Like most people, I’ve never taken much notice when the governor releases a proposed budget. However, because of fears that our school district may soon be facing tough financial decisions, I decided to take a look at Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget.
It’s a thought-provoking read. The proposed budget states that, “In an effort to protect classroom funding, the governor is proposing a reduction of approximately 10 percent in funding for administration, overhead and other non-instruction-related spending by school districts. [The governor proposes a] reduction of $1.2 billion targeted to school district central administration. This proposal will protect classroom spending, including spending for teachers and principals, from further reductions.”
So, while the governor proposes that school districts cut back on administrative spending during these tough economic times, the four members of the St. Helena school board who are the subject of a recall election have decided that administrators should be awarded handsome salaries and generous supplemental early retirement packages. Instead of taking a position similar to the governor’s that we need to decrease spending on administration in order to protect classroom spending, these four board members have supported and defended the view that our district needs a lot of administrators and we need to pay them substantially more than other school districts in the state.
This is not only a frivolous approach to school finance, it’s also a very short-sighted one. It’s well known that we have a well-funded school district. However, the director of the Department of Finance for California stated that our state now faces a projected budget deficit of $19.9 billion. How long will it be before the state starts taking a hard look at wealthy districts such as ours to make up for shortfalls in educational funding elsewhere? If that happens, how do these board members think our district will handle severe cuts in our funding? Will they try to take back the large retirement packages or cut back on bloated administrative salaries? Judging from their actions so far, that seems unlikely. This is one of the many reasons why the recall is so necessary.
Kathy Zelazny / St. Helena
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A Note of Thanks
We are truly grateful for the continued support from the community. Our supporter list grows daily and we have ordered more signs since there is a great deal of demand for them! Please email us if we can deliver a sign to you. Again, thank you your support!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Cadidate's Personal Statement: Jeanne DeVincenzi
My husband and I have lived in St. Helena for 11 years and have three daughters in the school district. I am actively involved in our schools as the President of the Elementary School Site Council, a member of the RLS Site Council, a director of the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation Endowment Trust, a member of the Elementary and Primary Schools Parent Teacher Group, and a member of the District's Strategic Planning Committee.
I am a business attorney and have practiced for 14 years. In my line of work, I help clients identify their priorities and determine practical ways to reach their goals within the boundaries of the law. I help them resolve disputes and understand complex issues.
I will use my professional skills and my experience with our schools to do the following:
· Support our teachers and students;
· Improve communication with parents and the community;
· Oversee legal and financial issues;
· Suggest innovative solutions;
· Provide insight into the unique issues facing our school sites; and
· Track legislative action that impacts our district.
I will act with respect, integrity and honesty.
I will work hard to make sure that we provide the opportunities and resources so that ALL students can reach their full potential.
I am a business attorney and have practiced for 14 years. In my line of work, I help clients identify their priorities and determine practical ways to reach their goals within the boundaries of the law. I help them resolve disputes and understand complex issues.
I will use my professional skills and my experience with our schools to do the following:
· Support our teachers and students;
· Improve communication with parents and the community;
· Oversee legal and financial issues;
· Suggest innovative solutions;
· Provide insight into the unique issues facing our school sites; and
· Track legislative action that impacts our district.
I will act with respect, integrity and honesty.
I will work hard to make sure that we provide the opportunities and resources so that ALL students can reach their full potential.
Candidate's Personal Statement: Sean Maher
My family came to St. Helena more than 34 years ago, and my wife and I now have two children in the school district. I proudly serve our community and kids as past President and continuing Board Member of the St. Helena Boys and Girls Club. As President, I led the fundraising and community relations campaign to build our new clubhouse/gym at the St. Helena Elementary School, working collaboratively with community leaders to make it happen. I am also a regular youth sports volunteer, coaching soccer, basketball, and baseball each year. For the older kids, my family recently completed an extensive renovation of the city-owned Teen Center.
For 15 years I have managed my own business in town, building strong community and client relationships. I look forward to building equally strong and collaborative relationships as a member of the School Board. I commit to an unwavering focus on the success of our students and their teachers. I commit to being fair and honest, soliciting perspective from parents, community members, and the administration. Finally, I commit to an ongoing critical review of the district’s finances and other complex challenges, and to seeking respectful paths towards solutions.
For 15 years I have managed my own business in town, building strong community and client relationships. I look forward to building equally strong and collaborative relationships as a member of the School Board. I commit to an unwavering focus on the success of our students and their teachers. I commit to being fair and honest, soliciting perspective from parents, community members, and the administration. Finally, I commit to an ongoing critical review of the district’s finances and other complex challenges, and to seeking respectful paths towards solutions.
