Candidate for
Board Member; San Mateo-Foster City School District

The Board of Trustees is responsible for setting District policy and overseeing District operations to ensure the policy direction is carried out in a professional manner.

The District has shown fairly consistent improvement in student performance as measured by API test scores; it is necessary to ensure that this improvement is matched by real growth in individual student achievement. Academic programs must challenge students' abilities, and resources must be found to preserve music, arts, library, and technology programs.

The voter-approved Measure L in 2008 approved the sale of over $150 million in bonds for capital improvement projects; the board must ensure that these funds are spent wisely and that the District budgets appropriately for maintenance of the new and upgraded facilities.

The Board should encourage District efforts to reduce teacher turnover and improve labor relations, but with a clear mandate to maintain budgetary discipline.

The District's planning must be improved, to ensure that issues such as the current overcrowding in some District schools are identified more quickly in the future and remedies put into place sooner.