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- How important do you believe excellent public schools, early-childhood and lifelong learning programs are for our community? Give specific examples.
The continuum of education is the concept underlying lifelong education. It is important to ensure that people from all walks of life in Santa Monica have access to education opportunities. No single institution is designed to provide this full complement of services and programs. Thus institutions (City, SMMUSD, SMC) need to work together to leverage public funds and secure private and community partners to enhance programs. The City has made an investment in a new main library and continues to maintain and program all city libraries in order to support and complement education, especially for school children. After-school enrichment and recreations programs are operated both jointly but the City and SMMUSD. In addition, early childhood programs and child care are critical components. Local planning and development standards and codes need to support and provide incentives for development of more early childhood and educational related services and facilities.
- To what degree do you feel that protecting adequate funding for our school district, its programs, early-childhood education and after school programs is a community responsibility? Please elaborate.
We, the people, are the "community." It is the community's decision on how much, how and where to tax ourselves or find revenues to support services such as public safety, schools, clean environment. In addition, our local community must work with other communities to ensure that adequate state funding and resources are available for education.
- What priority would you attach to ensuring adequate funding for our schools, after-school programs, and early childhood education in development of the city budget?
The City is a partner with the community's educational institutions working together to leverage funds and when possible, for the City to provide supplemental funding to public schools (supplemental to the schools' primary funding sources--state and school taxes since the City is not the primary funding source for public schools). It is critical that the City and school district maintain a high quality of service and that the institutions are well run, transparent and accountable in order to instill community confidence. Funding for services that support education and programs for children and youth are a major component of the City's social services budget. The City must continue to ensure a safe infrastructure and adequate public safety so that our children have a safe community and environment in which to learn and thrive.
- Are you familiar with and do you fully support the agreement negotiated for the City for the agreement negotiated for the City to provide funding to the School District?Ó What was your role, if any, in crafting or passing this agreement?
I was one of the four votes at the City Council that passed the agreement. The proposed agreement did not contain any commitment to transparency and accountability to the community. At that time the SMMUSD did not even provide its budget online to the community. I recommended that the agreement should require transparency and accountability to help build community confidence.
- In the upcoming January 2007 City-School District contract discussions, do you intend to support the maximum $1 million-dollar increase indicated in agreement, provided that city revenue benchmark increases have been reached? Under what circumstances would you not be willing to do so?
I supported, and provided a critical vote, to adopt the current funding agreement. I have not changed my position on the agreement. It would be irresponsible to commit to a vote without knowledge of not only the benchmark revenues, but revenue projections. It could also be a situation where the increase could only be achieved if something else is eliminated (due to other impacts or projections). In that case the community would need to discuss priorities and trade-offs.
- If the SMMUSD faced a budget crisis brought on by circumstances outside the District's control, such as by funding cuts from the State of California, would you be willing to support crisis funding to the District even beyond the City-School District funding agreement?
The assumption of this question is that in such a situation the State would not be cutting funding to cities. The City's revenue sources can be in jeopardy due funding cuts from the state or due to changes in state and federal laws or court rulings or IRS decisions. The City, SMMUSD and SMC all have limited means of raising revenues (additional taxes that must be supported by voters) and rely on the State for funding sources. The public institutions in the City must develop a relationship based on mutual support and maintain a high level of public confidence so that additional funding would be supported when needed.
- Please provide specific examples of how you have supported the district and the education of our youth?
What does "supported the district" mean? Supporting the administration and management? Supporting the policies of the School Board? The real issue is building a strong educational platform for our youth. That platform includes institutions such as the City's library system. The new Main Library opened this year and along with branch libraries provides resources and services to support homework and research and programming for youth of all ages. Shared facilities, joint programs such as after-school as well as park-based programs and activities all supplement and enhance the education of our youth. I have supported all of these initiatives along with direct funding for public schools.
- How have you shown leadership to ensure adequate city funding for our schools?
I voted for the agreement to provide funding to the public schools.
- As a council member, what kind of leadership will you show to address school funding?
I'll continue to encourage the institutions (City, SMMUSD, SMC) to work together creatively (leverage funding, share facilities) to foster better educational opportunities, facilities and programs especially for children and youth.
- Do you endorse Measure BB, the Santa Monica-Malibu School Safety and Repair (Bond) Measure on the November 7, 2006 ballot and will you actively campaign for its passage?
I have already endorsed Measure BB and will recommend it to others as I campaign.
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