Candidate's Personal Statement: Jeff Conwell
From 1971 – 1978, I was a student in Saint Helena Elementary and RLS. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, I was a pilot for 12 years in the United States Navy. In 1998, I was hired by United Airlines and moved back to Saint Helena.
Our three children attend public schools – RLS, Elementary and Primary. Over the past twelve years, I was on the Primary School Site Council, Napa County Grand Jury and coached multiple sports. I currently led Cub Scout Pack 199, am involved in American Legion Post 199 and on the board for the Napa Valley State Park Association.
This is a wonderful community to raise children, but we can clearly improve the fiscal accountability and openness of our Public School System. As a board member, I will listen to the concerns of the community and openly discuss those inputs prior to making decisions. The Napa County Grand Jury taught me to do through research, ask questions, and hold administrators accountable to the public. We must challenge and demand the administration to provide excellent teachers, facilities, and environment to produce the best students.
The time is right for a change. We need new insightful members on the school board.
Our three children attend public schools – RLS, Elementary and Primary. Over the past twelve years, I was on the Primary School Site Council, Napa County Grand Jury and coached multiple sports. I currently led Cub Scout Pack 199, am involved in American Legion Post 199 and on the board for the Napa Valley State Park Association.
This is a wonderful community to raise children, but we can clearly improve the fiscal accountability and openness of our Public School System. As a board member, I will listen to the concerns of the community and openly discuss those inputs prior to making decisions. The Napa County Grand Jury taught me to do through research, ask questions, and hold administrators accountable to the public. We must challenge and demand the administration to provide excellent teachers, facilities, and environment to produce the best students.
The time is right for a change. We need new insightful members on the school board.
Candidate's Personal Statement: Jeannie Kerr
I believe in public education and that it is the responsibility of the school board, administration, teachers, and parents to ensure that every student receives the opportunities and resources necessary to obtain an excellent education.
I have two children in the public schools. I have served the school community in many different capacities over the last eight years, including Parent Teacher Group President, mini-grants committee member of the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation, member of the District Strategic Planning Team, and committee chair of the Just Imagine Auction. My extensive hands-on school experience enables me to bring a unique prospective of oversight and financial management to school budgeting, ensuring funds are effectively allocated to programs and resources that will benefit all students.
Through my dedication to the schools and community, I have earned the respect of the district’s administration, teachers and parents. I believe that through respectful and thoughtful communication, I can bring these groups and the broader community together so that we can truly focus on supporting our schools, teachers and students during this time of shrinking financial resources.
I would be honored to serve as a member of the St. Helena Unified School District Board of Trustees.
I have two children in the public schools. I have served the school community in many different capacities over the last eight years, including Parent Teacher Group President, mini-grants committee member of the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation, member of the District Strategic Planning Team, and committee chair of the Just Imagine Auction. My extensive hands-on school experience enables me to bring a unique prospective of oversight and financial management to school budgeting, ensuring funds are effectively allocated to programs and resources that will benefit all students.
Through my dedication to the schools and community, I have earned the respect of the district’s administration, teachers and parents. I believe that through respectful and thoughtful communication, I can bring these groups and the broader community together so that we can truly focus on supporting our schools, teachers and students during this time of shrinking financial resources.
I would be honored to serve as a member of the St. Helena Unified School District Board of Trustees.
CANDIDATE PROFILE: Jeff Conwell
By Jesse Duarte
STAFF WRITER
Friday, December 25, 2009
As a member of the Napa County Grand Jury in 2003-2004, Jeff Conwell learned he had a knack for keeping tabs on public officials.
Now he wants a seat on the St. Helena School Board so he can bring that oversight to bear on the local school district.
Conwell is running for Trustee Cindy Warren’s seat in the Feb. 23 recall election. But he stressed that “I don’t view this election as me versus Cindy Warren.”
“This is Cindy Warren running on her past as a boardmember,” he said. “If people vote ‘yes’ on the recall, then I want people to think I’m a worthy replacement who could fill her term.”
Conwell leads a local Cub Scout pack, is involved in the American Legion and serves on the board of the Napa Valley State Parks Association. He spent one year on the Primary School Site Council.
He described himself as “approachable and willing to listen to all points of view.” He said he’d bring a positive attitude to the school board.
The district has strained relationships with some members of the community and a few local agencies, but he would “improve our district’s image by offering a fresh change of perspective and outlook,” he said.
He said that as a trustee he’d draw on his grand jury experience, which taught him to “do the research and read the information so I can ask the questions that need to be asked.”
He also has three children attending St. Helena schools, “so as an active parent I’m very interested in making sure them and their classmates get the best education possible,” he said.
The district benefits from a generous community, skilled teachers and dedicated parents, and reasonably good facilities, notwithstanding some outdated buildings at RLS Middle School, he said.
