Dilution of Focus on Achievement

As we visualize a program for San Carlos with value added through the pyramid developed with the San Carlos Educational Foundation, I will work to keep front and center what I consider the important values in the district schools:

• achievement
• teachers' professional growth
• spending decisions with children at the center

We desire quality programs across all schools: electives, PE, music, counseling, adequate administration, fuller pay. It is important to have vision for more and to want more for our children. Yet one of the challenges to the board in a climate of rising expectations will be to avoid dilution of the board's focused effort on staff's professional growth and student achievement.

If the board diverts its attention from support of achievement to special interests, opportunity could be lost to help staff and children progress. Training of teachers, funding for collaboration and planning are critically important to excellent teaching and learning. They will remain critically important goals for me. Related is the need to support teachers' growth in ability to challenge all our children from the gifted and talented to the most challenged.

Budget Structure

It's true that smaller class sizes, music, the arts, counseling, and fuller pay allow us to retain experienced and skilled staff and to support student achievement. The training of young and new staff must receive emphasis since over half of San Carlos teachers are new within the last five years. Beginning teachers make almost $50,000 now with benefits and while it is not easy for a single person to live in this area on $50,000, the school district has made strides in raising beginning teacher salaries. The district needs to develop its young teachers, pay them adequately, and pay them within its means.

We need to be careful that the budget structure bears the salary burden over time. Every position has built in cost increases. In response to successful fundraising efforts of parents and the parcel tax passed by voters in 2003, the district will slowly restructure its spending. If fundraising efforts are consistently successful, no shocks are likely. District salaries as a percentage of the district budget are likely to increase, however.