The Pinnacle staff contacted the eight candidates running for
the Hollister School Board and asked them to submit a 500-word or
less statement about why they deserve the votes of community
members and what they plan to bring to the three open seats on the
board. Here are the verbatim responses from the four candidates who
responded by the Oct. 19 deadline.
The Pinnacle staff contacted the eight candidates running for the Hollister School Board and asked them to submit a 500-word or less statement about why they deserve the votes of community members and what they plan to bring to the three open seats on the board. Here are the verbatim responses from the four candidates who responded by the Oct. 19 deadline.
Bea Gonzales-Ramirez, incumbent
In November 2006, I ran for office determined to contribute to my community. I began my tenure on the Board with a simple understanding of the roles and responsibilities of School Board Members. Over the past four years, I’ve come to fully understand the importance and necessity of an actively involved Trustee – one must avail oneself to all education and training available, as being a Trustee is a complex job with intricate responsibilities.
During my first few years on the Board, I invited the community to “talk to the Board” to facilitate healthy dialogue: I visited classrooms regularly, extending my home telephone number and personal e-mail to the public, asking them to share concerns that were not being adequately addressed through proper channels.
As a HSD Trustee, members must be willing to not only educate themselves, but be courageous enough to apply their newfound knowledge and understanding. They must ask for clarification on budget matters and determine for themselves how those budget decisions will ultimately impact our District students. They must think outside the proverbial box, and they mustn’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.
In the past, we had a Superintendent who chose directions and methodologies that weren’t reflective of the needs of the Community, students, parents, teachers and staff. As a HSD Trustee, members cannot simply “rubber stamp” a Superintendent’s desires and agenda nor accept “past practices” as the norm.
Over the past four years, it has been a challenge – but I have embraced that challenge wholeheartedly and accepted the responsibilities associated with that role! I firmly believe that I have shared contributions with HSD. I have attempted to facilitate new ideas, aspects and viewpoints that have helped our District operate on the educational forefront.
My opponents cite the need for Board Members to work together, minimizing the public discourse – I agree with the necessity to work collaboratively on the Board – but I disagree about minimizing the public discourse. Sometimes discourse is needed to force the District to operate at the highest of standards!
Furthermore, when someone is as passionate about the role of a Trustee as I am, it is difficult at times to avoid the controversy.
People also say, “Bea fights for our kids!” And they are right! I do and will continue to do so:
This past spring, I rallied to keep teachers employed in the District, voting in a 4 to 1 decision against cutting 71 teaching positions; I have consistently voted against increasing class sizes, and I will continue to vote in that manner. We must remember to keep students as our first priority!
If re-elected, I’ll continue to raise the bar to ensure that all Board Decisions directly and positively impact the students. I’ll request that everyone elected to the Board attend and receive training so that each Board Member can effectively perform the duties and assume the responsibilities of a Hollister School District Board Member.
Vote for Bea on Nov. 2nd!
Joe Navarro, retired teacher
My name is Joe Navarro. I am a retired teacher, parent of a student at Sunnyslope School and candidate for the Hollister School District Board of Trustees.
When I became a teacher, I wanted to give children positive learning experiences that would encourage and enable them to become enthusiastic learners. I have utilized research in my classroom that is based on positive and successful teaching practices, and have always made an effort to meet the various needs of my students.
As a school board member I intend to use common sense and take into consideration the human consequences of any decisions I make. I plan to continue reviewing current educational research as a means of improving how we teach children.
I believe that an important role of schooling is to assist children to become critical thinkers and problem solvers so they can grow into adults who will have career options and make contributions to their families and communities. I will support our district superintendent and administration to implement meaningful teaching practices, but at the same time, I intend to question how each decision they make will affect student learning.
I support public education and believe that Hollister School District has the potential of meeting the diverse needs of all its students. I support a challenging curriculum that is aimed at teaching to the whole child. Instead of drill and skill instruction, memorization of disconnected facts, and teaching to the tests, we need to teach students to master subjects and retain academic information that the students will utilize and reinforce throughout their learning experience.
I will advocate spending wisely on programs, staff and resources. My goal is to ensure that services to children are not undermined. I will support all efforts to increase funding to our school district. Furthermore, I will work to improve communication in the Hollister School District and meet with parents, community and staff to learn about their concerns.