The main thing that’s holding the district back from greatness is the board, said Conwell.
He cited board by-laws which call for the district to be “responsive to the values, beliefs and priorities of the community.”
Instead, trustees have a “cozy relationship” with each other and with the administration, and they do business in a way that lacks transparency, he said.
“Everything seemed closed-off, and that’s what ignited the recall,” he said.
The classic example was when the board hired then-Assistant Superintendent Robert Haley to replace the retiring Allan Gordon without conducting an open search for other candidates, said Conwell.
“When they announced this at the board meeting and the board did open high-fives in celebration, it really set off this group that charged ahead and asked, ‘What can we do to change this?’” he said.
The recall campaign gathered steam when parents realized that the board had given Gordon and former high school Principal Jim Zoll generous retirement packages, said Conwell.
He said that if he’s elected, he’d push for the board to take a close look at the budget and reconsider the district’s fiscal priorities.
“We’re spending a lot on legal costs, and that’s all money that’s not going into the classroom,” he said.
Conwell, a pilot for United Airlines, is a union member, so he understands employment contracts, he said. Right now the district’s contracts with its employees don’t address what would happen if the district loses its Basic Aid status and faces a steep decline in revenue, he said.
The board needs to make sure that if times get tough, the district’s employees take a fair cut, he said.
Conwell also wants to make sure administrators’ salaries aren’t tied to teachers’ contracts.
“Right now, if the teachers get a big raise, consequently the superintendent does too,” he said. “It doesn’t seem right that the superintendent is negotiating something that they receive a return on.”
Conwell said he likes the International Baccalaureate program overall, particularly the training teachers have undergone. But he’s concerned about “a few hiccups,” such as problems with prerequisite classes at the high school.
“We’ve jumped with both feet into this program and we’re trying to do it on a very aggressive timeline,” he said. “Not everything has worked. We won’t know how successful the IB diploma program is until we’ve had a few graduating classes.”
Conwell said that if he loses this time, he’d “definitely run again."
STAFF WRITER
Friday, December 25, 2009
As a member of the Napa County Grand Jury in 2003-2004, Jeff Conwell learned he had a knack for keeping tabs on public officials.
Now he wants a seat on the St. Helena School Board so he can bring that oversight to bear on the local school district.
Conwell is running for Trustee Cindy Warren’s seat in the Feb. 23 recall election. But he stressed that “I don’t view this election as me versus Cindy Warren.”
“This is Cindy Warren running on her past as a boardmember,” he said. “If people vote ‘yes’ on the recall, then I want people to think I’m a worthy replacement who could fill her term.”
Conwell leads a local Cub Scout pack, is involved in the American Legion and serves on the board of the Napa Valley State Parks Association. He spent one year on the Primary School Site Council.
He described himself as “approachable and willing to listen to all points of view.” He said he’d bring a positive attitude to the school board.
The district has strained relationships with some members of the community and a few local agencies, but he would “improve our district’s image by offering a fresh change of perspective and outlook,” he said.
He said that as a trustee he’d draw on his grand jury experience, which taught him to “do the research and read the information so I can ask the questions that need to be asked.”
He also has three children attending St. Helena schools, “so as an active parent I’m very interested in making sure them and their classmates get the best education possible,” he said.
The district benefits from a generous community, skilled teachers and dedicated parents, and reasonably good facilities, notwithstanding some outdated buildings at RLS Middle School, he said.
The main thing that’s holding the district back from greatness is the board, said Conwell.
He cited board by-laws which call for the district to be “responsive to the values, beliefs and priorities of the community.”
Instead, trustees have a “cozy relationship” with each other and with the administration, and they do business in a way that lacks transparency, he said.
“Everything seemed closed-off, and that’s what ignited the recall,” he said.
The classic example was when the board hired then-Assistant Superintendent Robert Haley to replace the retiring Allan Gordon without conducting an open search for other candidates, said Conwell.
“When they announced this at the board meeting and the board did open high-fives in celebration, it really set off this group that charged ahead and asked, ‘What can we do to change this?’” he said.
The recall campaign gathered steam when parents realized that the board had given Gordon and former high school Principal Jim Zoll generous retirement packages, said Conwell.
He said that if he’s elected, he’d push for the board to take a close look at the budget and reconsider the district’s fiscal priorities.
“We’re spending a lot on legal costs, and that’s all money that’s not going into the classroom,” he said.
Conwell, a pilot for United Airlines, is a union member, so he understands employment contracts, he said. Right now the district’s contracts with its employees don’t address what would happen if the district loses its Basic Aid status and faces a steep decline in revenue, he said.
The board needs to make sure that if times get tough, the district’s employees take a fair cut, he said.
Conwell also wants to make sure administrators’ salaries aren’t tied to teachers’ contracts.
