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The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Experience,
Special Education,
Charter Schools
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What experience and training would you bring to this office?
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Answer from George K. Tyson:
Having recently served on the CUSD board,I know how schools run and how to make them better. This is backed up by my previous experience at the elementary (Site Council Chair), middle school (PTA president), and high school level (volunteer on bond campaign). I have gained further insight by serving as a community volunteer for many years (Rotary, Scouting, AYSO soccer, most recently as president of West Valley Community Services), through my academic training (degrees in engineering and finance), and my work at a senior executive level in pharmaceuticals, where I've had people, budget, and project responsibility in bringing new products to market.
Answer from Michael Chang:
The County Board of Education will benefit from my experience as a successful classroom educator and proven leadership as a former school board trustee and city council member. I have a reputation of collaborative work and a passion for improving the educational success of all students. My priorities for improving student success is better teacher in-service training, more effective budgets, and improved board communication.
Answer from Lynette (Lee) Eng:
As a City Commissioner, parent volunteer, child advocate, and former Civil Grand Juror and educator, I have championed the importance of making our County's children and their programs a top priority and will continue to do so. Being a member of the Grand Jury that produced reports highlighting the efficient use of tax payer dollars in the County's schools, I bring a special focus on fiscal responsibility to this position. I feel this will help me optimize what we can offer our children within the constraints of the budget.
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2. What changes if any would you recommend in the county's special education program?
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Answer from Lynette (Lee) Eng:
I believe there should be consideration of the needs of the "2E" or "twice-exceptional" special needs child, the child who is both disabled and gifted, ensuring that their academic needs are being met. Academic education is often overlooked in the case of disabled children, even though they may be very bright.
It is also important to keep our public school special needs classrooms as effective as possible to avoid the expense of having to place children in private schools for those with special needs. These schools can cost as much as $100K a year. If public school classrooms are run effectively, there would be no need to have them use private schools.
Answer from Michael Chang:
The County Office of Education provides crucial special education services and programs for children. These services are much needed as they are more seriously disabled students that supplement those of school districts , or to provide services when it is more feasible to provide special education services across school district boundaries. Special education programs can be improved to focus on both academic and civic/life skills preparation.
Answer from George K. Tyson:
The county's program is an essential part of its function, and I think our dedicated employees are doing a fine job with it. My recommendations would be to look for site consolidation, where feasible, to provide better service at lower cost, and to aggressively recruit teachers and aides with the highest level of training to make sure that our special education students succeed.
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3. What should be the role of the County Board of Education in regard to charter schools?
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Answer from Lynette (Lee) Eng:
The County Board of Education should ensure that all duties and responsibilities regarding Charter investigations, monitoring and establishment are in compliance with Education Code sections 1628, 42100, and 47602 through 47612.1.
Answer from George K. Tyson:
The County Board must support its existing charter schools, including monitoring their progress and finances, both to provide adequate oversight as well as to help share their successful innovations more broadly. This helps all students, charter and non-charter alike.
With new applications, the County Board serves as a point of appeals for applications denied at the local level. I feel that the County should work more closely with all parties (chartering agencies as well as local school boards) to encourage resolution at the local level, and minimize the direct chartering of schools by the County. This should help reduce operational difficulties (such as space allocation) while encouraging that sharing of best educational practices.
Answer from Michael Chang:
Charter schools is best used as a last resort for improving student academic success in districts that chronically under-perform. Charter schools have to be scrutinized carefully for its potential to be successful. It is also important that a charter school's success does not undermine the educational well-being of other students in the district. The County Board of Education is required to follow a set State guidelines to evaluate charter schools, whether the application is made directly to the County or is made as an appeal to a negative decision by school districts.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. Answers must not refer directly or indirectly to another candidate.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
