Candidate for
Board Member; Redwood City School District; 4 Year Term

PERSONAL HISTORY

When my husband, Jim Patiņo, and I married in 1987, we moved to Redwood City from San Jose. Our children, Colin 15 and Harry 9, were both born in Redwood City where they have attended public schools. I was on the Roy Cloud PTA executive board for 6 one-year terms (1999-2005) and have been associated with the following organizations:

• Redwood City Chamber of Commerce
• Leadership RWC
• Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center
• Library Internet Policy Task Force
• Redwood City Traffic Committee

I grew up in California, graduating from SJSU in 1980 with a BA in English. Those in my generation benefited from an exceptional public school system. In the past four years, as Trustee of the Redwood City School District, I have worked hard to bring that same educational experience to my children's generation. The RCSD is a remarkable school district, both for what it has accomplished and for the many challenges that it faces. With visionary leadership, we can make the public schools in Redwood City even better...as remarkable as they were two generations ago.

RAISE SCORES AND REACH OUT

To accomplish this goal, we must equip all students for academic success and prepare them for a future full of opportunities. To do this, I pledge to:

• REDUCE THE LEARNING GAP between English language learners and native English speakers.

• RAISE TEST SCORES FOR ALL students and provide tutoring for any student requiring it.

• REDUCE DROPOUT RATES in the High Schools by better preparing all students in K-8 grades.

• IMPROVE DISTRICT FINANCES and increase the public's trust in our financial management through transparency, better communication, and sound fiscal management.

• CREATE PARTNERSHIPS with local high schools, colleges, businesses, foundations, and governments to forge a future for district students and create student networks that connect students to mentors, schools, and businesses.

A school board has no greater responsibility than hiring their district's superintendent. I would like to use my experience from the past four years on the school board trustee to help with that process and selecting select a superstar superintendent for our district. What I will be looking for in our next superintendent is someone who will improve:

• FINANCIAL STABILITY and sustain the programs responsible for our steady rise in test scores

• STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT as measured by increases in test scores across the district

• COMMUNICATION AND TRUST with the community, parents, staff, and the board

Both cities and counties benefit from a vast array of boards and commissions to improve the quality of residents' lives. Volunteers who sit on these boards and commissions contribute their knowledge, skills, and passion. What they take away with them is a better understanding of their community and an advocacy that is infectious. I would like to do the same by creating community-based advisory committees for the RCSD that will focus on the following areas:

• PR: Our district is the best kept secret in this state. With expert volunteers on a PR advisory committee, we can educate our community about our vast successes and incredible programs.

• GRANT WRITING: Our successes over the past few years depended on funding many innovative programs. We must find recurring funding sources to continue to fund these programs. Grant writers can provide the help we need to continue our upward trend in student achievement.

• FINANCE: No state is more complicated than California when it comes to funding public education. Our district will benefit from a community-based committee to review our budget and report our finances back to the board and community in an easy-to-understand way.

With your help, I will continue my work on the Redwood City School Board to help improve our children's education and, ultimately, to help improve their lives.

Many, many thanks for taking the time to educate yourself on the issues and the candidates. Please vote Tuesday, November 8th and if you like what you've read about me, please vote for me and return me to the Redwood City School Board.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, I encourage you to contact me at: techwright@earthlink.net .

-Patricia Wright