Differentiation

Differentiation is all the rage in the District and is the topic of discussion among the staff and parents in the District this year. I believe differentiated curriculum is essential in every classroom and you really get to see it in action in a multi-age classroom. Curriculum activities are targeted to the developmental needs of a wide range of ages and students progress along a continuum of simple to more complex material at their own pace. Differentiation works well to meet the needs of children on both ends of the academic spectrum.  As a School Board Member, I would encourage collaboration among the schools in the differentiated curriculum discussion in the District.

Candidate Forums

I will be involved in several candidate forums over the next few weeks. Please consider attending one to learn more about me and share your views. Two of these forums will involve all three candidates:

Tuesday, October 2, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., Central Middle School Library

Wednesday, October 17, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Charter Learning Center / Terra Linda Campus Old Gym

If you are interested in hosting a candidate forum, please contact me directly to make arrangements.

Excess Construction Money

I am interested in what the community thinks should be done with the excess construction money. Specific projects were prioritized and chosen for the school modernization and construction work on each school campus in the district.

I must commend the school board on its management of this Bond money and the construction because there is about $4 million in excess money from this Bond. The question is, “how to best spend the excess money?”  Should it be spent on defined projects that meet the requirements of the bond or should the School Board go back to the voters to do something else (but still facilities related?) with the excess money? It is obviously much more effective to use it on defined school modernization projects like putting in new windows, since none of the schools had their windows updated. Are there other things that you think the money should be spent on for campus modernization?

Why I am Running for School Board

I am running for school board now, while my three children are in the district schools, so that I can contribute to the needs of the district and influence district decisions during the years that matter most to me and my family.  My experience with contract negotiations, data analysis, facilities and construction management, and finance would be a good addition to an already diverse board of trustees.

I ran for school board in 2003 when my oldest child was starting kindergarten. The San Carlos School District was in a financial crisis and I thought I could apply my broad based skill set to help the district through that situation. Although I was not elected, I received about 12% of the vote in an election that was decided by 7 votes.

Over the past 4 years, I have been actively involved in the San Carlos School District: I served on the District’s Quality Space Committee in 2003, and I am just completing my second term as a member of the Governance Council at the San Carlos Charter Learning Center. My District involvement also includes writing grant applications for the San Carlos Educational Foundation (SCEF) and volunteering for the Chickens’ Ball Steering Committee, which both raise money for all seven schools in the District. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the needs of our schools and our children, and I welcome the opportunity to contribute even more as a Member of the School Board.