Candidate for
Board Member; South San Francisco Unified School District; 4 Year Term

Please take a few moments to read my board philosophy and position paper and feel free to contact me at rombraschi@yahoo.com if you have questions.

• How we are funded--

How we are going to increase revenue to meet current challenges.

1. When a pupil is absent from his/her seat SSFUSD loses $26 on that day. Our average absence rate of 500 students per day results in a loss $13,000 per day or $2.5 million a year. We have joined in a collaborative with the City of South San Francisco and the Chamber of Commerce to reduce revenue lost due to unnecessary absences by 10%. This will mean about $250,000 per annum that can be used for programs, books, supplies and salaries. Currently, we are educating our parents and students why it is important to have the continuum of day-to-day instruction for good academic progress--and we are educating parents that unnecessary absences affect the programs and services we can provide their child. You see banners and flyers throughout our city--and a media campaign and speakers are involved. The South San Francisco Foundation for Youth, which I am proud to be the Founder and President of, is the largest single contributors of the expenses of this campaign.
2. Fellow Trustee, Shirley Hoch and I have incorporated the non-profit foundation, the South San Francisco Foundation for Youth, to help our schools. We are seeking donations from the community and will conduct a direct mail campaign to business and families this year. The purpose of the foundation is to support the educational and recreational and multi-cultural opportunities for the youth of South San Francisco.
3. And just like other districts throughout the county we are looking at our budget to make reductions as far away from the classroom as possible to make our salaries more competitive. A budget review committee has been formed comprised of employees and parents to review areas that the board should consider.

Lottery money The calculation for State Lottery monies is based on Annual ADA for all students, including Community Day School and adult students. The state calculates a figure and sends the fund (approximately $112 per student) to the District. It is used to fund books, supplies and salaries.

• Student Achievement

We are very proud of our achievement. Just in from the state: Good news!! For the skills areas of Reading, Mathematics and Language Arts there was a 5% or greater reduction in the number of 2nd to 8th grade students scoring below the 50% and 9th to 12th grade students scoring below the 40%!! This comparison of gains excludes non English speaking students at ELD levels 1&2 (students with little or no English Acquisitions. The only subject where a 5% reduction was not attained was Social Studies in grades 9-11. Individual API results will be studied this Fall and further improvement will be our goal. All of our scores were at or above the National Average. Student taking the Algebra test at Westborough were the only students to achieve %100 in any single test in the County....We are proud. In the first round of the High School Exit Exam it is reported that only 50% passed the test statewide. Our students passed the language arts portion at an astounding rate of 75% as 10th graders. We are proud.

Last year, 13 of 16 of our schools met or exceeded their state growth targets and although 18 schools in San Mateo County have been put on the State List of failing schools--not one of South San Francisco's schools are on that list.

• Class size Our class size is directed by contract with our bargaining units (29) and Education Code Section 41376 and 78. We have fully implemented class size reduction in our K-3 grades, with a class size maximum of 20. We also have received money from the state and have implemented some class size reduction money in the 9th grade.

When there is a class of over 29 in the high schools- it is important to note that when averaged with other classes it falls below the requirements.

• Number of administrators

The maximum number of administrative personnel allowed by Ed code section 41404 of the education code is 8% for unified school districts. We reported 4.86% on our R-22 Report to the State for 99-00, which is well below the limit. Also the county average is 5.46% so we are below that average too!

• General obligation bond update

• Other Achievements · Child care available at all sites · Student teacher ratio of 20-1 in grades k-3 · Tutorial learning Centers to support reading · On site Homework Centers · Participation in regular Program Quality Review · Instrumental elementary music # often cut from other school district budgets · Physical education programs · Artist in Resident Programs · School site councils # employee and parent empowerment · Computer assisted education-computers in every classroom · Academic and personal counseling services--at risk intervention counselors at the middle schools · Annual History and Science fair participation · Exploratory enrichment and elective classes with labs and shops at our middle and high schools · Co-curricular activities and clubs · After school boys and girls athletics, a joint program with the cities · High school scholastic aptitude test math and verbal scores at or above state average · We have recent high school students who are students at Stanford, Harvard, Yale, US Naval Academy and all UC and State University campuses · California Distinguished High School · Digital High School Grant recipients · National Merit Scholars · School Drop out rate among lowest in the county · Advance placement classes for our high school seniors · Fully equipped Library and Technology Centers · Children's Center pre-school program and before and after school child care · San Mateo County Head Start Program located on district Adult Education site # so parents may attend school to learn English · Summer Session for elementary, middle, and high school enrichment and remediation · Partnership programs with Skyline, San Mateo and Canada community colleges · School to Career programs · Special Education Programs · Adult education programs for community members teaching computer applications, English as a second language, GED preparation, child care, citizenship--self-sufficient- no impact on general fund · Wide offering for boys and girls interscholastic athletics · Low turn over of employees · BTSA Program # to train new teachers with mentor teachers working directly with new hires during the day · ALL teachers credentialed by the State · Excellent relationship with CTA and CSEA (we have just begun to work with a new association the AFT-and look forward to a positive relationship) Relationship with the City of South San Francisco, San Bruno and Daly City

• Business Partnerships

We are members of the Daly City Partnership that provides after school homework help for the youth in Daly City and the Daly City parks and recreation department has recreational activities each day at our Daly City school sites. We support the new Unity 2000 youth group and their efforts to become move politically involved and to become candidates for local school boards and city councils.

In San Bruno, you may find a police officer teaching Drug awareness at Monte Verde School or perhaps the student's participation in a San Bruno Poster Contest.

Of course, our relationship with the South San Francisco City Council is very strong. Although the traditional campaign season just opened up on Labor Day, I have already secured the endorsement of Council member Joe Fernekes. We have established a city-school liaison program, where a sub committee of the board meets regularly with a sub committee of the city council to discuss mutual items of concern. Sometimes we have different opinions on a particular issues, but we have a mutual respect for each other and the community we each serve and a commitment to make South San Francisco the premier community of the peninsula. Right now we are discussing employee housing issues, how to make it affordable for firefighters, police, teachers, and other employees to live in our high cost of living area, Bart issues, and the possibility of a new high tech school in the industrial park for children of the bio-tech communities.

• The Police Liaison Program is a state recognized model of cooperation.

We have collaborated with the City of SSF for a Community Learning Center at the Spruce site for the entire community.

We lease our facilities to the catholic schools for athletic programs at minimal costs.

All of our 17 schools participate in the very successful Day in the Park each September, with booths and information.

• School Safety

Teachers and administrators receiving training and are supported by the Board. Each classroom can communicate with the office and have outside phone lines. Rules and regulations are communicated the students and parents annually.

We have established policies that ensure the support of the schools in disciplining students who are not taking advantage of the opportunity of learning and are a threat to themselves or others on campus. When other means of discipline do not correct undesirable behavior we expel students--and this is the toughest thing a board member must do--Expelled students are sent to the community day school where they can complete their assignments and receive the counseling they require. Most often this changes attitudes and helps failing students make up credits that he/she needs to fulfill requirements for a diploma--and let's face it--they need at least a high school diploma to succeed today.

This year our board was faced with a terrible dilemma. The County Board of Education (with the exception of Ted Lempert) voted to overturn an expulsion of a young man who assaulted a teacher in one of our high schools. We had previously discussed the County's actions on expulsion appeals with them--their job is to look at process. After much discussion we decided to take the County Board to court where we prevailed and the expulsion was upheld. The message is clear--we will do what we need to do to protect our staff and students and keep our schools safe.