League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Trustee; San Jose Unified School District; Trustee Area 2

The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Funding, Curriculum, Goals Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 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? Answer from Susan (Slater) Ellenberg: Obtaining funds from a variety of public and private sources with the attendant strings attached to those funds results in a very complicated budget for trustees to monitor and ensure that funds are spent effectively and efficiently. My experience positions me well to ask tough questions, analyze deeply and advocate for the best and highest use of those funds. I would report progress toward this goal by holding town hall meetings for parents and other community stakeholders. 2. Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students? Answer from Susan (Slater) Ellenberg: Student diversity is the strength of SJUSD. Respecting that diversity without predetermining that certain students will succeed where others will not is imperative for everyone involved with the district schools. Learners at all levels must be motivated by high, yet achievable goals and educators must support their efforts. 3. Where do you want the District to be five years from now? What steps should the District take to get there? Answer from Susan (Slater) Ellenberg: In five years, the achievement gap in SJUSD should be closed. Please see my Quest for Excellence plan on my website for details as to how this goal can be achieved. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. The answer to each question should be limited to 400 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.