Candidate for
Board Member; Sequoia Union High School District

Aim for Educational Excellence for All of Our Children

My leading goal and the reason I made the commitment to seek a seat on the district board is to assure excellence in our local public high schools. Public education represents the most important investment we can make in our children and community. We are fortunate to live in a district that understands the value of providing excellent public schools. My wife and I have witnessed that directly in the exceptional teachers who inspire and guide the learning of our two boys and their classmates. But there is more work to be done, and significant challenges to be met. These include:

Dollars Well Spent

In the past few months the district has made cuts of $2.5 million in it's operating budget; another $1.5 million may be necessary. I want to be sure we are working effectively with the state legislature and don't lose local money to offset the state deficit. Equally important, our efforts must maximize the funding that goes toward student learning. My financial management experience in the for-profit and education sectors will be diligently applied to address these tough challenges.

Graduation Rate Improved

Research at Stanford and lots of news stories highlight the extraordinary costs of students failing to graduate from high school. Yet the drop out rate in our district is extraordinarily high. (Data is not readily accessible, but many put attrition over 25%.) I support the district's innovative programs and external partnerships that show promise to help more students make the grade. These and additional efforts are essential.

Research-Driven Innovation & Change

Let's make sure we "develop the capacity of schools and teachers to create practices that reflect what is now known about effective ways to teach and learn." That's what Linda Darling-Hammond concluded in her "The Right to Learn: A Blue Print for Creating Schools That Work." I agree. We are fortunate to have great resources here in the Bay Area, and smart, experienced educators who are dedicated to finding new solutions for our schools. We must take advantage of every opportunity to improve the practice and profession of education.

Charter School Planning & Collaboration

Across the nation and here in the district you can't miss the debates about charter schools. I happen to line up with President Obama and Secretary Duncan who have called the charter phenomenon, "one of the most profound changes in American education -- bringing new options to underserved communities and introducing competition and innovation into the education system." No matter where you stand on the issue, (and there is disagreement from respected and thoughtful friends,) our charter schools and district need to work more collaboratively and less combatively to realize gains for more students. We need to think how the benefits to the few students can be multiplied district-wide.

Community Support

In the many conversations I have had in gearing up for this campaign, it has been a delight to hear of the great pride in our schools, and the progress we've seen during the past decade. It is vital to push this still further. We know that public accountability, showing results, and good communication are important factors in developing community support.

As another measure of community support and confidence, we should actively explore what more can be done to retain families in our public school system, especially at the stage when students move from middle school to high school. We need and will benefit from the continued participation of these families in our public schools.

I welcome your comments on any of the issues, or other areas of pride or concern for our district high schools. Send email to: info@cthomsen.com