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County Superintendent of Schools Candidates on the Issues
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County Superintendent of Schools Candidates on the Issues
By Michael Thomas
When Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Diane Siri announced that she would not seek reelection this year after 16 years as the region’s chief educator, five candidates emerged. The race will likely be the most hotly contested local post in the June 6 primary election.
As the head of the County Office of Education, the County Superintendent has vast responsibilities. The position includes oversight of what is effectively the County’s second largest school district, serving thousands of students in Special Education programs, vocational projects and alternative education classrooms. And that’s only the start.
Since the early ‘90s, the state has mandated that county superintendents take more local regulatory responsibility " and in some cases direct control " of local school districts. For instance, when Pajaro Valley schools went bust in 1991, Siri got to be among the first county superintendents to cope with the new responsibilities. Since then the oversight duties have expanded, most recently when Governor Schwarzenegger settled the Williams lawsuit and appointed county superintendents to inspect local affected district schools to assure compliance to newly adopted textbook and facility standards.
“Not only have the duties of superintendent significantly expanded since I was first in office,” Siri said, “but the job and the issues have become more complex. I really believe that a County Superintendent needs experience in managing a large organization, in addition to a background in education.”
Besides a teaching credential, candidates for the job must also have an administrative credential. However, having the credential doesn’t mean that the candidate has ever worked as an administrator, which in Siri’s opinion is “essential.”
The County Office has a regular annual budget of more than $40 million, including special projects. Depending on the year, that can increase. The Santa Cruz County Office of Education also manages payroll services and other non-classroom chores for the County’s independent districts, from Santa Cruz City Schools to Cabrillo College.
Besides balancing spending, Siri says the superintendent also must finesse the most resources for County schools, being sure cost efficiencies are found in partnerships and shared support programs.
“It is not good enough to just look within a single organization, in this case a school district, to find efficiencies. And it is also not good enough just to be sure we are spending money wisely. We must additionally seek resources for our schools everywhere, from private companies to the federal government,” Siri added.
In Santa Cruz County, the County Office of Education has helped wire classrooms to the Internet, sought and obtained funding for such projects as the popular and growing countywide Science Fair, secured grants to train teachers, supported students at risk with tutoring and counseling services and homeless children with special classes in group home environments, along with literally dozens of other special projects over the past decade aimed at students ranging from disadvantaged to gifted.
“Getting districts to work together is the first step,” Siri said. “We also work to get money to make available the most resources for each of our students.”
What does Siri expect in a candidate?
“I would hope that a person coming in has a background as a teacher, as a principal and as an instructional leader,” she said. Though classroom experience is important, she said it doesn’t have to be recent. Instead, leadership and mastery of finance are the keys to success in a job that includes oversight of ten districts, not including Cabrillo College, with combined budgets pushing $250 million, according to Siri.
Having served on a board might not be a sufficient test of that level of budget ability.
“I am on three boards where I have the authority to approve a budget. There is no comparison with [that role] and having to develop and implement a budget [of our size],” Siri said.
Who Will Replace Superintendent Siri?
The five candidates for the Superintendent’s post each boast unique qualifications, but they all pledge a commitment to cultivating great teachers and boosting student performance.
In alphabetical order, the candidates are:
" Rowland Baker is the Assistant Superintendent of Education Services in the County Office. As Assistant Superintendent, he oversees a variety of programs and services, including specialized projects coordinated with every district. He is the only candidate to serve on Siri’s cabinet. His 33-year career in Santa Cruz County education includes 13 years at the County Office and stints as principal at both Aromas Elementary and Capitola Elementary.
" Rebecca Garcia oversees preschool teacher development at the Santa Clara County Office and has been an elected trustee at Cabrillo College.
" Sandra Nichols is a speech and language teacher for Santa Cruz City Schools currently serving a second term as an elected trustee on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board. She recently began work as director of Special Education programs for the Spreckels School District.
" Lupe Rivas teaches migrant students in Pajaro schools. She has coordinated bilingual education and has experience as a vice-principal and principal at a Bakersfield school.
" Michael Watkins has been the director of the County Office’s Alternative Education program for over two decades. This program serves students incarcerated in local detention settings, along with special programs for students who have dropped out of traditional classrooms.
