League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 8, 2011 Election
	Reid Myers Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Sunnyvale School District

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?

Our district has a proven record of fiscal responsibility and has weathered the lack of funds from the state very well. There is a system of transparency, measurability, and community input in place which helps to ensure our funds are being used wisely and fairly. We have a Citizens Oversight Committee which approves all expenditures from our bond measures. The public can give input to budget items at our public Board meetings. Principals are asked to show measurable results when allocating their budgets which also helps ensure smart spending.

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

Here in Sunnyvale, we have a wide range of student ability as well as an incredibly diverse student base. It is an evolving process to ensure that we are meeting the needs of each child at their level, and something I would like to focus on. Currently, our teachers have some tools that help them meet each child's needs. Teachers are working together in Professional Learning Communities to leverage each other's knowledge, and they have opportunities to group children by ability. Additionally, our teachers are given Professional Development classes to help them differentiate in the classroom, so the children can be learning the same thing- but at the appropriate level that matches their ability.

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

I would love to see the district in a better financial position in five years. I'd like to see counselors, librarians, custodians, coaches and aides on each campus. I would like to see more technology integrated into the learning process. I would love to see the focus on education, from a national and state level, more on the "whole child" -- where we work on giving our children both academics, and life-skills to prepare them to go to college, get jobs, and compete in a global, 21st century economy.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 4, 2011 08:16
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