Major Campaign Issue

By Gina Lewis

Non-responsiveness of the present School Board to its constituents.

WHAT QUALIFIES ME TO HOLD THE OFFICE:

I am qualified to hold the position of School Board Trustee because;

1. I am goal oriented. I am a caring and nurturing parent of school age children and my interest in excellence in the educational opportunites available in our District,is both personal and communal. I am goal oriented, hard working and persistent, and if elected I will use all my energies to promote the best possible future for all students in our district.

2. Communication/Availability: I am an active member of our community and through my extensive community contacts, I have discovered that most of our community students, parents, teachers and taxpayers alike, feel that the communication with the school board, is non-productive if not totally lacking. I have always made myself available to the constituents of my various community activities and if I am elected, I will continue to be readily available to all.

3. Leadership: I am a team player who is not afraid to disagree with the team if I feel we are straying from our mandate, which should be the"best interest" of our students, first. When necessary, I will take a leadership role to be sure that the school board is not just "rubber stamping" requests from the Superintendent, without proper investigation and information. I will work actively for "the best interest" of students, our teachers, and our community as a whole, even if some of the positions I take are not popular with the administration. Simultaneously, with stating my positions I will work very hard to achieve consensus amongst the school board.

4. POSITIONS PREVIOUSLY HELD: Tom Kitayama Elementary School Site Council (SSC): Chairperson (1999-2000) & Vice- Chair (1998-1999), California Assocaition of Park & Recreation Commissioners & Board Members: Board of Directors Member,Secretary, Trainer. Personnel, Fund Raising, Training & Membership Committee's, San Francisco Paralegal Association Student Represtative- California State University, Hayward Campus Rep., & Education Committee Co-Chair, Hayward Superior Court- Family Law Volunteer, Alameda County Bar Association: case placement & intake volunteer, Mission Valley Catholic Youth Organization- Track & Field Parent volunteer, and City of Union City 40th Birthday Celebration volunteer. Collectively these roles have provided me with budget, personnel, planning and master planning (Park & Recreation component, City of Union CIty) experiences neccessary to assume and contribute to a seat on the school board.

• * CURRENT OBILGATIONS: Currently I have one meeting per month as a Park & Recreation Commissioner. I attend one School Community Program Councial meeting per month. One School Site Council meeting per month. This year I am not an elected member of our School Site Council. I would attend all scheduled meetings barring a health or emergency situation arising. Furthermore; I will not be taking on any additional committments at this time unless it is a special project of limited duration.