim of the World Unified School District; Trustee Area 2

For twenty one years, I taught English Language Arts for the Los Angeles Unified School District. The last eighteen of them were at Huntington Park Senior High School, and please note, this was not Huntington Beach; my students were poor Hispanics, not surfers. I taught at every level from English as a Second Language to Advanced Placement Literature and Advanced Placement Composition. I also re-started the Drama program and directed the school plays. In 2000 I became a National Board Certified Teacher.

In the spring of 2010, I retired. After a few months of traveling to decide where I wanted to live next, I bought a home in Lake Arrowhead and moved here that fall. I can truly say that every day since then has provided me with another reason for rejoicing in my choice. Aside from its natural charm, I've found Lake Arrowhead to be a warm and welcoming environment.

I come from a family and a tradition that believes in serving one's community. Consequently, I've sought avenues by which to make a contribution. I joined Lake Arrowhead Rotary and am presently its president-elect as well as chairman of next summer's Rotary Art and Wine Festival. I serve on the board of the Mountain Jewish Community as recording secretary. At the Blue Jay Library, I started a book club, Notable Books, devoted to reading prize worthy non-fiction and literary fiction. Finally, last year I joined the Board of Directors of the Rim of the World Recreation and Parks District, a post that I shall resign if I'm elected to the school board.

When a vacancy was announced on the Rim of the World Unified School District board, I decided to run because I see this as a way to continue my involvement with public education. At close range, I've witnessed many changes in American education over the last decades, not all for the better, and have no illusions about the difficulties and contentions facing public schools in general, and Rim schools in particular. I'm anticipating a tough go on the board, but I am heartened by the fact that I come to it without a personal agenda, and with no axes to grind or scores to settle.

What I do have are some firm convictions about what constitutes best practices in education. The present reliance on standardized testing is unfortunate as we are evaluating schools on much too narrow criteria. What I favor is a school culture that is rich and diverse, allowing all students to explore their interests and to excel in one way or another. Electives, enrichment classes, athletics, and extra-curriculars rank high in my priorities. I further believe that curtailing such options and teaching-to-the-test undermine our district's best hope for weathering the present budget crisis: to enroll more students on our campuses.

At this writing, there are two studies in the works regarding closing one or more campuses and relocating students. Budget line items are under review and economies sought. There are also negotiations to be conducted with representatives of district employees. No one is likely to emerge from this process unscathed, but I believe we can close the gap without degrading our program. This is the challenge that I seek to undertake.

While mindful of the board's mission to hearken to all stake holders, I naturally have a special regard for teachers. Our below average pay scale makes me worry about attracting and retaining the calibre of teachers that we have come to expect in Rim classrooms. Furthermore, my own experience in the Los Angeles district was that working conditions were too often pushed to the back burner even when cost was not at issue. I plan to be vigilant about such matters, recognizing that working conditions for teachers directly affect learning conditions for children.

I've often thought I could fashion my experiences with educational fads and reforms into a pretty fair comedy routine. We have seen many politicians and self styled educators meddle with the vital business of teaching and nurturing our kids. School boards and administrators have scurried to comply with programs and mandates that typically disappear within three years, swept away by a reversing pendulum. Smart teachers and administrators absorb good ideas and defer the rest, and so should school boards. I expect that my greatest contribution to the Rim of the World school board will be my ability, derived from many thousands of hours in the classroom, to distinguish wheat from chaff. Also, I'm a quick study in parsing budgets and legal codes. I further believe that I bring to the board communication skills that can help us unite in achieving our district's mission. I hope I will be given this opportunity.