Through my experience as a teacher I have learned about effective teaching strategies and how students learn. I have a stake in our school district because I am a parent of a child in school. My campaign for school board has been endorsed by the Hollister Elementary School Teachers Association (HESTA) and the local California School Employees Association (CSEA). I recognize that I will inherit some very difficult challenges, but if voters elect me, I will work to overcome the challenges that our school district is facing in order to best serve our students.
For more information, visit my website: UnitedWeWill.us
David Redman, doctor of optometry
It’s time that we step up for our kids.
My name is David Redman, and I am proud to be running for the Hollister School Board of Trustees. I am a Hollister resident, I love our community, and I am committed to making our public education system better. I am vested in our community – I have worked as an optometrist with my own practice for nearly two decades, offering access to quality health care to Californians, and I am a concerned parent of a child in fourth grade at Ladd Lane School.
I am running for the Hollister School Board of Trustees because I am passionate about making our community better. Our students deserve more.
My goals are many. We must bring parents, teachers, and administrators together to put pressure on our leaders in Sacramento. Our state leaders have been disinvested from education. The recently passed State Budget is going to cut out another $3.5 billion from our schools. Our community cannot accept these cuts any longer. It’s time to take a stand and do what’s right for our children’s education.
I have experience fighting for what I believe in at the state level. I am the past president of the California Optometric Association where I led nearly 3,000 California optometrists in the fight over one of the most watched legislative bills in the 2008 legislative session. I fought for increased access to quality eye care for the people of our state and succeeded.
As current Vice-Chair of First 5 San Benito, I have learned firsthand the importance of parental involvement, and will work to ensure that the children of our community are ready and able to start school and be successful when they get there, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Public education today is being challenged. The Hollister School District is in a financial crisis. Currently, we will need to close a $2 million dollar deficit. We have one time funding from the Federal government that will help — but many difficult decisions will still have to be made.
I believe strongly in balanced budgets that prioritize public education. I will use the skills that I have developed as a small business owner and treasurer of the COA where I oversaw multimillion dollar budgets to fight for what our children deserve.
I will bring everyone together to make the hard decisions that need to be made now so that our children can be successful. We must work with the funds that we have while at the same time continuing to close the achievement gap. We must be creative and find other sources of funds for our district. We need to search out grants and create partnerships with the business community as we develop a strategic plan that truly serves our children.
We must deal with the current crisis by coming together and we must focus on our future.
Please visit my website at www.DrDavidRedman.com.
I respectfully ask for your vote for the Hollister School District Board. Thank you.
Chuck Spandri, parent/operation manager
Hello, my name is Chuck Spandri and I’m running for the Hollister School District School Board.
I’m the Operations Manager at the Metcalf Energy Center, but more importantly I’m the father of three children enrolled in the Hollister School District.
In the almost twelve years my family has lived in Hollister, my children have attended the E.C.E., Cerra Vista, Calaveras, the Accelerated Achievement Academy, R.O. Hardin and Maze Middle School. I’m very concerned with and involved in my children’s education. I’m starting my second year on the Maze School Site Council and have previously served on the Calaveras School Site Council. I’ve attended several Board meetings and have been involved with the Middle School Task Force, Facilities Upgrade and Boundaries committees. I’m being endorsed by both H.E.S.T.A. (Hollister Teacher’s Union) and the C.S.E.A. (Hollister School District Classified Employee’s Union)
These are difficult financial times for everyone. A lot of hard decisions will need to be made to get the District through this period. I believe we need to start and to the extent possible, try and keep the cuts as far away from the children as we can.
I believe that the Board needs to open and maintain lines of communication with the District employees, the community and most importantly with the parents. I don’t see how an informed decision can be made without first talking with and listening to all the involved parties. That means spending time at the schools, in the classrooms, talking to teachers, employees, parents and the kids. It’s going to take all of us working together to insure that our children receive the educational foundation and support necessary to succeed not only in school, but later in life.
I strongly believe in public education and providing parents as many choices as possible in regards to what type of school will work best for their children. I’m in favor of magnet schools. My oldest daughter attended the Accelerated Achievement Academy for two years. Providing parents with choices will help keep children who live in our District from transferring out.
Too much emphasis has been placed on test scores. We seem to be raising a generation of test takers. I don’t believe we spend enough time on teaching how to problem solve and think analytically. I’m 49 years old and don’t remember getting to many multiple choice questions in life. Teachers need to be able to teach. They’re almost set up to fail. Combine this with over sized classrooms, a lack of supplies, and it’s a miracle that anything gets accomplished.
There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I do promise to work hard to insure the future for our children. I’d appreciate your support and vote on November 2nd.
Thank you.
