PLATFORM

By Miriam A Walden

This is a platform created in open community meetings of parents and teachers, which I have pledged to support.

Albany is a diverse community that actively supports our excellent schools. The school board and its members are representatives elected by the community to serve the community. Their job is to create the best possible education for all our community's children; respecting the contributions of teachers and staff, parents and youth alike, making our schools the center of a vibrant community life.

If elected I pledge to:

1) Work to Place AUSD on Sound Financial Footing, Ensuring a CLEAR budget process and financial CONTROL that the Community can TRUST.
- Work with the administration to completely overhaul the budget creation and financial reporting process, building financial control systems (in line with FCMAT recommendations) that provide accurate and timely information.
- Make information available to public/community routinely in lucid, lay terms and raise the level of community understanding and involvement in the budgeting and financial processes.
- Work to develop long-term plans (5- and 10- year) to guide the district and move beyond a crisis-oriented environment. Build the kind of community trust and collective process that will allow us to find long-term sources of financial support for schools together.

2) Promote Open Communication and Shared Decision Making
- Be visible, accessible, and engaged with all constituencies. Explain why (and how) decisions are made, so as to promote community understanding.
- Actively recruit/solicit involvement from diverse populations and under-represented constituencies for involvement with the district.
- Conduct school board meetings in ways that honor individual and community input, time and energy.

3) Respect and Value the Work of Teachers and Staff
- Attract and retain high caliber teachers and staff by maintaining salaries at a level that is at least the average of surrounding districts and providing good benefits.
- Create a meaningful collaboration between the Board, teachers, staff and the community.