Political Philosophy for Don Gibson

Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Sequoia Union High School District

My single most important goal with my life right now is to make our public schools and the whole school system THE best schools and system in the nation, bar none! We possess all of the necessary elements to achieve anything we want and its all here at our disposal: I believe we have the Wealth, Skills, Knowledge as well as the Want and Desire leaving absolutely no reason to expect anything less.

To get to where we all want to go we will need to do the following:

1) Improve the communications with feeder schools, our regional business base and local government.

2) It is absolutely imperative that we restore the Public confidence. Immediately.

3) We need to work on developing a strong, balanced curriculum # currently we have strong AP programs, but we can't forget about the rest. Raise the expectations of everyone. Every child can learn.

4) Work at all levels to increase parent involvement # start early with the feeder schools # Communications.

5) More bilingual teachers are a must. Not only in their traditional role as teacher, but also to act as liason and oversee the communications with parents so that everything that must be conveyed to the parents will indeed be communicated and parents will feel they are able to talk to the teachers.

6) I feel that the district really needs to have an external Curriculum Audit sooner than later.

7) Real Skills! Real World Skills. Working Skills, i.e., partnerships and working arrangements with cooperating business and Government entities. Develop and expand all learning opportunities such as afternoon classes, internships and mentors.

We'll know that we have succeeded in our efforts when:

 Each School can stand on its own strengths and merits. When parents begin facing an extremely hard decision in choosing between schools in which to send their children.

 Parents should want to send their children to our public schools. Not feel they have too.

 Test scores are up, drop out rates are down and graduation rates are in the 95% + bracket..

 Parents stop sending their kids to private schools and start sending them back to public schools.

I am a long time member of the community. I am 45 years old and for the past 40 years I have lived in the district attending:

Clifford School,
McKinley Middle School
And San Carlos High

I am an accomplished business executive and entrepreneur, a loving father and husband to my family and have two children in the district's elementary schools and coming up fast!

I believe my skills, experience coupled with my extensive presence in the corporate and business community serve well to qualify me as an excellent man for the undertaking. I work well with others.

I am deeply involved in the community where I am:

 Chamber of Commerce Education Committee

 Sail Program # Fair Oaks school

 Sequoia High School technology program

 AYSO

 Member of Rotary club of Redwood City.

I bring a valuable skill set with me acquired in the real world with years of practical experience in both Technology and Business.

I can set Goals, prioritize them and establish the path and finally get them accomplished.

I feel I will bring vision and creativity to the board.

I believe I have a good understand of many of the problems # by talking to Teacher, Students, Parents, and Community.