“Right now, if the teachers get a big raise, consequently the superintendent does too,” he said. “It doesn’t seem right that the superintendent is negotiating something that they receive a return on.”
Conwell said he likes the International Baccalaureate program overall, particularly the training teachers have undergone. But he’s concerned about “a few hiccups,” such as problems with prerequisite classes at the high school.
“We’ve jumped with both feet into this program and we’re trying to do it on a very aggressive timeline,” he said. “Not everything has worked. We won’t know how successful the IB diploma program is until we’ve had a few graduating classes.”
Conwell said that if he loses this time, he’d “definitely run again."
CANDIDATE PROFILE: Jeanne DeVincenzi
By Jesse Duarte
STAFF WRITER
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Jeanne DeVincenzi said that as a school boardmember she would work to make sure every St. Helena student gets the same high-quality education her three daughters are enjoying.
“I’m all about positive change,” said DeVincenzi, who’s seeking Trustee Carolyn Martini’s seat in the Feb. 23 recall election.
DeVincenzi, a business attorney, is president of the St. Helena Elementary School Site Council. She serves on the RLS Middle School Site Council and on the board of the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation Endowment Trust. She was previously a member of the Parent Teacher Group for the primary and elementary schools.
DeVincenzi said that while her three daughters are thriving in St. Helena’s public schools system, “it’s heartbreaking to me when I see the children who aren’t.”
She said she’s afraid special education students aren’t getting the education they deserve — not because of a lack of talented teachers, but because of high-level program decisions the district has made.
Students who aren’t college-bound also need more support, she said. The district needs to find a way to keep the International Baccalaureate program in place and still give those kids the tools they need to succeed, she said.
DeVincenzi is worried that at-risk students aren’t being served as well as they were when the Madrone continuation school operated on the high school campus.
She also wants to make sure English language learners are provided with enough resources.
“We need to reach out to the Hispanic community and see what their concerns are,” she said.
DeVincenzi said that in addition to her keen interest in education, her legal knowledge could come in handy when the board deals with contracts and litigation.
“I could read the legal briefs and have a dialogue with the district’s attorneys,” she said.
More communication
A lot of the district’s problems are due to lack of communication, said DeVincenzi.
“When the recall succeeds, I think you will see much better communication,” she said. “The public will be encouraged to speak more, and their comments will be answered.”
Communication will also be more effective because the recall candidates are “incredibly engaged in our schools,” and understand the important issues, said DeVincenzi.
Right now some parents, students and teachers fear retaliation if they speak their minds, she said.
“That culture has to stop, 100 percent,” said DeVincenzi. “We see that problem, acknowledge it, and want to change it.”
“We also need a board that will direct the district rather than allow the superintendent to direct it,” said DeVincenzi. “Superintendents are in charge of day-to-day operations, but they need some direction.”
More oversight
Given the possibility that the state will take away St. Helena’s Basic Aid status — it’s already done away with the name in favor of the ominous term “excess revenue” — the board needs to come up with a plan to do more with less.
That means looking at the district’s financial priorities, said DeVincenzi.
“I’m concerned that there are some programs that are not being funded and there are some segments of our student population that are not being served as well as they could be,” she said. “We need to ask some tough questions about where our dollars should be spent.”
DeVincenzi believes the recall was sparked in April when the board appointed Robert Haley as superintendent, instead of hiring him on an interim basis and conducting an outside search for other candidates.
“That caused a lot of parents and community members to start talking,” said DeVincenzi. “People shared the experiences and concerns that they had, and it seemed that a lot of those stories weren’t isolated experiences — they were part of a pattern.”
The recall could have been avoided if trustees had taken the community’s advice on the Haley appointment, drafted his contract differently, or even explained their position more effectively, said DeVincenzi.
“Time and time again, instead of listening to people’s questions and comments and keeping an open mind, the board has dug in and continued on its path,” she said.
DeVincenzi said that if she doesn’t win Martini’s seat, she would run for one of the three seats that are available in November 2010.
STAFF WRITER
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Jeanne DeVincenzi said that as a school boardmember she would work to make sure every St. Helena student gets the same high-quality education her three daughters are enjoying.
“I’m all about positive change,” said DeVincenzi, who’s seeking Trustee Carolyn Martini’s seat in the Feb. 23 recall election.
DeVincenzi, a business attorney, is president of the St. Helena Elementary School Site Council. She serves on the RLS Middle School Site Council and on the board of the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation Endowment Trust. She was previously a member of the Parent Teacher Group for the primary and elementary schools.
DeVincenzi said that while her three daughters are thriving in St. Helena’s public schools system, “it’s heartbreaking to me when I see the children who aren’t.”
