As a 30 year resident of the City of Rialto, I have experienced, as my children have first hand, the many ups and downs in the Rialto Unified School District. My five daughters have attended RUSD schools and I currently have two granddaughters attending schools within this District. We have great schools and highly qualified educators, paraeducators, classified staff and administrators working hard to turn our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren into successful adults.

 

Unfortunately as of late, the District has suffered several enormous setbacks. The nutrition services embezzlement has illustrated the lack of supervision within that department. The misappropriation of funds and numerous unnecessary contracts under the former administration has resulted in a depletion of over half of the District’s reserve funds. And the devastating essay assignment about the Holocaust brings to question the moral guidance of the children. The financial issues can be fixed with simple restructuring and proper oversight, but the latter will take years of healing.

 

Currently the District is suffering another devastating low; student performance. Over the past 5 years student performance and test scores have flat lined; zero growth. Suspension and drop out rates have risen and college entrance levels are below average. Special education is lacking the necessary curriculum and teacher development to move this program forward. Lupita Nyong’o, winner of the 2014 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Patsey in the movie 12 Years A Slave said, “Every child, no matter where you are from, your dreams are valid.” As a District, I don’t think that we are validating our student’s dreams.

 

The previous superintendent was running a pyramid scam that benefitted only him. Did he care about the students, I think he did. But he provided just enough programming and events to increase the moral of certain students and win the favor of their parents. Feeding these students and parents just enough so all the acclaim would be funneled up to him. We need to reverse that pyramid and become a humbled administration and focus everything on to the children. Giving them the positive chances they need to

help make their dreams come true. And it begins with the Board of Education.

 

As a member of the Superintendents Advisory Committee to establish the Local Control Accountability Plan, LCAP as it more commonly known, I saw several areas of major concerns that I intend to focus on:

 

Change the School Climate to Become a Safer Environment

 

Many of the RUSD campuses are secured but we need to finish securing those that are not. Evaluate those that are for any possible weaknesses and address them. Insure that all 29 RUSD sites are drug and alcohol free and provide an onsite support system at all school sites to help any at risk students.  Implement awareness training for the staff in an effort to assist school site security with noticing, identifying and addressing risk factors. It is imperative to keep our students, your children, in a safe school environment and as your Board Member it is my responsibility to guarantee that safety. 

 

Provide All Students Access to Challenging Courses 

 

Ensure students have access to more challenging and broad base courses, including Career Technical Education (CTE) and Special Education. The addition of the Culinary Academy and Engineering Academy to the existing CTE program has broadened and strengthened the existing program preparing our students for careers after graduation. Our special needs students should have the classes, programs and services that benefit their specific needs. As your Board Member, I will work with the administration to search for programming and provide funding that will increase local student involvement. Instead of referring students to existing programs outside if the District, expand the current system and provide training to the staff. With the proper tools and training we could propel the CTE and Special Education Programs to new heights.

 

Increase the Basic Services at the Teaching and Classified Levels

 

Ensure the District has credentialed and a highly qualified teaching staff for all subjects, all courses and all grade levels. As your Board Member I will work to provide funding for:

 

•  Functional computer labs at each school site and upgrade those that current lack the tools necessary to  assist the students      and staff.

 

•  Equip all school libraries with current media support for students and staff, including CTE and Special  Education Programs.

 

•  Ensure the teaching staff has appropriate paraeducators to assist them to develop student achievement.

 

Increase Student Achievement and Graduation Rates

 

If we can increase attendance and graduation rates while the suspension, chronic absenteeism and drop-out rates will subsequently decrease. As your Board Member, I intend to follow through the development and the success of the District’s LCAP. Quarterly reviews will provide data so appropriate adjustment can be made, as your Board Member I will assist in what ever capacity to accommodate these adjustments.

 

Increase Parental Involvement

 

Another big effort to decrease the suspension, chronic absenteeism and drop-out rates is to increase parental involvement. Increasing the programs, training and communication between the District and the parents through the Curtis T. Winton Parent Institute will educate our parents on the importance of their child’s education. California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Education is the answer to success. The more you learn, the more you earn.” A collaborative effort between the parents and the District to engage and intensify our student’s drive to educational achievement will lead to financial succeed.

 

Become more Connected with the Students

 

As your Board Member, I plan to be as involved with student programs, attend student events and support student activities. The more the School Board Members show the students that we support and care about their activities, the more valued they feel increasing their self-esteem and increasing graduation rates, while decreasing drop-out rates.

 

The Local Control Funding Formula, more Commonly Referred to as LCFF

 

LCFF is a major factor to student development. It will enable lower income communities, such as Rialto, additional funding to incorporate additional programs, increase educator development and hire the necessary teachers and classified staff to fill voids created by layoffs over the last several years. As your Board Member, I will work diligently insure the funds also need to be spent wisely. Example, hiring 2 paraeducators at 2/3’s the cost of a teacher to perform one-on-one tutoring and instructional assistance in the computer lab, library or media center is fiscally responsible, saves money while at the same time creates more jobs.

 

Controlling Spending

 

As your Board Member, I will bring my experience as a Capital Projects Coordinator to the District, scrutinizing and questioning unnecessary spending and service contracts in an effort to have this District become more fiscally responsible. By reducing spending, and contracted services to outside

companies when we can perform the work in-house (example, hiring outside painting contractors) when the District has qualified and skilled painters on staff within the maintenance & operations department.

As your Board Member, I am passionate about raising student scores, lowering the drop-out rate, increasing attendance and graduation rates, increasing parent involvement, expand the possibilities for our special needs students while controlling spending on unnecessary programs and contracts.

 

I am not an educated man in the since that I do not have a college degree. But I have learned over my many years of life experience that you do not have to be someone big to do something, you just have to be committed, stand up and do it. As your Board Member, I will be committed to do my best to provide the quality education necessary to fulfill our student’s dreams.

 

Neil Postman, American author and cultural critic wrote, “Children are the living message we send to a time we will not see.” I would like to believe that Ms. Francis my 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Gordon my 6th grade English teacher, Mr. Wong my 9th grade business teacher and Mr. Christy my 11 grade Algebra II teacher are all proud of where I am today. Just as them, some of us may not see the fulfillment of the dreams our students may have for themselves, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing something.

 

As your Board Member, I will be committed to bringing a new prospective to the Board of Education by helping RUSD return to a higher and more productive educational level. As your Board Member, I will be dedicated to creating the opportunities for dreams to be fulfilled. As your Board Member, I will focus on getting the heartbeat back into student performance.