There is no doubting this community’s genuine concern for the
state of its public schools. Simply count the letters and columns
dedicated to public education issues appearing in this paper over
the last school year.
There is no doubting this community’s genuine concern for the state of its public schools. Simply count the letters and columns dedicated to public education issues appearing in this paper over the last school year. While the exchange of opinions regarding how the schools should be improved becomes acrimonious at times, the torrent of words has a common theme: How can we raise the quality of the academic experience, and deliver a finished educational product that is not just capable of surviving, but capable of thriving?
Despite apparent dissatisfaction with the school district’s academic policies and a negligible rate of improvement, Gilroyans are hardly ready to give up on their school district. We still believe in the public schools. In fact, it’s safe to say that Gilroyans are as determined as ever to raise the quality of public education. An unpaid army of parent volunteers – most of them women – continue to dedicate their time inside and outside the classroom.
That’s why it’s so confounding that, with school board elections approaching, only one new candidate – Rhoda Bress – has decided to vie for the most significant volunteer role in the public education system, that of school board trustee.
If you are genuinely concerned over the growing “expectation gap” between the school district and a community that demands more of parents, students, teachers, the teachers unions, and administrative officials, then we urge you to also consider running for a seat on the school board.
We are not looking for candidates who view the school board as a means to gain public exposure. We’re looking for do-ers, not be-ers. We’re looking for community members who will place the academic welfare of all students first. We point to Tom Bundros as an excellent example of a board member who is a team player and a good listener who doesn’t open his mouth without first doing his homework, but always keeps the best interest of the children in mind, even if it means standing alone on an issue.
We suspect there are more like Bundros who would make good leaders. Unfortunately, these potential candidates may have eliminated themselves from consideration because they have no experience in public office, are intimidated by board procedures and processes, are wary of being in the public spotlight, or are turned off because the Gilroy school board seems to be a male-dominated domain.
If this is the case, we urge you to reconsider. The opportunity to work toward continued positive change in Gilroy public schools is enormous.
The filing deadline for Gilroy school board elections is Aug. 6 (it will be extended to Aug. 11 if one of the three incumbents decides not to run). The school board seats held by incumbents Bob Kraemer, John Gurich and Jaime Rosso are open. We sincerely hope that more candidates will step forward to answer the community’s call.
