Full Biography for Debra J. "Debi" Mintz

Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Pleasanton Unified School District; Term

Background

As long time residents of Pleasanton, my husband and I initially chose this community because of the ambience and character of this wonderful place.   I have watched our area grow and change and we grew and changed with it.  When our first child started school at Vintage Hills Elementary School in 1991 there were about 350 students there at the time.  Our second child is now in 4th grade at Vintage Hills and there are close to 650 students on that campus.  With class size reduction also contributing, there are several new buildings packed into the same area.  This has been repeated on campuses across Pleasanton.  I have an up close and personal perspective of how our campuses have grown. 

I have seen educators introduce programs to teach our children.  Some are excellent; some do not live up to expectations.  I have been able to observe, first-hand, just how successful these programs are and both parent and teacher reaction to them.

Main Objectives

My main objective in wanting to become a school board member is to improve, across the board, the quality of education in Pleasanton.   All across the country new programs and techniques are being tried.  Some are very successful, some are great ideas whose implementation is poor, and some are just plain bad.  Parents have an invaluable input into what is working for their children.  Their comments should be given careful consideration as they observe how the schoolwork is affecting their children on a day-to-day basis.  I have found that the experienced, successful teachers in this district have an innate talent for selecting teaching strategies that help to communicate more of the vital information necessary for our kids to achieve in today's multi-cultural, world wide society.  For example, differentiation, a teaching strategy, came into this district through our teachers and, when properly applied, provides a highly effective tool for educating our young. 

In order to learn effectively, children must be in an environment they feel safe in.  We must listen to students and help them find constructive alternatives to cope with the frustrations almost every adolescent goes through while growing up.  Clear and concise expectations must be communicated. Consequences must be consistently enforced.  I will listen to the constituency, bring new ideas into our district and examine our funding sources closely. I will work collaboratively with the district, parents, students, city government and the business community in order to ensure the best possible educationally advantages for the children in our district.

Funding

Money is always a problem and continuing issue in any school district.  The more we have, the more opportunities we can provide our students.   Our per student funding is around 40th in the nation. Why is funding so low in this state?  Prop 13 radically reduced our funding 20 years ago and it has never been fully restored. We have all seen the unpleasant effects of chronically low funding, and the political climate is now right to do something about it. I will play a leading role in strongly pursuing additional funding at the state level.

Accomplishments

I have worked for the government, private industry, became a parent, received a teaching credential and returned to private industry in the time I have lived in Pleasanton.  I have chaired and served on school fundraising and membership committees, served as parent-staff organization President at Vintage Hills and served on site council for two schools.  In these capacities, I have gone through reviews of programs at these schools.   The math program at Pleasanton Middle School has undergone changes because of concerns I raised at the Site Council meetings.  I have been involved with the strategic plan, which, when implemented fully, will provide mechanisms for individuals outside the school district to more easily communicate their ideas and concerns.  I served on district advisory committees that examine funding and strategies for our special projects programs, and had the privilege to substitute teach in this district.   Because of the diversity and wealth of my experience, coupled with a clear vision of where we need to go and how to get there, I can bring a fresh, balanced perspective to the school board.