Judging the candidates solely on the basis of endorsements, Baker has come out as an early leader. Baker has the support of departing Superintendent Siri, along with the superintendents of most area districts, including Scotts Valley’s Superintendent Susan Silver and San Lorenzo Valley Superintendent Julie Haff. They join superintendents in Santa Cruz, Soquel, Pajaro Valley, Bonny Doon, Pacific and Happy Valley in backing Baker.
Watkins lists many individual endorsements, including the Superintendent of Live Oak Schools.
Watkins and Sandra Nichols both claim support from the California School Employees Association.
Nichols has the endorsement of the Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers, the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council and the Pajaro Valley Cesar Chavez Democratic Club.
Garcia lists endorsements from several fellow Cabrillo trustees, Supervisor Tony Campos and Assembly member Simon Salinas, along with about 100 local parents and educators. Rivas has not published endorsements.
Rowland Baker
As Assistant Superintendent, Rowland Baker has worked closely with departing Superintendent Siri for the past four years, and supporters believe his election would result in a smooth transition for an Office already functioning well. He is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Education Services.
“This office has a chance to greatly impact the lives of students,” Baker said. “The biggest thing is student achievement, whether it’s challenging those at the top or helping those that are struggling.”
When Baker ponders curriculum development, he thinks about the future " the job market and global economy that today’s seventh graders will face when they graduate in 2011.
“I look at making the curriculum more relevant so that students are better prepared when they graduate, whether they’re going on to college or entering the work force,” he said.
He sees teacher recruitment and training as key challenges. To that end, Baker has worked to secure millions of dollars in grant funding for teacher training.
“Our curriculum for professional development is known throughout the State,” he said, citing programs that give teachers new strategies for math instruction, writing skills and integrating technology in the classroom.
Some rival candidates have complained that local teachers must travel to other counties to participate in training sessions. But Baker pointed out that locally secured grants are often responsible for bringing State trainers to those regional centers.
Baker has also worked on statewide education initiatives. He helped to develop legislation such as AB75, which strengthened professional development for school principals. Additionally, he spearheaded the development of technology services throughout County schools, bringing in federal and state funding for the work.
Baker grew up in Santa Cruz County, attending public schools including Gault and Branciforte Elementary schools, and Branciforte Junior High. He spent time at Santa Cruz High before graduating from Soquel High.
He earned his teaching credentials at Pasadena College and took his first job as a summer school teacher in the San Lorenzo Valley in 1973. After 15 years teaching at various county schools, he worked as a Principal at Aromas Elementary and Capitola Elementary before moving to the County Office.
“I got a good education here and I always wanted to give back,” Baker said.
Today, he knows that teachers and students face new challenges. He wants to expand on recent County Office programs such as Saturday tutoring for the High School Exit Exam and computer-based English language instruction, both of which were initiated this year.
Baker believes the alliances he has built with education leaders set him apart and will let him continue to improve local collaboration.
“The job is too big to work in isolation. You need to have respect from the educational leaders,” he said.
Besides having the most endorsements from area superintendents, he also has a broad range of business, community and labor endorsements. Supervisors Jan Beautz and Ellen Pirie endorsed Baker, along with former Sheriff Mark Tracy. While volunteering on a variety of boards, he has also served as President of the Association of California School Administrators.
Rebecca Garcia
Rebecca Garcia currently works at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. She oversees professional development for preschool teachers in a four-county area that includes Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
She has also been a Trustee at Cabrillo College for 14 years. As a result, she says she has a vision of the full continuum of education.
“The number one thing that sets me apart is the breadth and depth of my education experience. … It’s really a pre-K through 14 perspective,” she said.
“The emphasis right now in education is closing the achievement gap,” Garcia said, “particularly the Latino subgroup. We are not doing as well as we can in that subgroup.” A native of Watsonville, one of her primary objectives is to see English language learners come up to speed. She pointed out that 28 percent of the County’s students are working to learn English, and of those, only a third are reaching the standard for fluency.
Garcia promises to monitor District budgets with an eye to prevention.
“That way, there will never have to be an intervention where the County Office has to take over a district [budget],” she said. She was in charge of the budget for Watsonville High’s bilingual program in the late 1980s and has budget experience from her stint as Principal of Rolling Hills Middle School.
She believes that Alternate Ed and ROP vocational training are the most important programs in the County Office, and she thinks they can be improved.
“Cabrillo is going to be applying for a $2.4 million grant to create a vocational center in Watsonville. How is it that the ROP can work in partnership and take advantage of that center?”
