and Mark Nelson’s responses:
1. What made you decide to run for this office?
Ever since my son started kindergarten at Beryl Heights four years ago, I
have been actively involved at the school and district levels. During the
Heart of the City process, I was the main voice on behalf of the
overcrowding and traffic degradation that would have been faced by the
unfunded mandate of more new students in the Heart of the City development.
Recall that the Heart plan had NO provision for a new school. When I
couple
this hands on experience with my twenty plus years of regulatory and
legislative work at SCE and other companies, I believe that I can contribute
greatly.
2. How would you assess relations among the school board,
administration
and district teachers? Are there steps you would like to take to improve
communication?
I think the teachers seem to have a disproportionate level of representation
at the board right now. For each of the last two years, the board has
elected to run a large deficit, dragging the reserve down to perilously low
levels. If the financial integrity of the district is not maintained,
then
all are hurt -- teachers, students, and the community. I believe it's
time
for frank and honest discussion with the teachers as partners at the table.
The current board has ducked the tough decisions and now it's time to pay
the piper.
3. With so many candidates in the race, describe to the
average voter why
your background and experience would be superior to those of the other
candidates.
I am a strategic planner with experience with unions, large budgets,
regulation, and legislation. My experience is directly on point with
what's
needed to run the district, however, I am not a product of the broken
system. I routinely work on projects with budgets that are 10 fold the
size
of the annual RBUSD budget, and I work in partnership with the legislature,
regulators, workers, and management. I hold bachelors and masters degrees
in economics from Iowa State University, I have taught as an adjunct
professor, and I was fortunate enough to teach a year of high school by the
goodwill of an employer that loaned educators to local schools. I am the
author of several books, including a text on technical writing.
4. Did you attend the candidates¹ workshop the district
scheduled in
November? If so, what did you get out of it?
Yes, I attended. I had been attending both meetings and workshops for
several years. There were two eye-openers. The first was that
RBUSD's
workers comp costs are rising, contrary to the experience of most of
California. The second was the statement that "board members
shouldn't come
with an agenda". That statement was made by one of the recent board
members
that was heavily funded by the teachers' unions and came in with an agenda
to overthrow the superintendent, which they did via his resignation.
5. As you know, state funding for education has been tight.
If budget
cuts are required in the coming year, which areas or programs would you
consider cutting? Which areas should be off-limits from cuts? Do you agree
with the board¹s decision to trim the music program?
First of all, I believe in ZERO BASED BUDGETING. That means, nothing is
off
limits except for programs that are mandated by statute. As I sit here as
an outsider, I can't make an informed decision about precisely where cuts
can be, nor do I believe can any candidate who doesn't currently site on the
board. And in any event, zero based budgeting isn't a "cutting"
process,
it's a building and justifying process. I suspect that any large scale
budget cut would need to be dealt with across the board in some fashion.
As
far as music goes, I think the currently board has been asleep at the wheel,
and dealt with the budget shortfall as a crisis, not as a plan. I would
not
cut any ENTIRE programs if possible. Instead, I would reduce in many
areas
to preserve diversity.
6. If elected, do you favor any curriculum changes?
At least at the elementary level, I believe the current curriculum process
is adequate. What's more important to me than the curriculum is the
process
that sets the curriculum. I think RBUSD needs a parent driven process for
assuring that the curriculum is appropriate, reflects the future needs of
students, and is kept current. I believe the current process is adequate,
however, it should be reviewed frequently.
7. Redondo Union High School now has co-principals. Is this
an innovative
way to run a large high school, or do you think ³one boss is best²?
I don't subscribe to a "one boss is best" or that "one boss is
worse"
either. I wasn't a party to the process that created co-principals.
Assuming that their duties do not overlap and that they compensation is
appropriate, I believe they can function in the manner that deans function
in a college. That process works well and has withstood the test of time.
8. Please comment on any other issue that is important to
your campaign
for school board.
I very much believe that public schools should be operated for the benefit
of the community. That means that RBUSD should provide each child with a
baseline education and offer increasingly advanced education for those
students who can achieve. I am very concerned that the current economic
picture in California has caught this board like the proverbial "deer in
the
headlights." They have been overspending their revenues, and making
no
appropriate plans for future budget cuts. This is a fatal strategy.
Without a solid financial position for the long term, the RBUSD cannot
succeed.
I also believe that parents need to take the key leadership role in the
RBUSD. As a board member, I will frequently poll parents and students to
assure that our current educational programs are appropriate.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
Mark Nelson