She said she’s afraid special education students aren’t getting the education they deserve — not because of a lack of talented teachers, but because of high-level program decisions the district has made.
Students who aren’t college-bound also need more support, she said. The district needs to find a way to keep the International Baccalaureate program in place and still give those kids the tools they need to succeed, she said.
DeVincenzi is worried that at-risk students aren’t being served as well as they were when the Madrone continuation school operated on the high school campus.
She also wants to make sure English language learners are provided with enough resources.
“We need to reach out to the Hispanic community and see what their concerns are,” she said.
DeVincenzi said that in addition to her keen interest in education, her legal knowledge could come in handy when the board deals with contracts and litigation.
“I could read the legal briefs and have a dialogue with the district’s attorneys,” she said.
More communication
A lot of the district’s problems are due to lack of communication, said DeVincenzi.
“When the recall succeeds, I think you will see much better communication,” she said. “The public will be encouraged to speak more, and their comments will be answered.”
Communication will also be more effective because the recall candidates are “incredibly engaged in our schools,” and understand the important issues, said DeVincenzi.
Right now some parents, students and teachers fear retaliation if they speak their minds, she said.
“That culture has to stop, 100 percent,” said DeVincenzi. “We see that problem, acknowledge it, and want to change it.”
“We also need a board that will direct the district rather than allow the superintendent to direct it,” said DeVincenzi. “Superintendents are in charge of day-to-day operations, but they need some direction.”
More oversight
Given the possibility that the state will take away St. Helena’s Basic Aid status — it’s already done away with the name in favor of the ominous term “excess revenue” — the board needs to come up with a plan to do more with less.
That means looking at the district’s financial priorities, said DeVincenzi.
“I’m concerned that there are some programs that are not being funded and there are some segments of our student population that are not being served as well as they could be,” she said. “We need to ask some tough questions about where our dollars should be spent.”
DeVincenzi believes the recall was sparked in April when the board appointed Robert Haley as superintendent, instead of hiring him on an interim basis and conducting an outside search for other candidates.
“That caused a lot of parents and community members to start talking,” said DeVincenzi. “People shared the experiences and concerns that they had, and it seemed that a lot of those stories weren’t isolated experiences — they were part of a pattern.”
The recall could have been avoided if trustees had taken the community’s advice on the Haley appointment, drafted his contract differently, or even explained their position more effectively, said DeVincenzi.
“Time and time again, instead of listening to people’s questions and comments and keeping an open mind, the board has dug in and continued on its path,” she said.
DeVincenzi said that if she doesn’t win Martini’s seat, she would run for one of the three seats that are available in November 2010.
CANDIDATE PROFILE: Jeannie Kerr
By Jesse Duarte
STAFF WRITER
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Jeannie Kerr, one of four challengers running in the Feb. 23 school board recall election, says “respectful communication” is the key to restoring faith in the St. Helena School Board.
Kerr is running for the seat held by Trustee Cynthia Lane. But Kerr says she doesn’t think of the election as a contest between her and Lane.
“This is about bad choices the board has made that took money out of the hands of our students,” said Kerr. “The community has lost trust in our board members. We don’t have time to wait for the November election. We need to make positive changes now.”
Kerr has been involved with the parent groups for the primary/elementary and middle schools and the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation. She has children attending St. Helena Elementary School and RLS Middle School.
She also serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission. In 2003 she spearheaded the renovation of a playground at Crane Park, leading the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce to name her “Citizen of the Year.”
Kerr said the recall can be traced back to April 9, when the board invited Assistant Superintendent Robert Haley to succeed the retiring Superintendent Allan Gordon instead of conducting an open search, as some parents urged.
“There were many, many engaged parents in that room who were very upset and frustrated with that decision,” said Kerr. “We felt that there should have been some kind of open search, and our district was at a point where we could have used new leadership.”
Kerr said the movement that would grow into the recall campaign gained momentum in May when the board, in spite of numerous public comments, letters to the editor and e-mails to trustees endorsing an open search, approved a two-year contract with Haley.
If the board had slowed down the process, hired Haley on an interim basis and conducted an open search for candidates outside the district, the recall could have been avoided, said Kerr.
Spending questioned
Instead, she said, parents’ outrage only grew when they became aware of the lucrative retirement packages offered to Gordon and retiring high school principal Jim Zoll, said Kerr.
“It saddened many of us to think that they could offer something like that and at the same time take away programs for our students,” she said.
Kerr, who has helped organize the Harvest Festival, Holiday Home Tour and Just Imagine! fundraisers, said she was particularly shocked “because I know how much time — hundreds of hours — it takes for parents to raise that kind of money for our students. To see that money go out the door without any thought was astonishing to all of us.”
