Mountain View Los Altos Union High School Board of Trustees
I value the leadership role of being an MVLA Trustee, and find it extremely rewarding to serve in the local community. MVLA is a great District, and I'm proud to serve on its Board of Trustees.
Now that my first of three children has completed his MVLA education and is starting college, I can appreciate even more what the MVLA District does to academically prepare its students...in breadth, in rigor, in critical thinking skills...for the challenges they'll face beyond high school.
I grew up in Menlo Park, am a product of local public schools, and have been a long-time believer in local public education. As my children enrolled in their neighborhood Mountain View schools, I became increasingly involved in volunteer efforts at their schools.
I served on the PTA (Bubb School), School Site Council (Bubb School), Education Foundation (Mountain View Whisman School District - MVWSD), Council PTA (Los Altos Mountain View PTA Council), Budget Task Force (MVWSD), and several District-level (MVWSD) strategic planning committees. The role on the Budget Task Force familiarized me with details of school district budgeting, accounting, and cash flows, which differ from those comparable areas in private industry.
Through my involvement in the elementary District, I learned about MVLA and the breadth of opportunities that are offered to students, not only at the two traditional high school campuses (Los Altos High School and Mountain View High School), but also through Adult Education, and Alternative Programs like Middle College and Freestyle Academy.
When a seat opened on the MVLA Board in 2007, I enthusiastically applied, as I believed I could add value, and bring unique perspectives to the Board. I was appointed and have served since 2007.
I'm not driven by any single issue, but instead a broad interest in serving the community and seeing that all students in the MVLA District receive a challenging, supported, and well-rounded education.
Improving academic achievement at ALL levels.
It is critical to provide a full range of classes for students at all ability levels. In addition, an academic support structure must be maintained to ensure student success. This priority goes hand-in-hand with continuing to increase college-readiness.
Ensuring that financial plans are responsible, sustainable, and aligned with District Goals.
The needs of today must be balanced with the ability to sustain programs long term. As a Basic Aid local property tax-funded district, MVLA receives 85% of its income from property taxes. While times are good today, the economy is cyclical, and there are financial challenges on the horizon.
Providing classes and programs that meet the evolving needs of students and the desires of our community, with an openness to innovative new approaches that enhance student learning.
The most recent example is the expansion of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) course offerings, which includes the reduction of class sizes in math. In the past 5 years, the District has added a significant number of new courses and programs, which serve students at ALL academic levels and with varying interests. The district is also integrating technology in course offerings and student learning. Los Altos High School is piloting a “Learning in the Cloud” (BYOD) initiative this year. I support thinking outside the box, and continuing to pursue new opportunities.
Increasing support programs and outreach to under-represented students and familes.
The Achievement Gap has been narrowing with the help of programs and initiatives like bilingual counselors and liaisons to the Latino community, parent groups, skills classes, homework clubs, and AVID. 2014-15 introduces two new initiatives: The District's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), and the Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) venture at MVHS. It will be important to work diligently on these new efforts, and to seek out other strategies going forward.
Counseling and guidance programs (Including, but not limited to: low student-to-counselor ratios, at-risk counselors at both schools, District “Case Manager”, college & careercounselors, CHAC support, mental-health support and training)
These programs and services are essential for many of our students, both in pursuit of opportunities beyond high school, and in navigating day-to-day challenges. Further, an item like mental health support could be needed by any student at any time, so it's imperative that teachers and staff be trained.
It is critical to continue the District’s positive momentum in academic achievement and in narrowing the achievement gap. This includes continuing current initiatives, while also seeking out new ideas, for example, looking to other districts for best practices that have proven effective.
The District must not become complacent, so I'm open to new ideas that would raise achievement levels and/or better prepare students for the future beyond high school. Freestyle Academy is an example of the potential rewards that can come from thinking outside the box. There are numerous other examples across the district today, and we need to be watchful for future opportunities.
Aside from those high-level priorities, I’m a strong believer in a well-rounded education, so it’s important to me that students are also provided with a rich set of offerings in athletics, music, fine arts, and extracurricular clubs.
1) I'm particularly pleased with our District's upward momentum in many academic metrics:
2) I'm excited about the number of courses and programs the District has added in the past 5-7 years. Significantly, these additions serve a broad range of students with varying academic backgrounds, abilities, and interests.
In the past two years, a District Goal has been to place an emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) courses. In addition to the new courses listed above, for the 2014-15 school year, staffing has been added to the mathematics departments to reduce class sizes.
