PRIORITIES

It’s important to know a candidate’s priorities before you vote. Equally important is to know they have concrete plans for achieving those priorities, so those priorities are not just slogans but achievable solutions to real problems for our students and community.

Though no candidate has a ‘magic wand’ to make all our dreams come true, these plans are a start toward shifting our conversations from ‘the way it’s always been done’ to ‘ways it could be better’ if we work together to continuously improve.

* Teacher and staff RECRUITMENT and RETENTION *

* Cross-district COLLABORATION and UNITY *

* Strong FOUNDATIONS, targeted and holistic SUPPORTS for student achievement *

* SUSTAINABILITY in fiscal, human, and environmental resources *

I hope the following thoughts provoke some inspiration and interest for you - let’s connect if you’d like to discuss!

A set of nine Christmas Cactus plants in colorful ceramic pots, arranged 3 by 3 on stairs

Teacher and staff recruitment and retention through more forward-looking compensation structures, improved training opportunities, and a culture of appreciation, to ensure the best team possible is available for our students

Sign-on, retention, spot bonuses, and revamped stipend structures (e.g., add stipends for high-demand job training and job rotations) to incentivize employees in positions most difficult to recruit and retain, as a complement to conventional 'step and column' salary schedule increases and health/pension benefits
Multi-year, forward-focused labor contracts to minimize stress of near-constant contract negotiations
Early-career and low-wage educator compensation boost and housing stability through workforce housing and other potential approaches
Leverage regional paid apprenticeship programs for training new teachers
Revamp professional development programs to better leverage internal expertise and County offerings, also increasing employee leadership and compensation opportunities
Public recognition and celebration of accomplishments
Advocacy for income tax breaks for educators working in high-poverty districts, in partnership with federal and state representatives

A large gathering of people, mostly adults, at Half Moon Bay High School

Cross-district collaboration and unity through collective skill-building, a culture of mutual respect, and collaborative leadership structures, to ensure our limited resources are aligned toward common goals (e.g., California Labor Management Initiative)

Norms for collaborative work, including pausing, paraphrasing, probing, putting ideas on the table, paying attention to self and others, presuming positive intentions, and pursuing a balance between advocacy and inquiry
Clear decision-making processes and roles and district-, school-, grade level-, and department-level learning teams and professional learning communities, all linked
Launching a cross-functional Legislative Committee, including labor partners and community members, to collectively organize advocacy efforts for our public schools
Invest in communications and events to bring people together across our district community

Sophia presenting a diploma to a student graduating high school

Strong foundations for achievement by all students with targeted and holistic student supports where critically needed, in partnership with local non-profits, County, and State partners (e.g., Cabrillo Education Foundation, College of San Mateo, Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Ayudando Latinos a Sonar, The HEAL Project, Coastside Land Trust, Rotary of Half Moon Bay, PTOs, Opportunity Center of the Coastside, and various local non-profits supporting scholarships)

Integrated/foundational supports
- Language development and math skills (e.g., district-wide curricula, instruction, monitoring, and improvement, Pre-K to Adult School; Spanish Immersion program)
- College and career readiness including dual and concurrent college enrollment, Career and Technical Education and other hands-on science learning and other coursework (e.g., agricultural science, marine ecology, welding, HMBHS/CSM Career Exploration dual enrollment course)
- Outdoor learning and play (e.g., school playgrounds, fields, gardens, athletics)
- Restorative practices to focus on building and maintaining positive relationships and repairing harm when conflict occurs
- Visual and performing arts (e.g., digital art and design, music, curricular integrations)
- Social-emotional well-being (e.g., wellness rooms, alternative education formats, school cultures of belonging)
- Family engagement, including Spanish speaking families (e.g., translation, bilingual and bicultural staff, short videos, home/site visits)
- Improved processes, procedures, and communications, where permissible by state laws, to reduce the stress of excess bureaucracy (e.g., consistent use of learning management systems)

Targeted supports
- English Language development (e.g., district-wide curricula, instruction, monitoring, and improvement; early childhood education; and after-school and summer programs)
- Special education (e.g., reading intervention supports, Special Day Classes, Individualized Education Plans) and medical needs (e.g., 504 plans)
- Mental health concerns (e.g., counseling, attendance supports)
- Access to post-secondary education and training (e.g., dual and concurrent enrollment courses)

Advocacy for statewide supports (e.g., validation of research-based curricula) and local control of curriculum and instruction so as to leverage statewide economies of scale while more closely aligning district resources with local students’ needs, in partnership with federal and state representatives

The cover of a book entitled, 'Masters in Governance Course 3: School Finance'

Sustainability across all resources, in particular fiscal, human, and environmental, to enable more precise financial management and decision-making and clearer reporting; more sustainable practices for students, employees, and families; and protecting our environmental resources.

Fiscal stabilization plan to account for recently-agreed labor contracts, ongoing deficit spending due to skyrocketing costs compared to revenues, one-time pandemic relief funding expiration, and chronic underfunding by state funding formulas, (e.g., roughly three-fold per-student funding differences among neighboring districts in San Mateo County) to prepare for future compensation increases, and to provide for longer-term stability
Financial management process improvements, including ‘bottoms-up budgeting’ and ‘position control’ to better predict and track revenues and prioritize spending

Streamlined communications of financial information to better inform internal decision-making and public understanding, including relaunching a Budget Advisory Committee
Collaboration, professional development, and a balance of tactical and strategic focus among district and school leaders
Improved professional development opportunities so employees can work smarter, not harder, and minimize costs of extra supports (e.g., FTE)
Increase revenues through a variety of means (e.g., Measure N parcel tax replacement on November 2024 ballot, exploration of IRS Section 115 Plans to prefund pension contributions and generate interest-based revenues)
Facilities construction and repair funding (via voter-approved local bond measures, State bonds when available, and grants) to further increase energy efficiency and lower ongoing maintenance costs, as well as water reclamation, waste management, and mitigation of other environmental impacts and learning opportunities (e.g., Measure K facilities bond on November 2024 ballot)
Advocacy for fully appropriating federal special education funding, redefining federal poverty levels by accounting for regional costs of living, reducing statewide parcel tax measure voter thresholds, to mitigate deep funding disparities among neighboring districts, in partnership with federal and state representatives, in partnership with the Eastside Education Initiative and federal and state representatives.

Last updated: October 4, 2024