New
Ed Group Endorses Challenger |
By Jorge Casuso
October 6 – Reflecting its reservations about
the current School Board, a new grassroots association of parents
and community members is “enthusiastically” endorsing
challenger Ben Allen in the November 4 race for three open School
Board seats.
LEAD (Leadership Effectiveness Accountability Direction) -- which
was created to help usher in a “new era of leadership”
in the District -- only “recommended” that voters
re-elect incumbents Jose Escarce and Maria Leon Vazquez.
“Ben has demonstrated in both oral and written interviews
that he has the values, leadership skills, intellect, independence,
and knowledge of our School District to be an excellent School
Board member,” LEAD Co-Chair Laurie Lieberman said in a
statement Monday.
“While the incumbents have made positive contributions,
LEAD believes they have failed to provide leadership at key points
in the past couple of years,” said LEAD Co-Chair Debbie
Mulvaney.
“We need their commitment and experience to translate into
better leadership as our District faces major challenges,”
Lieberman added.
The group decided that Chris Bley, the only other challenger
in the race, “lacks the knowledge of our schools to be an
effective Board member,” according to the statement.
Instead of a full endorsement of the two incumbents, LEAD “recommends”
a vote for Escarce and Vazquez “with the expectation that
they will provide the District with the leadership it needs going
forward.”
“We recognize that each of the incumbents has considerable
Board experience as well as a commitment to public education,
and we believe that they will continue to advance our children’s
best interests,” Mulvaney said.
Lieberman said the group was “encouraged” by the
board’s hiring of new Interim Superintendent Tim Cuneo and
the steps it is taking to overhaul its special education program
and policies, which have come under attack from parents. ("School
Board Picks Interim Superintendent," July 8, 2008
and "District
Officials Recommend Changes to Special Ed," April 16, 2008)
The group is also encouraged by “the public commitments
by incumbent candidates to greater openness and transparency made
at interviews and in candidate forums,” Lieberman said.
“We formed LEAD because of our dissatisfaction with the
performance of the School Board and the former Superintendent,”
Mulvaney said. “LEAD is committed to a culture of transparency,
accountability and proactive leadership in our school district.”
LEAD is calling for an “open and transparent” process
in selecting a permanent superintendent, an “overhaul”
of the Special Education culture and program and strengthen ties
with the City to ensure continued funding.
“Most importantly,” according to LEAD, “the
Board must regain the trust of the various constituencies it serves
in order to accomplish these tasks.”
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