CREATING A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AND ESTABLISHING CLEAR LINES OF ACCOUNTABILITY

By John Shropshire

It takes dedicated effort by the entire community to educate our children. This means that the schools must work in partnership with parents, local community leaders and businesses, the media and corporate America. It is essential that every sector of the partnership support the common goal of preparing our children for the future.

As a member of the Fresno School Board, I will work to create a framework for community partnership while reducing administrative costs. I will listen closely to all segments of the community to better meet the needs of our children. I will work to help reduce the significant financial burdens we face by inviting businesses and corporations to partner with city's schools. I will advocate the Fresno Unified School District schools as a world-class school system. I will work to open the school system and to create an atmosphere of acceptance to ensure that the entire community has equal access to information and equal opportunity to contribute to our schools. In order to be successful, the Fresno Unified School District must draw upon the strengths and creativity of the whole community.

Establishing Clear Lines of Accountability

Just as each part of the community must participate in the educational process, each part of the community must be accountable for preparing our children for their future. The school district, parents, children, and business community leaders must understand and accept the consequences for any unwillingness to join the educational effort.

As a member of the Fresno School Board, I will work to establish clear lines of accountability so that people are aware of their responsibilities. I will support policies to develop both objective and subjective criteria to evaluate openly the quality of education provided by the Fresno Unified School District. I will work with the Superintendent to ensure that we are appropriately addressing our weaknesses and are pro-active in planning for our future. I will support the faculty, staff, and administrators in the disciplining of students both in the classroom and on school property. I will encourage the establishment, with the full partnership of parents, of creative, alternative forms of education within the school system for students who are unwilling or unable to receive traditional educational instruction. Clearly, children who are difficult to educate must be given the opportunity to be successful.