Communication urged
During the entire saga, “we were trying to communicate with the board, and our voices were not being heard,” said Kerr.
That will change if the recall succeeds, she said. She said she and her fellow challengers would bring “respectful and thoughtful communication, positive leadership, and more fiscal responsibility and transparency.”
The new board would be more open-minded and do a better job listening to their constituents, said Kerr.
“I’d be able to bring people together,” she said. “I could bring our major stakeholders — administrators, principals, teachers, parents — together and provide a forum where we could openly communicate and move forward in a positive way.”
Focus on students
As far as the district’s financial situation, “anything could happen,” said Kerr. But it seems likely that the district’s budget will shrink, not grow, in future years, she said.
To prepare, the board should take a hard look at its fiscal priorities, she said.
“Right now too much of our budget is going to administrative salaries and not into our students’ hands,” said Kerr. “We need to look for ways to budget so that more financial resources are going to our students.”
The impact of the current board’s decisions about retirement incentives and administrative salares is being felt in the classroom through discontinued programs, fewer teacher’s aides and fewer books and supplies available in the classrooms and libraries, said Kerr.
In addition, parent groups are being asked to fund things the district should be handling, she said.
The district’s teachers and support staff are excellent, but Kerr is concerned that some groups of students, such as at-risk, special education and English language learners, aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
“I feel very strongly that every single child in our district should get the resources they deserve,” she said.
If Lane is recalled and replaced by Kerr, Kerr would serve out the remainder of Lane’s term, which expires in November 2012.
If Kerr isn’t elected to Lane’s seat, she said she’d seriously consider running again.
STAFF WRITER
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Jeannie Kerr, one of four challengers running in the Feb. 23 school board recall election, says “respectful communication” is the key to restoring faith in the St. Helena School Board.
Kerr is running for the seat held by Trustee Cynthia Lane. But Kerr says she doesn’t think of the election as a contest between her and Lane.
“This is about bad choices the board has made that took money out of the hands of our students,” said Kerr. “The community has lost trust in our board members. We don’t have time to wait for the November election. We need to make positive changes now.”
Kerr has been involved with the parent groups for the primary/elementary and middle schools and the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation. She has children attending St. Helena Elementary School and RLS Middle School.
She also serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission. In 2003 she spearheaded the renovation of a playground at Crane Park, leading the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce to name her “Citizen of the Year.”
Kerr said the recall can be traced back to April 9, when the board invited Assistant Superintendent Robert Haley to succeed the retiring Superintendent Allan Gordon instead of conducting an open search, as some parents urged.
“There were many, many engaged parents in that room who were very upset and frustrated with that decision,” said Kerr. “We felt that there should have been some kind of open search, and our district was at a point where we could have used new leadership.”
Kerr said the movement that would grow into the recall campaign gained momentum in May when the board, in spite of numerous public comments, letters to the editor and e-mails to trustees endorsing an open search, approved a two-year contract with Haley.
If the board had slowed down the process, hired Haley on an interim basis and conducted an open search for candidates outside the district, the recall could have been avoided, said Kerr.
Spending questioned
Instead, she said, parents’ outrage only grew when they became aware of the lucrative retirement packages offered to Gordon and retiring high school principal Jim Zoll, said Kerr.
“It saddened many of us to think that they could offer something like that and at the same time take away programs for our students,” she said.
Kerr, who has helped organize the Harvest Festival, Holiday Home Tour and Just Imagine! fundraisers, said she was particularly shocked “because I know how much time — hundreds of hours — it takes for parents to raise that kind of money for our students. To see that money go out the door without any thought was astonishing to all of us.”
Communication urged
During the entire saga, “we were trying to communicate with the board, and our voices were not being heard,” said Kerr.
That will change if the recall succeeds, she said. She said she and her fellow challengers would bring “respectful and thoughtful communication, positive leadership, and more fiscal responsibility and transparency.”
The new board would be more open-minded and do a better job listening to their constituents, said Kerr.
“I’d be able to bring people together,” she said. “I could bring our major stakeholders — administrators, principals, teachers, parents — together and provide a forum where we could openly communicate and move forward in a positive way.”
Focus on students
As far as the district’s financial situation, “anything could happen,” said Kerr. But it seems likely that the district’s budget will shrink, not grow, in future years, she said.
To prepare, the board should take a hard look at its fiscal priorities, she said.
“Right now too much of our budget is going to administrative salaries and not into our students’ hands,” said Kerr. “We need to look for ways to budget so that more financial resources are going to our students.”
The impact of the current board’s decisions about retirement incentives and administrative salares is being felt in the classroom through discontinued programs, fewer teacher’s aides and fewer books and supplies available in the classrooms and libraries, said Kerr.
In addition, parent groups are being asked to fund things the district should be handling, she said.
