Political Philosophy for Susan A. Cluff

Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Mill Valley School District

There are two reasons I am running for the position of trustee of our public schools. First, I think that the next four years are vital ones for Mill Valley schools. With increasing pressures on local school districts tomake tough budget, curriculum and policy decisions, we will all need to work hard, perhaps harder than ever, to provide the best education possible for all Mill Valley children. Second, I believe that I can make a difference. I will bring new energy, ideas and expertise to the school board, and be a strong voice and advocate for children.

Many of the issues our school district faces today-- growing enrollment, tight budgets, new legislative mandates -- pose the challenge of preserving and improving those things that are good about Mill Valley schools while adapting rapidly to change. My priorities include strengthening instructional programs at all K-5 schools and the middle school, improving child safety and school traffic congestion, maximizing and protecting district resources, and ensuring equitable programs for children of all abilities. First and foremost, however, I promise to help our schools to do a better job of communicating critical informaiton to the community they serve and to remember -- to always put kids first.

• STRONG CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION. New state mandates such as class-size reduction, annual testing and new standards in reading, math, science and social studies are moving public schools in new directions. While district test results at the elementary level are good, they are less impressive at the middle school (ranked 6th among Marin districts) where larger class sizes and program and personnel changes continue to present challenges. Susan wants to see our schools analyze annual district assessment data -- not in late fall, but before the school year starts -- to improve instructional programs, better monitor student progress, and take action on results. Other priorities for Susan: second language instruction K-8 and music, art and drama learning for all students

• BETTER COMMUNICATION/ACCOUNTABILITY. Too often, parents and community members are excluded from school board decision-making and feel ill-informed about school issues. As a parent, Susan has successfully advocated for better school communications to parents, including annual school report cards, more timely release of test data, and increased access to public information. As a trustee, Susan will bring important collaborative and communication skills to the board, work hard to ensure timely, two-way, meaningful discussion of critical issues, encourage parent involvement in their children's education, and respond promptly to community concerns.

• MAXIMIZING & PROTECTING DISTRICT RESOURCES. Already-tight district resources are being further stretched this year by growing enrollment at the middle school, the reopening of Strawberry Point (September 2000), and underfunded federal and state mandates. Susan wants to to maximize and protect district resources, make our school district more proactive in implementing new legislation and find ways to beter use what we have so that we can continue current programs and services and make them even better for kids. Two under-utilized district resources in current school programs: school libraries and technology.

• SAFETY & TRAFFIC. Despite parent and community concerns, school issues of child safety, violence prevention and traffic congestion are still not receiving the attention they deserve. Using her experiences with school site and community projects (including Old Mill's successful "Drop Don't Stop" traffic program), Susan will work with community leaders to develop creative, cooperative traffic solutions, introduce effective violence prevention and drug and alcohol awareness programs, support after-school activities, and help to keep children safe at schools.

• EQUITABLE PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES. Even in Mill Valley, too many students slip through the cracks. With declining budgets, the challenge continues to be to ensure equitable allocation of resources among all children, including special needs, gifted and high achieving students, and "at risk" students who struggle behind their peers. This year, a new district policy requires all students to meet grade-level standards in order to be promoted to the next grade. Susan wants to see the district add remediation and intervention programs that work for kids and to encourage innovative teaching practices that enrich all students' classroom experiences.