Candidate for
Board Member; East Side Union High School District

TIM TOM on the ISSUES

-Bringing Developmental Assets from Project Cornerstone into the District's Work Plan

Through my work on the Youth Commission for the City of San Jose and on the Project Cornerstone Steering Committee, I have witnessed first hand the power of the "developmental assets." Developmental Assets are the positive relationships, opportunities, values, and skills that provide the foundation for a healthy, successful future. In general, the more developmental assets that young people possess, the more likely they are to avoid risky behaviors and engage in positive, healthy activities. Through Project Cornerstone's work within our community with numerous School Boards and schools, the City of San Jose was named as one of the 100 best communities for young people by America's Promise. For more information on Project Cornerstone and the Developmental Assets, please visit http://www.projectcornerstone.org

-Focusing on Counselors to Assist Students in Development & Pursuing Further Education

Youth need a network of support through their journey in education. Education should not end in high school, students should be made aware of the resources and opportunities available to them during and after their high school education. Counselors play an integral role in helping students to pursue further education and reduce truancy. Education needs to focus on the WHOLE student through a comprehensive curriculum. There should be a focus on the goals of a Graduate at Graduation. This means at graduation the goal of a graduate is to be: open to growth, intellectually competent, religious/spiritual, loving, committed to doing justice and pursuing leadership growth.

-Ensuring Equitable Distribution of Resources & Opportunities across East Side Schools

Trustees must ensure equity of distribution, equity of opportunity and equity of resources. This is owed to every student in this district. Each and every student deserves the same opportunity and resources that other students recieve regardless of their location. East Side Union High School District covers over half of the City of San Jose and each school is unique. East Side High Schools include: Andrew P. Hill, Evergreen Valley, Independence, James Lick, Mt. Pleasant, Oak Grove, Piedmont Hills, Santa Teresa, Silver Creek, William C. Overfelt and Yerba Buena.

-Increasing Communication & Partnership with Stakeholders on the Budget

Each and every budget dollar represents our students. Trustees must hold administrators responsible for the stewardship of the school district budget and all their actions. With each dollar, there must be the focus on the fundamentals and providing a "caring school climate" that supports our students while ensuring educational success and academic excellence. All the stakeholders within the community should be at the decsion making table to discuss issues and concerns. Likewise, the budget process must be met with a responsive, compassionate and open-minded attitude. Trustees should also work with coalitions of education advocates statewide to secure a fair share of state aid. Budget task forces should work with parents, teachers, administrators, school board members and the community in coordinating the polices of school operations.

-Recruiting & Retaining Faculty, Staff & Administrators

School staff should be fully supported in what they have been called to do. The resources needed for our educational stewards must be provided to ensure that we are educating individuals for tomorrow's future. This includes resources both inside classrooms for teaching and outside classrooms in their own life allowing them to support themselves. In today's competitive job market, it is hard to attract and retain quality and talented employees. Trustees must focus part of their time and energy focusing on the needs of their employees. School staff should be recognized as being a critical and valuable part of the district.

I would be honored and humbled to have your support.

For more information, please visit http://www.timothytom.com