3) Through careful financial planning, the District weathered the local economic downturn with minimal impact to students. With the rebound in the economy, the District is now in sound fiscal position. Some areas cut during the recession are being brought back, but others are considered to be either no longer necessary, or have been replaced with more efficient or superior programs.
In 2010, the local community voted to approve $41M in Measure A bonds for District projects related to projected student growth and energy efficiency projects. The Measure A projects are nearly complete, and were done on-time, on-budget. Combined, the savings and PG&E credits emanating from energy efficiency projects have saved the District approximately $500,000 per year.
Separate from Measure A projects, this summer the District installed new artificial turf at both schools, and added more restroom facilities in the athletic fields area. During the summers of 2015 (Mountain View High School) and 2016 (Los Altos High School), the locker room facilities will be renovated.
4) The District has made large strides in the alignment of curriculum and assessment practices. One goal is that students taking the same course have a similar experience in that course, regardless of the teacher, and that the course material they cover prepares them equivalently for the next sequential course. MVLA has been one of the few districts in the area to directly take this on. It requires many hard conversations and a willingness to change, but it's good for students. While the District has made terrific progress, there remains work to be done, so this challenge is ongong. Teachers and staff deserve recognition for their effort and openness to change.
5) The District has increased outreach and programs for Latino students and families. Examples of outreach include home visits to incoming 8th grade families, as well as regular on-campus parent meetings that provide information to make parents more knowledgeable about navigating American school systems (high school / community college / university) and how to advocate for their students. Topics at parent meetings have included sessions on using school online grading and college/career software, as well as sessions on college applications, and other general resources and interventions available to students and parents.
There have also been an increased number of support systems and programs for students (Ex: Homework Club, Student Assistance Teams, specialized and bilingual counselors, skills classes in english, math and social studies...)
6) The District has continued to develop its partnerships with our local:
7) The District has improved communication with the MVLA community about District and student accomplishments, and has created awareness of local impacts of State and Federal legislation. I believe mprovement can still be made in communication to parents on site policy changes and interpretation of online grading systems.
When I speak with people about our District, I often say that the Distict offers something for everyone. While this applies first and foremost to academic courses, it also includes performing arts, athletics, clubs, and special programs like Middle College and Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts and Technology.
The Achievement Gap is an ongoing challenge. Data shows that over the past 8 years, the MVLA achievement gap has narrowed. Significantly, this has been accomplished while raising the achievement level for both Caucasion and Latino subgroups (i.e., The gap has not narrowed due to one subgroup declining). While the District has made great strides, it's not enough. As long as the gap exists, there remains work to be done.
The District has implemented a number of support programs (Ex: Specialized bilingual counselors and community liaisons, Homework Club, Student Assistance Teams, parent networking groups...) to assist lower achieving, socio-economically disadvantaged, and at-risk students, and collaborative efforts with the local elementary districts have been and will continue to be fruitful. There is now an initiative (Equal Opportunity Schools) to identify students who have the potential to be "first-timers" in an AP or Honors course, and provide them with the encouragement and support to take on that challenge. The District's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) for 2014-15 also details a number of goals and strategies for working with under-represented groups.
Though MVLA no longer receives funding for the AVID program (Advancement Through Individual Determination), the District continues that program because it's well-respected and effective. Many students are made aware of, and then receive grants and college scholarships from local community partner organizations.
While it may not be entirely unique, my finance background is an asset to the Board. I’m extremely comfortable reviewing budgets and financial proposals, and am knowledgeable about the ins and outs of fund accounting. My ability to critically review budgets and to potentially suggest innovative ways of analyzing financial solutions can help fill a niche on the Board.
Another distinctive quality is that for several of my years on the Board, I've been the sole Board member whose children are current high school students. That perspective keeps me in touch on a daily basis with current happenings in the schools, and makes me completely vested in the future of the District. I have further developed a working knowledge by attending on-campus classes, meeting with administrators, and by talking with current students, parents, and teachers. A view of the MVLA programs and policies from an "immersed" and forward-looking set of eyes benefits the Board and our community.
I have been an active and longtime community volunteer. As a student at Menlo-Atherton High School, I began coaching Little League baseball, and continued coaching baseball for 36 years. Following my graduation from Stanford University in 1983, I was appointed by the Menlo Park City Council to consecutive three year terms on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission. As I started a family, and had children enter the local public schools, I became increasingly engaged both at our local elementary school, and on Mountain View Whisman School District committees. Through those roles on District committees, I saw the impact and satisfaction of serving at the District level, and I was excited about the opportunity to become even more involved in local public education through this seat on the MVLA Board.
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