Theresa Crane Answers Teachers' Questions

By Theresa R. Crane

The Taft Elementary Teachers Association requested the candidate's response to 14 important questions for their organization's consideration of endorsement. Theresa Crane responded to each question in a timely manner and the full text is provided for your review.

1. Please tell us about your educational, business and service background.

• Occupation: Substitute Teacher
• Experienced Taft City School District Trustee
• CSBA Master of Boardsmanship Award
• Bachelor of Science Degree
• Life Member Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society
• Member Kern County Network for Children
• Active in church and community organizations
• Member of Taft Sportsmen's Club
• Past Member California School Boards Association
• Past Member Kern County School Boards Association
• Graduate of Taft City School District
• Graduate of Taft Union High School

I am seeking this opportunity to serve as a school board member as a delegate of the underrepresented individuals and organizations of our school community. I have noticed that the board is virtually unresponsive to the needs of our district employees. It is huge disservice when public servants ridicule and ignore the sounds of distress from school employees and students. I want our employees to be recognized and treated as the valued professionals they are.

3. Describe the role of a School Board member (as you see it).

My vision of a school board member's role includes the duty of recruiting, hiring, and evaluating the performance of the superintendent, employ an ethical chief negotiator for collective bargaining, legitimize the policies of the school district, establish educational plans for the district, approve an annual budget, conduct pupil discipline hearings, maintain personal communication with school staff, students, and members of the community, and work with city, county, and other government officials on educational matters.

4. What do you think are the three most important issues facing the District today?

• Provide safe schools of learning and academic achievement.
• Encourage excellence and reliability from the District Superintendent.
• Attract and retain valued school employees with competitive salaries; i.e. cut through difficult collective bargaining: When the State Proffers, the District should Offer!

At the present time, the TCSD is involved in a serious conflict between school employees and the administration. The problem of labor relations and appropriate collective bargaining remains unresolved. I would work to be enjoined with a majority of the board to insist that the superintendent adjust the budget to appropriately remunerate the school employees for their service so that they will be pleased with a fulfilling career within the district. If I were on the board now, I would expect that the district superintendent and chief negotiator would express the philosophical standard of the board. In attempting to settle a contract with an appropriate pay raise, if the superintendent could not find the funding, then the board should seek help from a consultant with the California School Boards Association who could, without bias, see through unnecessary expenditures and carve out a priority to retain and attract qualified school employees for our district.

6. Describe a particularly difficult decision you have made as a Board member. What was the issue? How did you reach a decision? Would you make a different decision today?

A difficult decision that I made as a board member involved the timing to introduce the Class-size Reduction Program. It was my personal belief that the program should be initiated at the beginning of a school year so as not to disrupt the youngest pupils mid-year (bussing to new schools, and leaving behind a familiar teacher and friends). Some parents were understandably unsettled at the prospect of this large transition. A majority of the board expressed an interest to initiate the program mid-year. In retrospect, I would have voted to start the program at its earliest availability. That was a very good decision by the board at that time.

7. Describe the role of the District Superintendent as you see it.

The role of the district superintendent is to responsibly perform as the chief administrator who carries out the philosophy of the board. A superintendent is an asset to the district when performing an important duty as an ethical advisor to the board.

8. What do you consider the biggest priorities for the District's budget to be?

I consider the biggest priorities for the TCSD budget to be:

• Employee Salary/Benefits
• Educational Materials and Supplies
• Proper maintenance of school facilities

During my tenure as a TCSD board member, I regularly visited every school site at the time of special events and presentations, which included Back-to-School Nights, Open House, Holiday Celebrations, Spelling Bees, Language Arts Festivals, and Science Fairs. I enjoyed serving as a judge at several of these events. I like to visit classrooms upon invitation by the teachers. I presently enjoy my work as a substitute teacher within the TCSD and have received a greater perspective of the classrooms. It is an amazing experience.

10. What frustrations have you experienced as a Board member?

I prefer to consider the satisfactions experienced as a board member, but frustrations have, nevertheless, been experienced. It is trying when students are not able to achieve to their highest capability. A number of identifiable circumstances contribute to this challenge + all of which are frustrating to me because I care about the condition and education of our children.

11. What role do you feel the Board should play in the development of the District budget? The board should play a significant role in ratifying a timely and equitable budget. It is anticipated that the development of the budget should be upon the skilled decision-making of those on the inside: teachers, support staff, school site councils, principals, and central administration.

12. Do you believe the Administration of the TCSD should be held to high standards of ethical behavior? Please explain.

Yes, I do believe the Administration of the TCSD should be held to high standards of ethical behavior. Ethics and effectiveness go hand in hand and they must form the standard for which behavior is conducted. If the actions of the administration are guided by an appropriate ethical code of conduct, then there is an increased likelihood of effectiveness that will produce positive results. An administration's code of ethics should include virtues of honesty, trust, fairness, and integrity.

13. What are your financial priorities for TCSD? (Class size reduction, technology, sports programs, etc.)

• Higher salaries for school employees
• Class-size reduction
• Facility maintenance

The type of direct communication that I would like to see between all interested parties and the board would include the encouragement of participation at the board meetings with the confidence that those addressing the board will receive ethical communication that builds trust and enthusiastic collaboration. A legally announced board meeting is the time of communication with member(s) of the board and the public; communicating with a board member outside of meeting, while perhaps necessary, is not actually a form of "board" communication but may be very helpful for the member to receive/share information preparatory to a meeting. I encourage open dialogue.