Candidate for
Board Member; San Juan Unified School District

Greg Paulo is an experienced teacher with a passion for education. He understands education and what students and teachers need to guarantee success. He led both young men and women to victory in athletics as he will lead the district back to academic excellence and premier educational status. Now retired, he has the energy and the time to devote to our school district.

Testing and accountability are watch words in education today. Though standardized tests are by no means the only measurement of student success, it is one way of holding students, teachers, and schools accountable in addressing the California Content Standards. My focus is equitable funding, ensuring that all children have equal opportunity. We need to focus on the students, teachers, and schools that require the most support and make sure that they are adequately funded to ensure student success.

San Juan is a district that is experiencing declining enrollment. The district must encourage students to enroll by offering alternative opportunities. These programs must include college preparatory tracks, vocational/industrial arts, agriculture/FFA, arts, athletics and music The Mira Loma IB program as an example, attracts students from both within and outside of the district.

Since Measure J passed, the district has addressed many of the immediate needs of the schools focusing primarily on internet access and heating/air-conditioning. Many of our school sites are more than forty years old. Considering this, we must work first to upgrade those sites to ensure our students remain competitive with other districts. Secondly, we must work to improve the aesthetics of the buildings and make individual sites a place that students and teachers can be proud of.

Once the district addresses the declining enrollment and facilities concerns will we be able to avoid closing schools. I understand that neighborhood schools offer much more than an education to your child. Schools are a community unto themselves. I started my teaching career at Orangevale Elementary School; a school targeted for closure. I will do everything to ensure that school closures are considered only aa a last resort.

As an outsider to school politics, I'll offer a new perspective and ideas to address the serious issues that confront SJUSD. As a leader in the community, I'll focus on solutions, ask the tough questions and demand answers and accountability. We will give district residents true value for their taxes by making the San Juan bureaucracy lean and trim. We will return the San Juan Unified School District to a level of excellence that each of its stakeholders deserves. I look foward to the opportunity to make significant and positive changes in the district.