Four candidates seek Old Adobe school board seats

Four candidates are seeking three open seats on the Old Adobe Union School District board. The city’s second largest school district, it represents 1,900 students across five east Petaluma schools.

With a budget of $24 million, the district employs a staff of 150. The district is attempting to pass this November a $38 million school bond, Measure L, to upgrade its facilities.

The candidates seeking office include the three incumbents, Michael Fung, Patsy Knight and Anthony Bendik, and challenger Kimberly Shaver.

The Argus-Courier sent each candidate a questionnaire. The following is an abridged version of each candidate’s responses, in the order they were received. See the full responses at Petaluma360.com.

Name: Anthony John Bendik

Age: 46

Occupation: Lieutenant in the San Francisco Fire Department

Education: BA history, University of Californian Berkeley

Community activities: Old Adobe school board, Knights of Columbus, volunteer for Casa Grande Boosters, officiate youth and high school baseball and softball

Why are you running for a seat on the school board?

I was appointed eight years ago at the deepest part of our national and state recession. Funding was slashed across the board and we had to make some very difficult budget decisions that included layoffs and furloughs. In time, we were able to pivot into differentiated instruction at our various schools. As a result, we essentially created schools of choice in OAUSD. We have a Spanish immersion academy, a STEAM school, a performing arts school, and an arts and ecology school. We have stabilized our enrollment and have significant growth at some of our campuses. We strengthened our budget by forming charters at four of our schools and took advantage of the state’s new LCFF funding formula. We are very close to the finish line for this initial push and I think we can have a solid foundation in place within the next four years.

How do you think the current school board has handled technology in the classroom, and what, if anything, would you do different?

We are fully integrated with one-to-one devices for all students. We have the necessary infrastructure in place to handle our current bandwidth needs and grow into the future. We have approached technology thoughtfully, examining our desired outcome before acquiring the device/program. I wouldn’t do anything differently, but we need to formalize a method to continue to fund upkeep and replacement.

Do you support the Measure L school bond, and if so, what would you like to see done with the bond money if it passes?

We’ve leveraged state grants, matching funds, and a small amount of developer fees to remodel every classroom with associated technology improvements. However, we had to skip many projects and stretch the service life of many systems. We still have capital intensive work to do in security, roofs, HVAC, cafeteria equipment, libraries, and facilitate an expanding student population. I ardently support Measure L, to fund all of this critical work before inflation puts it out of reach.

What should the district do to keep children safe on campus?

As a district, we already know that any of our facility planning requires consideration for safety. The remodel work at all of our campuses included industry recommended gates, locks and panic hardware. We also need to include funding for counseling services at school. We have the best chance of positive outcomes early, and it ends up costing everyone less in the long run. We also need to include social and emotional learning into our curriculum.

Are there other key issues facing the district that you would like to address if elected?

I believe we need to clearly articulate the different educational pathways offered at our five campuses and form a foundation for the next generation to elaborate upon. We need to collaborate with PCS to ensure that any chosen pathway can be supported through the 12th grade, and empower our students to reach their full potential. My eight years on this board have been a rewarding challenge. All of the success in our district is a direct result of hard work by every member of the OAUSD community from teachers, classified staff and families. It has been my honor to serve and I am proud that I will hand over a district in better shape today, or in four more years, if given the opportunity.

Name: Patsy Knight

Age: 72

Occupation: Retired educator

Education: Sonoma State College BA, Sonoma State College teaching credential, University of San Diego continuing education units

Community activities: American Association of University Women, Tech Trek Sonoma State, Santa Rosa Junior College Friends of Community Trust Petaluma, Expanding Your Horizons

Why are you running for a seat on the school board?

I have served and advocated for educational needs for our community children for 26 years as a teacher in the Old Adobe Union School District. As a trustee I want to make sure to have adequate and appropriate resources available to meet all standards regarding student success. I want to make use of analytical judgment regarding accepting and approving an educational budget that impacts school staffing, improving facilities, professional development, providing supplies and resources, and drives a focus on academic achievement.

How do you think the current school board has handled technology in the classroom and what, if anything would you do different?

I think the Board has done a great job handling technology in the classroom. The district has provided individual Chromebooks for grades 2-6 and iPad centers for K-3. The district has hired technology support staff for the district. Technology in the classroom has contributed many benefits including, the ability to demonstrate lessons and model instruction, as a tool for research, the ability to see if a student is on track to mastery of concepts and if necessary target lessons for that knowledge and websites of classrooms inform parents. But using technology simply for the sake of using it is wasteful. An important part of education should be collaboration with peers in which exchanging ideas verbally is important. There has to be a balance between the two worlds of verbal creative thinking and technology.

Do you support the Measure L school bond, and if so, what would you like to see done with the bond money if it passes?

I support the passage of Measure L. Some of our schools remain outdated and major upgrades and renovations still need to be made. Aging classrooms must be upgraded since many do not meet 21st century safety, education and technology standards. The School Facilities Needs Analysis identified major repairs such as modernize out dated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities. Repairing or replacing leaky roofs. Replacing outdated heating, ventilations, and cooling systems to increase energy efficiency. Making health, safety, and handicapped accessibility improvements. Improving student access to modern technology.

What should the district do to keep children safe on campus?

