By Nick Diamantides
Staff Writer
On April 8, voters who live in the 2nd and 4th districts of the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) will decide who will represent them on the LBUSD Board of Directors.
The Signal Tribune recently interviewed the two candidates running for the seat in District 2, which encompasses the west and central areas of Long Beach. In that contest, incumbent LBUSD President Felton Williams is running against Rosa Diaz, who currently teaches 4th grade at Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School. The questions we asked the candidates and their answers follow:
Signal Tribune:Can you briefly describe some of the good things now being done in the LBUSD?
Williams: Despite ongoing state budget challenges, student achievement continues to show significant improvement. More of our graduates are enrolling in college, taking career and technical education courses, or taking rigorous advanced placement courses–that includes students of all colors and socioeconomic backgrounds. Even so, we’re pushing forward with further efforts, including an Early College and Technical School that will open in the near future. We’ve developed the most comprehensive facilities plan in the district’s history. We’re partnering with the city and our colleagues on a plan to guarantee the opportunity of a college education to all LBUSD students.
Diaz: The WRAP (Winners Reaching Amazing Potential) Program, which is a partnership between LBUSD and The City of Long Beach, Parks Recreation and Marine.
Small Learning Communities such as Cabrillo’s School for Social Justice, which provides students with the opportunity to explore social issues, law and government, human relations, leadership and culture.
Signal Tribune: Recently, the district announced a $40 million budget cut due to the State of California’s budget deficit. What programs can be cut back or eliminated?
Diaz: I would propose to eliminate any programs that do not have proven success records or demonstrate best practices in the delivery. I would propose to eliminate programs in which the majority of the funding is spent toward administrative cost and not directly toward the students or teachers in the program.
Williams: The budget cut was approved by a 4-0 vote over the course of two recent meetings. We’ve taken an approach that prevents the massive layoff notices that other school districts are issuing. We’ve done this by making careful decisions that protect classrooms as much as possible. With declining enrollment, we’ll be reducing some staff through attrition or retirements. We’re reducing summer school offerings, consolidating two schools, cutting central office budgets by 15 to 20 percent, and aggressively working with Sacramento to seek much needed flexibility on how to spend our precious resources. We are already the most efficient school district among the largest 12 school systems in California. Even so, we must continue to protect classroom instruction.
Signal Tribune: What are the programs you would absolutely not cut back or eliminate?
Williams: We’re protecting reduced class sizes in the primary grades. We’re also resolute about protecting music and the arts. We remain completely committed to school safety and improving student achievement and providing extra help for students who need it.
Diaz: Programs that are directly related to literacy and proven to show success should NOT be eliminated.
Signal Tribune: What classifications of personnel can be laid off or have their salaries reduced?
Diaz: (Declined to answer this question.)
Williams: We have voted to reduce substitute teacher pay by 10 percent, but their salaries will remain competitive with surrounding school districts. We have no plans to reduce other salaries, though we may see more job sharing, where we do not fill vacant positions. Despite our budget constraints, our board of education approved a generous 4.53 percent raise for teachers, and the teachers approved it by a vote of 98 percent.
Signal Tribune: What other expenditures can be reduced?
Williams: Several weeks ago, our superintendent directed all departments to freeze spending and hiring except for the most critical and necessary purposes. Should further reductions be necessary, I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on the board, and with our highly experienced superintendent, staff and labor representatives to collaborate on the best decisions for our children.
Diaz: I believe out-of-state trips should be reduced and maybe even eliminated. Trips to other states for program ideas are a waste of money. We should be looking to other school districts across the state of California for program ideas.
Signal Tribune: Can you briefly tell us what you think should be done differently by the LBUSD board of directors?
Diaz: Board members should spend less time in closed sessions and more time in open board sessions than closed. Holding a 35-minute open session is not acceptable. If a community member shows up late the meeting is over. Many of our parent and community members need to have meetings that are accessible to them. A parent should not have to take off of work to attend a board meeting; meetings should be convenient for parents.
The board members need to have a better relationship with the community; it is simple for board members to attend PTA meetings, even some council meetings. We need to have better communication with the public and a physical presence.
Williams: We’ve been doing things differently since I arrived. Shortly after my arrival, I urged my fellow board members to consider adopting a strategic planning process that would enable us to strategically plan for the district’s future. With the involvement of numerous stakeholders, we implemented a strategic planning process that guides our efforts. Our board is an agent of change–not satisfied with the status quo. We are working every day to improve student achievement, replicate successful programs, and discontinue less effective or inefficient practices. It’s a process of continual improvement that is much like the quality assurance processes used by some of most successful businesses in America. That’s why we have educators from around the world visiting us to see how we miraculously continue to get great results given the challenges of poverty, budget cuts, language barriers and other hurdles that other school systems haven’t yet managed to overcome.
Signal Tribune: Tell us why you feel you are the voters’ best choice for election to the LBUSD board of directors?
Williams: My combination of experiences as a classroom instructor, an administrator and my experience working with people in the public and private sector at all levels provide me with a unique perspective, both broad and comprehensive, that allows me to look at the many needs of the district. Working with my fellow board members, I will continue to look at ways to seek continuous improvements while considering the best interest of our teachers, staff, students and community partners.
Diaz: I am the best choice for the voters because I will bring the experience of a parent, advocate and teacher to the board. I will be accessible for parents, students and teachers. I have spent 35 of my years in district 2 and I have chosen to raise my children in the same district. I have attended many of the schools that I am running to represent. Most people have not met the incumbent. He makes his appearance during election time. You have to ask this question: has the district for my area been better or worse over the past four years? I have been unable to find one program the incumbent has crafted or directed to be in place to deal with the truancy and dropout rates. He has however threatened my support in writing with a published fundraising letter signed by a former governor and mayor. He has stated that a TALB candidate would allow the board to remove the superintendent and dismantle the elite control the board now has. TALB is a closed union and I am required to belong to it. I have served as a teacher for 15 years and I deserve the support of the union I pay dues to. This election should not be about unions or endorsements or the superintendent. This election should be about electing a person that is going to make decisions that will guarantee the intellectual success of every student, every day.
