Put Community First Forum (09/30/06)

By Jolanda Schreurs, Ph.D.

A set of questions

1) What, in your background/ experience has prepared you for the CUSD Board ?

2) Why do I think I should be selected over other Candidates?

3) What is my vision for public education in this community in 5 years? In 10 years?

4) How would you achieve this vision to make it a reality?

I believe I have three foundational elements that qualify me for a position on the CUSD Board. First, is my professional training and experience, as a Ph.D. in the biochemical sciences/biotech. Second, is the 11+ years that I've spent intimately involved in the CUSD schools (please see resume). And, third, is the fact that I've spent the past four years on the Board, the last year as Board President, formulating policy, managing a fiscally conservative budget (during some very lean years), and driving improvements (see Board highlights).

A short-aside about scientists; we are trained to use data-driven approaches, analyze problems and synthesize solutions. Science relies on underlying concepts of scale, proportion, reproducibility, and statistical weighting. Personally, in developing policy, I place any given problem (and its solutions) in the context of the whole (scale, proportion). I ask that we use hard data and weighted arguments (pros and cons) to drive solutions. And solutions must be systematic embedded, reproducible and accountable.

2. Why do I think I should be selected over other Candidates?

My singular priority is to provide a quality and well-rounded education for our children; I do not have any other vested interest(s). Philosophically, I value excellence in K-12 education and a challenging curriculum at all levels + whether a student is advanced, middle, basic, or special needs- whether the student is interested in music/arts, mechanics, service industry, science or technology. We need to prepare our students for an every increasingly more challenging and international and "flatter" world.

I am an incumbent who has four years of CUSD Board experience and one year as Board President. I see our world as full of challenges and opportunities and schools can not stand still, they must also be part of the ever-changing world around us. To drive change and excellence, I believe in long-term strategic planning. It has been my goal to embrace positive change through dialogue and planning and then systematically implementing district goals. My leadership and participation on the Strategic Planning (2005-2009) is witness to the value that I place on embracing opportunities.

Third, and most important, it is vital that in these next few years we provide stability and continuity of purpose as our Superintendent will be retiring within the next 2 years. I believe that the single most important job that the Board will have in the next 4 years, is to attract top talent for our next Superintendent; that will require that our district is attractive, stable, and has capable people in key positions. At the appropriate time, I want to be part of the Board that hires a new Superintendent who is capable of managing change, is a leader, and who values people.

3. What is my vision for public education in this community in 5 years? In 10 years?

I whole-heartedly believe that giving our students the tools they will need to succeed and lead our community and nation in the years to come is vital. Ultimately, educating our children is the most important investment we can make. It is education that gives children the opportunity for a life better than their parents and in our democracy, the ability to make their best decisions.

I imagine a future in which our public educational system on the Coastside is respected, supported, and nurtured; one in which we have the resources to provide students with the requisite tools, skills, love of learning, and opportunities so that they will be proud to say that they are HMBHS graduates.

To do that, I believe we need to work within our district and our community to creatively and systematically build the framework and find the resources to support ongoing programs and nurture change and new opportunities. Currently, we are in Year 1 of implementing a 5 year Strategic Plan (20005-2009). In 3-4 years hence, we will initiate another Strategic Plan. The vision that is created by the School Community is that which we will realize in 5 years and again, in 10 years. Much of that future is being driven by the community- Recognition of Diversity, Improved Communications, higher Achievement, broader Curriculum, etc.

In 5 years, I believe that we will have an educational foundation and ongoing collaborations that will supplement limited state revenues. These new resources will be used to augment new academic and enrichment programs. I believe that we will have used "change" grants and collaborations to nurture new programs and ways of doing things. In 10 years, I see that there will be additional value-added improvements to revenues, programs, achievement and curriculum... and that we will have made tremendous head-way with the integration of technologies and outside expertise.

In 10 years, I also believe that we will have leveraged assets within the district to further improve our infrastructure and facilities. The District has land in El Granada (10 acres, 25 acres, and a downtown DO site). These assets need to be financially leveraged to enhance either district programs or district facilities (affordable housing, teacher housing, leasing revenues etc). Last, I also believe that we will have worked with the State of California, the County, the City of HMB, private donors and with our own assets to make additional (over and beyond monies in our Bond funds) facility improvements to our District Offices, recreational facilities, and elementary schools.

4. How would you achieve this vision to make it a reality?

Respecting Staff Expertise Our staff are the folks that have grown the collaborations, handled the strategic planning, built the programs. We must always recognize that and work to empower them. We must also find means to value them through appropriate financial compensation, benefits and a rewarding job in a healthy, respectful school climate/environment.

Strategic Planning Setting goals and prioritizing them is first and foremost. Goals provide the focus and the rationale to drive improvements. Through strategic planning we derive input from all facets of the school community- administration, teachers, staff and parents. To be successful one needs buy-in, commitment, and continuous introspection.

We have a 5 year Strategic Plan- It spells out many of the Strategies that we will be working on. In 2009, we will be planning the next 5 year plan.

Leveraging resources Implementing new goals, improvements and change can happen in the absence of significant new financial resources (i.e. parcel tax). Smart, creative thinking. Using "change" grants. Grants are a wonderful way to crystallize a problem and find solutions

Our Strategic Plan outlines 10 strategies.

• Building collaborations/joint projects
• Examples include: Stanford's Gardner Center, Noyce Foundation, HMB Chamber Commerce, Back to Basics, Bay Area Economic San Mateo Community College, HMB Parks & Rec, etc etc
• Outside expertise & consulting- We need to be open to the best. Gain perspective. Not reinvent the wheel. Work with and be aware of changes in other districts in San Mateo County.