Emotional and physical safety are related to academic performance. At Back to School Night parents are reminded to slow down and look out for children arriving and being picked up from school. Hiring of crossing guards are important at heavy traveled intersections to ensure safety of people crossing sidewalks. Allergen-free classrooms are important. Make drills mandatory to have children automatically know what to do in an emergency. Emergency preparedness is having classroom kits with phone numbers for each child that is updated each year, first aid supplies and materials for children to feel safe.

Are there other key issues facing the district that you would like to address if elected?

Challenges of budget shortfalls means less funding, which means smaller staff, fewer resources and a lower number of services for the children. If the Bond does not pass, our classrooms and school facilities will continue to deteriorate. Funds that would otherwise go to classroom instruction will be needed to make critical safety repairs and improvements to each school.

Name: Michael Fung

Age: 28

Occupation: School Board, logistics manager for wine brokerage

Education: BA in Political Science, Public Service from UC Davis

Community activities: Volunteer counselor for the outdoor education program Camp Navarro.

Why are you running for a seat on the school board?

I am running to continue the strong progress that I believe the district has made over the past few years. We’ve had to weather change at the administrative level including new principals and a new superintendent but I believe the district will emerge stronger than before. We’ve instituted curriculum changes and improved facilities. We’ve been able to increase salaries and benefits despite increasing expenses. I believe that as a school board member the first responsibility is not just to the voters but to the students and families that make up the community.

How do you think the current school board has handled technology in the classroom, and what, if anything, would you do different?

I think it is important that the board work with the Director of Technology to establish time lines and funds for replacement and repairs as the current devices age and become obsolete.

Do you support the Measure L school bond, and if so, what would you like to see done with the bond money if it passes?

I strongly support the Measure L school bond. We have made progress on renovating and maintaining our campuses but there is much more work to be done. Many of our classrooms will need repairs or already do. Aging classrooms and buildings will require upgrades to meet the needs of a 21st century learning environment. Current funding from the state and federal governments is woefully inadequate to upgrade or modernize the district’s facilities. Specifically there are projects needed such as roof repair, HVAC system upgrades and replacements, handicap and safety improvements and modernizing classrooms so that they can fully support modern technology.

What should the district do to keep children safe on campus?

I believe that the district should revisit its safety policies on a more frequent basis to ensure that it is following all of the most recent and up to date guidelines from the state and federal government. The district should monitor the policies that other schools and localities throughout the country are using to improve school safety and adopt those policies that may work with our needs here in Petaluma. The district should also be proactive in teaching students how to keep themselves safe outside of the school campus.

Are there other key issues facing the district that you would like to address if elected?

One of the largest issues facing districts across the entire state is skyrocketing costs of the CalPERS and CalSTRS retirement funds. Our district will need to be proactive in budgeting for these increased costs while still maintaining a healthy reserve and providing salary increases to our staff to remain competitive.

Name: Kimberly Shaver

Age: 36

Occupation: Secondary science teacher

Education: BA in chemistry, biochemistry concentration from Skidmore College

Community activities: Petaluma Mothers’ Club, Old Adobe PTO, Old Adobe parent volunteer, includes heading Science Club, classroom and garden help

Why are you running for a seat on the school board?

I am passionate about helping students have a positive experience learning new things. I would look forward to serving our schools in a role where I could help guide and promote progress for any initiative that motivates and inspires our children to learn and become lifelong learners. I have worked in education for 12 years and have seen firsthand the impact a great educational experience can make. I will do the most I can to ensure our children have the best educational experience possible. I also have three children in the district who motivate me to run for this position.

How do you think the current school board has handled technology in the classroom, and what, if anything, would you do different?

Making technological resources available for teachers and students is great, and I believe the board has done a good job with this, but it should be well-supported and thoroughly considered so that the technology is working for us. To the extent this is a problem, finding additional support and/or training for teachers should be prioritized over the purchase of additional technology. If the Old Adobe Union district schools do not also have sufficient IT support personnel to maintain, upgrade and train students and staff, we are not maximizing the full potential of the technology we have invested in. I would like to explore the feasibility of allocating more resources to IT support and training for each school. Sometimes it’s best to not have devices out and available.

Do you support the Measure L school bond, and if so, what would you like to see done with the bond money if it passes?

Measure L funds would support additional capital improvements and projects that have yet to be completed. A good consideration for passing this measure is that enrollment continues to increase for schools in this district and some are even close to reaching capacity, so space is certainly an issue. If elected, I would work to make sure these upgrades and possible expansions will directly benefit our students and our community. I would do this by soliciting input from members of each school community to get a sense of what their greatest needs are to best serve the students.

What should the district do to keep children safe on campus?

Some of the school layouts include multiple entrances or their general location makes it more challenging to track foot and vehicle traffic in and around the school. We have some safety policies in place that are not being implemented and we should review those policies generally with the goal of determining what is working and what needs changed to account for the safety nuances of each school. Other safety concerns include reviewing technology plans to ensure we are protecting the privacy of students by limiting access to sites for educational purposes only.

Are there other key issues facing the district that you would like to address if elected?

The field of education right now is an exciting place because of its evolving nature. School is not just a place for obtaining information as that now can be easily done anywhere. Educational establishments should be a place that can be transformative in creating skilled problem solvers and thinkers, whose students can process information and make meaningful connections. The amount and ways in which students obtain, digest, and then utilize their knowledge has expanded. It is important we don’t overwhelm or overburden our students with information but seek to simplify and stretch what each student is capable of, as well as encourage them to be excellent members of the community.