League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Paymon Zarghami Answers Questions Candidate for Trustee; San Jose Unified School District; Trustee Area 4

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

Questions & Answers

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?

Indicators that public dollars are being spent wisely include student outcomes that are related to academic and personal success. These include rich extracurricular options, college and career technical school preparedness and eligibility, and advanced placement course participation and success. Parent and student survey results that can speak to the degree to which our students feel safe on our school campuses and parents feel informed about their students' progress, and metrics related to the quality of instructional practice in the classroom are other indicators.

I will hold regular town hall meetings to report our progress in these areas to the community and will seek feedback and counsel from parents and community members on how the district can make decisions that work toward schools that are safe, meet the academic needs of all students and provide a rich set of extracurricular opportunities so all students are receiving a well-rounded education.

2. Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students?

I believe all students who graduate from our school district must have the choice to purse any post high school option, including career technical programs, community college or university. In 2013, over half of the students who graduated from San Jose Unified were not eligible to apply to college. Our students and schools have so much potential and deserve better than this. Instruction in the classroom must be differentiated in ways that meet the unique learning abilities of all students and must provide our students with the skills to attain success in any post high school choice. Students learn differently and this diversity of learning should be honored in our lesson plans and the activities that students complete in the classroom. Students enter our schools at different levels, so we must also provide support so that our teachers are able to instruct in ways that move every student forward and meets the abilities of all learners. Schools that meet the diverse needs of students also provide a rich set of extracurricular activities, offer courses in science, math, humanities and the arts, and provide access to career technical programs, so students have the opportunity to access the post high school option of their choice. These choices include community college, career technical programs or university.

3. Where do you want the District to be five years from now? What steps should the District take to get there?

In 5 years, every student who graduates from our school district must have the academic skills to succeed in any post high school opportunity of their choice: career technical program, community college or university. Our district needs to 1) ensure instruction promotes a student's ability to analyze, apply, and explain rather than memorize and regurgitate. 2) Our district must also recruit great teachers to deliver instruction at high levels and provide tools and resources for our teachers to ensure instructional excellence is taking place in every classroom. And 3) the district must also offer a rich menu of extracurricular options on every campus that include music, band, drama, arts, and career technical program so that all students are receiving a well-rounded education.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. The answer to each question should be limited to 400 words. 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: October 25, 2014 21:03
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