| Santa Clara County, CA | November 4, 2014 Election |
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Every school has improved in the 12 years that I have been on the boardBy Ellen WheelerCandidate for Board Member; Mountain View-Whisman School District |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
By every measure - test scores, school scores, high academic standards for all, and continued emphasis on "the whole child" - our district is better than it was 12 years agoWhen I first stepped onto the board 12 years ago our district test scores were 100 points lower. While some of our schools scored above 800 (the mark of successful schools in California), most did not. There was an unacceptably large achievement gap between our low income students and the children from our wealthier families. We did not have a parcel tax, so we couldn't provide the art, music, PE, science, and counseling that are so important for our children. And, in the center of Silicon Valley, we were woefully behind in technology. In the past 12 years our test scores have risen over 100 points. ALL of our schools today score above 800. Our low income students have led the way, by taking and succeeding in challenging classes. Our high income students score among the highest in the county. This is thanks to dedicated work by our teachers, administrators, families, and students. And, happily, our voters approved two parcel taxes. Our current parcel tax, along with generous donations to our education foundation, now provide the art, music, PE, sports, science, technology, and counseling that provide joy and enrichment to the lives of our children. And, the bond our voters recently approved means that our renovated middle schools are places our community can be proud of, with our elementary schools next up. I meet with parents, teachers, staff, and other education experts nearly every day in order to have the fullest perspective on issues facing our district. We work together to close the achievement gap so that all of our students can achieve their dream of attending college or getting a skilled job. It's essential that the students who graduate from our middle schools are academically prepared for the rigorous coursework in their high school. We start that preparation on the first day of kindergarten and every day since then. When our students meet up with their Los Altos School District peers in high school it results in our two high schools being ranked in the top 1% in the United States. Let's keep this up. |
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ca/scl Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 22, 2014 22:41
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