The district’s teachers and support staff are excellent, but Kerr is concerned that some groups of students, such as at-risk, special education and English language learners, aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
“I feel very strongly that every single child in our district should get the resources they deserve,” she said.
If Lane is recalled and replaced by Kerr, Kerr would serve out the remainder of Lane’s term, which expires in November 2012.
If Kerr isn’t elected to Lane’s seat, she said she’d seriously consider running again.
CANDIDATE PROFILE: Sean Maher
By Jesse Duarte
STAFF WRITER
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Sean Maher helped raise more than $7 million for the Boys & Girls Club’s Tainter Street facility, so he’s pretty sure he can help the St. Helena School Board keep track of its finances.
As board president from 2004 to 2006, Maher along with Andy Beckstoffer led the capital campaign that financed the Boys & Girls Club’s Tainter Street facility, which today serves 800 kids.
Following a roughly five-year exploratory phase and a two-year fundraising drive, Maher and the rest of the Boys & Girls Club board reduce the size of the proposed building in response to neighbors’ concerns.
Maher, who’s seeking the school board seat held by Trustee Ines DeLuna in the Feb. 23 recall election, said he would apply that same spirit of listening and cooperation to the school board.
If the recall succeeds, people can expect the board to be more receptive to input “and listen to the parents, who we work for,” said Maher.
As a founding partner with Maher and Associates, Maher assists wine-related businesses with long-term planning and asset management. He’s also coached youth baseball, basketball and soccer, and still sits on the Boys & Girls Club board.
Maher’s family moved to St. Helena in the mid-1970s. He moved away to attend college, but came back to raise a family.
“We live in a very special part of the world, and I want to make sure it stays that way,” he said. “I’m committed to doing anything I can to improve it.”
Maher’s two children attend St. Helena primary and elementary schools. “I’d like to make sure that my kids, and all kids, have every opportunity to do their best,” he said.
This year Maher managed the school board campaign of Kevin Alfaro, a pro-recall candidate who won two-thirds of the vote and took over Jim Haslip’s old seat.
Maher said the recall was mounted because of the board’s lack of communication, particularly when they hired then-Assistant Superintendent Robert Haley to replace the retiring Superintendent Allan Gordon over the objections of many parents.
“Like a lot of people, I feel that process was flawed,” said Maher, adding there’s “a reasonable chance” the recall could have been avoided if the board had hired Haley on an interim basis and conducted a search for other candidates.
Maher also questions the board’s fiscal priorities. As the state’s financial situation deteriorates, the district could face tough times, especially if it loses its Basic Aid status, said Maher.
“In future budgets we’re going to have to look hard at expenses and having an appropriate reserve,” he said. “I see some tough years ahead of us, and we need to be sure we’re spending money in the right places.”
Giving expensive retirement packages to Gordon and former high school Principal Jim Zoll was an example of poor financial decision-making, said Maher.
“I have no problem paying for experience and talent,” he said. “But I question giving out excessive packages when you hear about the need for more elementary school aides and after-school tutoring.”
As far as curriculum is concerned, Maher is worried about the district’s special education students. Several lawsuits are pending, at substantial cost to the district, and “that whole situation needs to be reviewed,” he said.
“I’m concerned that there might be a culture of threats and lawsuits,” said Maher, referring specifically to a now-resolved dispute with neighboring school districts involving special ed funding.
“I’m not sure it was prudent to spend all that to get money that it appears to me we would have gotten eventually anyway — and we probably would have gotten it quicker,” he said.
Maher said that if he doesn’t win DeLuna’s seat, he’d run again in a future election.
STAFF WRITER
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Sean Maher helped raise more than $7 million for the Boys & Girls Club’s Tainter Street facility, so he’s pretty sure he can help the St. Helena School Board keep track of its finances.
As board president from 2004 to 2006, Maher along with Andy Beckstoffer led the capital campaign that financed the Boys & Girls Club’s Tainter Street facility, which today serves 800 kids.
Following a roughly five-year exploratory phase and a two-year fundraising drive, Maher and the rest of the Boys & Girls Club board reduce the size of the proposed building in response to neighbors’ concerns.
Maher, who’s seeking the school board seat held by Trustee Ines DeLuna in the Feb. 23 recall election, said he would apply that same spirit of listening and cooperation to the school board.
If the recall succeeds, people can expect the board to be more receptive to input “and listen to the parents, who we work for,” said Maher.
As a founding partner with Maher and Associates, Maher assists wine-related businesses with long-term planning and asset management. He’s also coached youth baseball, basketball and soccer, and still sits on the Boys & Girls Club board.
Maher’s family moved to St. Helena in the mid-1970s. He moved away to attend college, but came back to raise a family.
