Why I'm Running Now
The purpose of our public school system is to provide our students with a world-class education and help them to grow into stand-up participants in our society. Rocklin has established a reputation for great schools and it is reflected in the real estate market because it remains a desired school district for parents to enroll their children. This is not guaranteed though when poor decisions are made. In recent years, I watched the current board trustees of Rocklin Unified make decision after decision which was not in the best interest of students.
How many more times would you like to see RUSD in the local, state, and even national news for policies and incidents that reflect poorly upon the students and our community.
Rocklin needs a leader who will center the students in decision making, who is supported by the teachers of Rocklin Unified, and who is a dedicated community member.
Taxpayer Dollars
The current board is holding excessive financial reserves in funding while asking the residents of Rocklin to approve a new $288 million dollar bond that voters will be paying as a tax for years to come. Should the decision to hold back financial reserves lay the burden upon the residents of Rocklin?
Legal Costs
When the students are not the center of decision-making, legal risks and legal expenses begin to pile up. Decisions of the current board majority have led to increased legal spending of more than tens of thousands of dollars and likely much higher. Every dollar spent on discretionary litigation is a dollar that does not support the education of our students. And it is a dollar that was paid in taxes. Should taxpayers be funding discretionary legal battles?
Curriculum Compliance
Choices to reject and delay implementation of updated curriculum of the highest quality has led to wasted taxpayer dollars. An entire grade level across RUSD schools lacked a compliant science curriculum for more than a year. This decision lacked transparency, suggesting that the board majority did not wish to reveal the process behind their decision. Should an entire cohort be subjected to out of compliance curriculum due to matters not disclosed to the community?
Personal Beliefs
The city of Rocklin continues to grow each year in size and diversity. A board trustee should never make decisions which put the development of students second to personal beliefs which are not reflective of the full community of Rocklin. If a trustee will not put students' education ahead of their own personal beliefs, are they the right match for the job they hold?
Staff Relations
In the past, the RUSD board maintained a professional and collaborative relationship with the staff of RUSD. However, the current board majority has driven a wedge into this working relationship leading to tensions between the two. And it nearly led to a strike. Should student-learning be impacted by broken relations between elected board members and career staff?