League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Butte County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Governing Board Member; Paradise Unified School District

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Butte County and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Education Funding, School Selection, Charter School Accountability, Arts in the Schools Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. In light of existing and anticipated budget cuts in every governmental service and shrinking tax bases, what are your ideas to keep education in our district the creative and productive experience our children deserve? Answer from Tom Conry: We need to make sure the resources we have are spent wisely and directly on our students. We need to give our teachers, administrators and classified staff the time and authority to make decisions that will improve our schools and lead to improved education for the students. 2. What are the key benefits and drawbacks to parents selecting schools for their children, including the relatively new phenomenon of charter schools? Answer from Tom Conry: The more parents are involved in their children's education the more successful their children will be as students. Parents have many options in choosing schools within the PUSD. Parents should be cautious about choosing charter schools just because it is a charter school. There are good charters and there are bad charters. As in all schools it depends on the quality of the teachers. There are no finer teachers on the Ridge than those found in the Paradise Unified School District. 3. Charter schools are public schools supported by taxpayer dollars. How should they be held accountable to the public? Should their governing boards be required to adhere to the Brown Act? Answer from Tom Conry: The governing boards of charters are and should be subject to the Brown Act. The purpose of the Brown Act is to make sure that the decisions made or in public so nothing secret is being done tax payer money. Charter Schools are generally authorized by the local school board. The Charter School should be free to use whatever educational methods they wish. However, they should be required to administer the same test all other schools in California advminister so the public can judge the success of the Charter School. The authorizing agent must maintian a watch on the budge of the Charter School to make sure money is not misspent. 4. There is widespread agreement –- and adopted learning standards –-affirming the role of the arts in a complete education. And yet, among schools and districts across the state, access to the arts is inconsistent or nonexistent. How should the state ensure that the arts have their rightful role in every K-12 curriculum? Answer from Tom Conry: It is the responsibility of the State to provide funding for our schools that will allow for these programs. Currently they are not providing the needed funds. However, in the Paradise Unified School District the School Board I am a member of believes the Arts are a necessary part of a childs education. We continue to provide music programs for our students and are expanding those opportunities whenever possible. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. 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.