“We live in a very special part of the world, and I want to make sure it stays that way,” he said. “I’m committed to doing anything I can to improve it.”
Maher’s two children attend St. Helena primary and elementary schools. “I’d like to make sure that my kids, and all kids, have every opportunity to do their best,” he said.
This year Maher managed the school board campaign of Kevin Alfaro, a pro-recall candidate who won two-thirds of the vote and took over Jim Haslip’s old seat.
Maher said the recall was mounted because of the board’s lack of communication, particularly when they hired then-Assistant Superintendent Robert Haley to replace the retiring Superintendent Allan Gordon over the objections of many parents.
“Like a lot of people, I feel that process was flawed,” said Maher, adding there’s “a reasonable chance” the recall could have been avoided if the board had hired Haley on an interim basis and conducted a search for other candidates.
Maher also questions the board’s fiscal priorities. As the state’s financial situation deteriorates, the district could face tough times, especially if it loses its Basic Aid status, said Maher.
“In future budgets we’re going to have to look hard at expenses and having an appropriate reserve,” he said. “I see some tough years ahead of us, and we need to be sure we’re spending money in the right places.”
Giving expensive retirement packages to Gordon and former high school Principal Jim Zoll was an example of poor financial decision-making, said Maher.
“I have no problem paying for experience and talent,” he said. “But I question giving out excessive packages when you hear about the need for more elementary school aides and after-school tutoring.”
As far as curriculum is concerned, Maher is worried about the district’s special education students. Several lawsuits are pending, at substantial cost to the district, and “that whole situation needs to be reviewed,” he said.
“I’m concerned that there might be a culture of threats and lawsuits,” said Maher, referring specifically to a now-resolved dispute with neighboring school districts involving special ed funding.
“I’m not sure it was prudent to spend all that to get money that it appears to me we would have gotten eventually anyway — and we probably would have gotten it quicker,” he said.
Maher said that if he doesn’t win DeLuna’s seat, he’d run again in a future election.
Parent Feedback on Special Education Audit
The article in last week’s Star, "Audit Praises Special Ed Programs at SHUSD", said in reference to moderate to severely disabled students at the high school: “…mainstreaming of special ed students at St Helena High School has angered some parents.” That is incorrect. Indeed, the special ed students at the high school have always been included in classes appropriate for them with proper material and staff support. What “angered” me about the new program was that my son was in classes that were not appropriate for his level of learning, the district did not supply materials to adapt the curriculum, and he frequently attended class without the required aide. That is not mainstreaming.
In her full report, Dr Parker gives kudos to the new special ed staff who are building a great program at the high school. I am happy they are restoring a solid program this school year, because the first year of the new program was a complete failure. But I want to point out that much of what they are doing now is similar to the old program that they dismantled in 2008-09. For instance, this year the staff has forged a relationship with the Napa Unified Transition Program in order to develop their own (for moderate/severely disabled students aged 18-22). The Napa program is similar to the former St Helena program before 2008-09. Since Dr Parker was not able to observe the former program, there is no way she can compare the two and conclude that the new program is better.
But the real problem lies in how the administration handled this change and the board’s reaction to parents’ concerns. The district did not inform parents the former program was being dropped. We were ignored, criticized, and often met with hostility. When concerned parents approached the board in August 2008, we were shocked at their lack of response. And, our concerns at the time about the new program were realized -- it was nothing short of a disaster. So, the crux of the problem is not special ed per se. It is that the district is capable of making decisions detrimental to students’ education and treating parents with disrespect, and the board (excluding new trustee Alfaro) blindly supports those decisions.
Kelly Rios
St. Helena, CA
In her full report, Dr Parker gives kudos to the new special ed staff who are building a great program at the high school. I am happy they are restoring a solid program this school year, because the first year of the new program was a complete failure. But I want to point out that much of what they are doing now is similar to the old program that they dismantled in 2008-09. For instance, this year the staff has forged a relationship with the Napa Unified Transition Program in order to develop their own (for moderate/severely disabled students aged 18-22). The Napa program is similar to the former St Helena program before 2008-09. Since Dr Parker was not able to observe the former program, there is no way she can compare the two and conclude that the new program is better.
But the real problem lies in how the administration handled this change and the board’s reaction to parents’ concerns. The district did not inform parents the former program was being dropped. We were ignored, criticized, and often met with hostility. When concerned parents approached the board in August 2008, we were shocked at their lack of response. And, our concerns at the time about the new program were realized -- it was nothing short of a disaster. So, the crux of the problem is not special ed per se. It is that the district is capable of making decisions detrimental to students’ education and treating parents with disrespect, and the board (excluding new trustee Alfaro) blindly supports those decisions.
Kelly Rios
St. Helena, CA
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