Growing up in Santa Cruz County, Garcia attended Pajaro Elementary, Watsonville High, Cabrillo, and UC Santa Cruz. She has a Masters in educational administration as well as teaching and administrative credentials.
In the early 1990s, she worked at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education on a program aimed at alcohol and drug prevention.
Sandra Nichols
If you’re wondering why Nichols’ campaign signs read “Sandra,” there’s a reason.
“I think I am the Superintendent candidate that is the least likely to lose the common touch,” she said. “I am still in touch with the needs of classroom teachers.”
She believes that parents and teachers are particularly attuned to budget issues after the challenges of recent years, and points out her role in scrutinizing PVUSD’s budget, the largest local school
district.
“Instead of studying a single department, I have studied the entire budget to understand how all those individual budgets make up a package,” Nichols said.
Nichols just recently received her administrative credentials, which are a requirement for the County Superintendent post. She started a program last April.
“The issue of whether Diane Siri was going to run or not was part of the inspiration to me,” she explained.
Nichols has worked as a part-time speech and language specialist for Santa Cruz City Schools and a special education instructor for three decades. In recent months, she took an additional job as coordinator of Special Education for a Monterey County school district.
Nichols says that among her recent successes was helping campaign against the Governor’s propositions last year. Last year, she organized a small coalition of local educators to rally opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s education agenda. The group was called Campaign Support Our Schools.
Nichols said that she wants to follow in Siri’s footsteps.
“One of the problems with No Child Left Behind is it shortchanges underachievers and overachievers,” Nichols said. “The County [Office] needs to continue and augment their support for alternative programs that meet students’ needs at all levels.”
However, politically, Nichols has also faced challenges. Nichols is in her second term as a Pajaro Valley School District trustee, elected to represent the district surrounding her home in Day Valley.
Citing Nichols purported role in the sudden resignation of popular Pajaro Valley superintendent Mary Anne Mays, a group of Aptos and Watsonville parents have launched a recall campaign aimed at Nichols. If not elected County Superintendent, Nichols would have more than two years remaining on her current term as a Pajaro Valley trustee.
Lupe Rivas
Lupe Rivas worked as a Bilingual Coordinator for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District for six years and currently teaches migrant students. She has a doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco, as well as a masters and an administrative degree.
She believes that her experience in the trenches makes her well suited to take the helm as County Superintendent.
“A lot of these people have been administrators for a long time and have not been back in the classroom to see what all these mandates are making teachers do,” she said of her opponents.
Lupe wants the County Office to expand.
“I want to make sure our teachers get the resources they need so they don’t have to go to other counties,” she said. “Our County office needs to expand their offering of courses. … I would also work on strengthening collaborations, such as [with the] UCSC New Teacher Project.”
Before taking the job in Pajaro schools working with migrant students, Rivas served as vice-principal and principal at two Bakersfield-area schools.
“I managed budgets that were in the millions of dollars for bilingual and other school level programs,” she said.
As to the County Superintendent post, “The big issue is working to improve education services to all students … and to teachers,” Rivas said. “I see some of the needs firsthand that are out here in the area.”
Michael Watkins
Michael Watkins has 25 years of experience with the County Office of Education and has been the Director of Alternative Education program since 1988, which reports to the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services.
“I clearly understand the role of the County office " how it can support districts,” Watkins said. He would apply his experience as Director of Alternate Education to the challenge of helping local districts balance their budgets.
“We provide technical assistance " ways to reduce duplication of services, how they deal with their collective bargaining agreements,” he said.
He believes that the costs of special education, which are billed back to the districts from which students are referred, could be more closely reviewed.
Watkins knows firsthand the challenges that teachers face, particularly new ones.
“It’s a big issue in Santa Cruz County because of the incomes that teachers receive and the cost of living.”
Watkins is proud of the work he’s done in the community, including encouraging Seagate to build a toddler play area at Watsonville Community School and partnering with the Mental Health Department to provide counseling in schools.
He envisions new collaborative efforts to support housing for teachers in the County. He would like to see teachers receive subsidized housing.
“We could look at developing partnerships with contractors, RDAs, and lenders…to maintain a high quality of teachers in this County,” he said.
Watkins’ current position affords close contact with teachers and he has been endorsed by the California Teachers Association’s unit representing County Office teachers, among others. Beyond the realm of schools, he has just joined the board for the Court Appointed Special Advocates. He has also worked with the Workforce Investment Board Youth Council, working to improve opportunities for youth transitioning from school to the working world.
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