Gilroy Dispatch: Briefly describe your background and experience. Why are you qualified for this position?
Tom Bundros: My wife Tina and I have lived in Gilroy over 30 years. We had six children—all but one graduated from GHS. I served in the Marine Corps, have a Bachelor of Science in IT Systems Management and worked for IBM, Hitachi and Nvidia Corporation.
I originally ran for the Gilroy Board of Education in 2002 because of the poor overall academic performance of our district. I couldn’t in good conscience send my youngest daughter, who was interested in science and math, to our high school. I thought it was inexcusable that anyone in Gilroy had to spend $10,000+/year and drive to San Jose to ensure their sons and daughters were getting a quality education. Since then, I have passionately dedicated my time on the Board of Education to improve the quality of our programs for all students.
Since 2002, GUSD schools have advanced by all measures. The high schools offer a rich menu of AP and Honors classes. Gilroy College Academy is ranked 25th best high school in CA, and we offer innovative technical programs. Our graduation rate is better than the state and Santa Clara County. We’ve built new schools, renovated the others, and have an aquatics center that we operate in partnership with the city. In 2014, I am confident that my three Gilroy grandchildren are getting a quality education in our schools.
As Board President in 2007, I led the search for our current Superintendent and developed an innovative process used to evaluate her. I led the District to publish the Board agenda material on the web to promote transparency for the community, as well as to save paper, fuel, and energy costs. I introduced our district to a high performing elementary school that was using innovative teaching practices with their challenging student demographics. The district adopted many of those practices and named it the “Elementary Initiative.” The Gilroy elementary schools that have implemented the initiative with fidelity have shown great academic improvement.
I have a record of demonstrated leadership, 12 years of experience, and a passionate commitment to excellence which, if re-elected, I will apply to the continuous improvement of our schools.
GD: What are your thoughts on Common Core? Did you support it? What do you think needs to be done to make it successful?
TB: Common Core is mandated by California and as a public school district we weren’t given a choice whether to implement it. My biggest complaint is that the Federal and State governments did not field test it before mandating it to the schools. It can work for us as long as we remember that Common Core specifies minimum requirements and that we’ll need to enhance it to best serve our students.
The transition to Common Core Curriculum is a massive undertaking for all schools. The Board must ensure that our educational leaders understand the enhancements needed for Common Core and that staff has the necessary resources and professional development needed to make a graceful transition. The Board must closely monitor student evaluation data to ensure that our students are moving forward.
GD: The City is experiencing a boom in growth, especially with its residential developments. More residents will undoubtedly have an impact on GUSD, what do you feel is the best way to handle the influx?
TB: The Board enlists a demographer to analyze population trends, and through that process we know (for example) that we will need a new elementary school in about five years and in what part of the district. Using data, we need to continue working with the city to coordinate and balance the building of homes and schools.
GD: Do you think it should be easier to fire underperforming teachers? What steps should be taken in order to do so?
TB: Yes, it should be easier to fire underperforming teachers. The process to dismiss an underperforming teacher today is both very expensive and lengthy, and through it all the students suffer greatly. For example, in the elementary grades, students have one teacher for the academic year. Students that are unfortunate enough to have an underperforming teacher will lose the year and that is completely and totally unacceptable. If professional development and coaching do not help a teacher become effective, they should be let loose to pursue a different career.
A recent court decision (Vergara v. California) ruled that laws governing teacher tenure and the firing of public school teachers are unconstitutional as they interfere with the state’s constitutional obligation to provide every child with access to a good education. Moreover, these laws “disproportionately affect poor and/or minority students.” The court’s decision is currently under appeal, but if upheld will give school districts the ability to dismiss underperforming teachers by following a reasonable and inexpensive process.
GUSD must develop an effective method to evaluate the performance of teachers and apply that information to identify needs and drive continual improvement.
GD: What are a few of the goals you would like to achieve if elected to the school board?
TB: • Continually work to improve academic performance; focus on excellence in all areas to create a school district that Gilroy can be proud of.
• Ensure that GUSD has an eco-system that attracts and retains outstanding teachers; create a climate of excitement for teachers, students and parents.
• Provide career and academic planning for all students starting no later than middle school to make secondary school relevant for all students.
• Focus the school district to maintain fiscal responsibility and be responsive to the voices of the community.
• Ensure that there is an effective human resource process to collect and analyze information when staff leave the district and use that information to improve staff retention.
GD: What do you feel are some of the biggest issues GUSD is facing? Briefly explain how you would fix them.
TB: The transition to Common Core Curriculum is a massive undertaking for all schools. I will ensure that all necessary due-diligence is performed, and that staff has the necessary resources and professional development needed to make a graceful transition.
We need to accelerate English Language Learners in becoming proficient in English. I will ensure staff seeks out demonstratively effective techniques to teach English learners and encourage they are implemented in our district.
IT technology can help move students academically if implemented well but can be a very expensive distraction if not implemented well. I will continue to encourage the Board to not throw money at technology without a well-researched and comprehensive technology plan that includes professional development for staff.
GUSD’s employee total compensation packages are not competitive for some sectors of our staff which impacts turnover rate. I will advocate for studies of similar neighboring districts of their compensation plans, how they pay for it, and use that information to “right-size” our employee compensation plans.
School is not relevant for many of our students which impacts discipline and graduation rates. I want to implement academic and career planning for all students no later than middle school and to start a “linked-learning” environment at the high schools which connects students with real–world experience in a wide range of careers.
GD: Technology in the classroom is on the rise. What are your thoughts on using tablets and other devices as learning tools? Are they helpful or a distraction? How can schools, in your opinion, put these to use most effectively?
TB: Technology is very expensive—both in the initial purchase, refresh, and through on-going maintenance. Even worse, if not done correctly, technology can be a large distraction and drag on student academic progress. We need to clearly understand what works and what doesn’t work before making large investments in technology; we will fail miserably if we just throw money at technology without a well-researched and comprehensive plan which must include professional development for our staff.
GD: What is your position on charter schools?
TB: I agree with the concept of charter schools: a publically funded public school that has been exempted from some of the requirements that apply to other public schools, in exchange for accountability to deliver a strong academic program to students. Charter schools have the ability to explore educational reforms and develop new and creative teaching methods that can be replicated in traditional public schools.
GUSD has had two charter schools. The first one was unsuccessful in its mission and unlawful in its handling of employee pension money; the Board nullified its charter. The second one (Gilroy Prep School) has been successful to date—and some of their practices have been successfully replicated at other District elementary schools.
The following is a Q&A sent out by the Gilroy Dispatch and answered by Tom Bundros, a candidate for the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education. Links to the other candidates’ answers can be found at the bottom of this article.
Tom Bundros can be reached at bu*****@ga****.com.
