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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
Finances,
Instruction,
The Future
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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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?
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Answer from Amina Khemici:
The budget process should be clear,community involvement should be encouraged.All the information should be available to the public for inspection and review.Autiding of finacial records are required by law and reviewed by the governing board.
Answer from Shelle G. Thomas:
All infomation should be availabe to the public for inspection and review. Auditing of financial records are required by law and reviewed by the governing board. The budget process should clearly identify the issues and goals the board has adopted. Expenditures should be defined by the district's goals. Public participation should be encouraged.
Answer from Bart Fisher:
I would work with the administration to establish and publicize annual goals for our schools' academic performance, student development, and staff development. Parallel to these annual goals would be a community-based strategic planning process that would focus on our long-term objectives for scholastic success and creating an educational system that produces graduates that have the skills, confidence, and access to resources to successfully attend and graduate from a 4-year college. I would report the results of the annual goals and progress towards the strategic objectives through a number of means, including the Home and School Club community and by partnering with our local paper to publish the results at least once a year.
Answer from Don Moody:
All financial records, outling the use federal, state and local funds, are a matter of public record and available for review by the community. They are reviewed, on a regular basis at our public, School Board meetings. Hard copies of the financial reports are available upon request to members of our community.The budget process is shared publically and is intended to track with the Board goals. Public review and comment is encouraged.
Answer from Mike Hickey:
The only way to truly assess the finances of a district is to have an independent consultant make the assessment. As a board, we decided to hire an independent consultant to review our books. Their findings were excellent-we are in very good condition, our reserves and finances are in order, and our bills are being paid properly. This information is available to the public and was reported at a school board meeting.
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2. Are the schools offering instruction appropriate to the diverse educational abilities of all the students?
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Answer from Amina Khemici:
Equality and equity, ensuring all our children are successful, throught coordinated effort of distribution of state and federal funds and relying on the site collaboration to make sure it is effectively distributed and used.
Answer from Don Moody:
Our schools are attempting to offer instruction that is appropriate to our diverse student population. There is however, always room for improvement. Setting higher standards for all our students is critical. Our students need to be better prepared to compete in our ever changing world. I also feel strongly that our instruction needs to be standardized so that every student, at every school in our district has the same opportunity to achieve.
Answer from Mike Hickey:
Yes, we have aligned our curriculum to the state standards, and we offer additional assistance to ELL students and those with special needs.
Answer from Shelle G. Thomas:
Making sure all our students are successful is the primary role of the governing board. Aligning state standards to curriculum, offering staff development opportunities, assessment information and a clear articulated vison for academic excellence builds academic success.
Answer from Bart Fisher:
Right now, the district is falling short in this area. I think there is a perrenial need to ensure that the funding, staff, and focus exist to ensure that all students are able to receive the instruction that they need in order to achieve their potential, given the chronic underfunding of special education programs and the need to provide enhanced opportunities for gifted students as well. Key to any improvement in this area will be the hiring of the right staff to serve these communities, which is currently an issue for the district. I will work with the rest of the Board to prioritize creating a long-term solution to this problem.
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3. Where do you want the District to be five years from now? What steps should the District take to get there?
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Answer from Don Moody:
I want to see a school district that our community is proud of. I want our students better prepared to compete in whatever the future holds for them. I feel better communication with our community is key. We need to be open to suggestions and share with them our plans. As we get closer to the development of Coyote Valley we need to listen to our community. They all need a voice in how the school district evolves in that regard. No single body, like the school board, should be left to make a decision of that magnitude without community involvement.
Answer from Bart Fisher:
I want it to be graduating an increasing number of students ready to attend a 4-year college, be a magnet for teachers and other professionals who want a challenging and rewarding career in a supportive professional environment, and to have strong ties to the community that reach beyond the typical parental involvement. All of these goals fundamentally require that we open a dialogue within the district and community, tirelessly advocate for academic excellence, and create meaningful, change-oriented opportunities for teachers, parents, and community members to use their unique talents to improve our schools.
Answer from Shelle G. Thomas:
As a trustee, my work is to continue to improve the way our district educates our youth. By promoting a culture of trust and respect in our schools, a trustee plays a critical role in building and maintaining support for schools and engaging the community in support for schools. Excellent schools are grown in a supportive climate of excellence, pride and ownership.
Answer from Mike Hickey:
I would like all of our schools to have an API score of at least 800. As a district, we will need to give the teachers and staff all the necessary tools and support to achieve this goal.
Answer from Amina Khemici:
I'll love to see more community involvement, working collaboratively with parents and community will continue to be my focus in order to prepare our students to be successful lifelong learners.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
