Candidate for
Board Member; Valley Center Pauma Unified School District; Unexpired Short Term

If Props. 30 & 38 do not pass; the amount per pupil will go down dramatically. The only way to deal with that will be to cut costs. If you look at the 2012-2013 VCPUSD budget, we have a $2.7 million deficit. We're going into our state mandated reserves. We can only sustain that for two years before we are bankrupt. Next school year we will be making those decisions so that we don't hit the bottom and run out of money.

I am a strong advocate for technology. I would not cut that area, but would increase it. For instance the iPads the third graders received at Lilac, if we used those instead of books that would save thousands of dollars a year.

I would NOT cut funds for children with disabilities. I have a son in the IEP program, I think kids with learning disabilities need help and it is underfunded as it is already, so I won't cut that.

Teachers should not be punished for these hard economic times, but in the short term we need to all pitch in to achieve a balanced budget. In the immediate future they may need a pay freeze but when and if the funds the state owes the schools is restored than we should make it up to our teachers for their sacrifice.

I would like to see an emphasis on science and math in the elementary grades. We are falling behind as a country and I feel science and math are priorities.

I want to push technology. I have an IT consulting business. Technology is near and dear to my heart. Technology is our future. I want every child to have a computer, and not necessarily just Apple products. There are cheaper options.

A couple goals would be first, to shore up finances and make sure our district doesn't go bankrupt and continue to fund the 3 percent reserve; second, improve technology to reach a goal that every student has a computer.

It's a great school district. I know it is proud of current achievement but I don't want to stay stagnant. It is not time to pat ourselves on the back, but to find ways to move forward.

I also want to provide a way for parents to be heard outside of board meetings. I know the Brown Act doesn't allow immediate feedback at board meetings, but I think little things can be answered before they blow up and become negative.

The current board is out of ideas. They are an older generation. I don't think they know how to harness technology. The younger generation knows how. People in Valley Center have told me it is time for the old guard to go and the new guard to come in.