5 candidates are vying for 3 open seats on the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union Excessive Faculty District board within the Nov. 8 election, and board president Katherine Tseng stated the newly elected board shall be making essential choices within the coming years.
“It’s going to be essential for our board composition,” Tseng stated of the election. “I’m hoping that our group makes an excellent choice, will get to know the candidate profiles to see which candidates can actually assist us to maneuver ahead,” .
Together with Tseng, board member Theresa Bond’s time period expires in 2024. David Guidry is the one incumbent working for re-election.
The opposite 4 candidates embody two retired academics and one present trainer, which Tseng stated is pretty uncommon in that there’s solely been one trainer who has run for the varsity board within the final 10 years, .
“Through the pandemic, the academics union had loads of publicity by way of the training and route,” Tseng stated. “Possibly extra of the academics wished to be part of the democracy, choice making for the varsity district.”
Most candidates are involved with college students’ psychological well being and with trainer recruitment and retention.
Misty Davies, a guardian and challenge supervisor, moved to Los Gatos 16 years in the past after dwelling in rural Oklahoma.
Davies stated her prime three priorities are to draw prime academics and workers, to offer well-rounded lecturers for college students and to keep up clear, strategic monetary insurance policies.
Steve Chen is a retired math trainer and guardian within the district. He spent 30 years as a high-tech gross sales government earlier than moving into the instructing recreation.
Chen stated he has firsthand expertise with the challenges and calls for placed on academics throughout the pandemic, and expertise working in a team-oriented setting.
Alex Shultz is a retired Los Gatos Excessive Faculty biology trainer. After he stepped down from instructing in 2020, he wished to come back again and share his information with the brand new superintendent and board members.
Shultz has a couple of concepts for the district, like introducing a coding curriculum, bringing in photo voltaic panels to economize and promote clear power, and launching a brand new trainer mentoring program.
Chris Miller, a trainer at a non-public highschool, served on the Los Gatos Union Faculty District Board of Trustees from 2004-2012.
Miller stated his prime areas of concern are the psychological wellness of scholars, workers and college, enhancing communication from the board to the group, recruiting and retaining academics, and curbing college students’ marijuana and alcohol use.
Incumbent Guidry, a high-tech worker whose two kids attended Saratoga Excessive Faculty, was first elected to the board in 2018 and stated that with the brand new superintendent and management modifications within the district, it’s essential to maintain an skilled board.
Guidry stated his targets for the approaching time period are to enhance the psychological well being of scholars, construct up and assist academics, and enhance the district’s curriculum and course choices.