Politics

James Pace is running for a second four-year term on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees.The father of two GUSD students, a high schooler and a middle schooler, his involvement in education began at the parent club level and as a volunteer at his children’s schools and has continued, he said, as way to give back to the community.Pace is one of three candidates actively seeking three seats on the seven-member board that makes policy for the city’s largest employer.A fourth, Paul Nadeau, withdrew from the contest but his name is on the ballot.Nadeau has said he will resign if he is one of the top three vote getters. If that happens, the board will appoint an interim member who may run for election in 2018. It does not have to be the fourth-place finisher.The election comes at a time when trustees are poised to begin $170 million in Measure E building projects, are struggling with somewhat improved but still lackluster test scores and are battling a lawsuit over the district’s decision in 2014 to not fire a teacher now accused of sexual misconduct that targeted students.Pace’s profile and that of incumbent candidate Mark Good are in today’s edition. Candidate BC Doyle’s profile was published last week.Each candidate was asked to respond to three questions. Each was given a 700-word limit but could submit less.Pace, 44, supported Measure E and is director of future planning for a Morgan Hill real estate development firm.His high school daughter is a student representative to the school board.Asked why he is running, he said, “The district has been very good to my children, they have had great opportunities and experiences and it has been very rewarding for them.”Being on the board, he said, “is a chance to give back and to keep the good things happening and [the district] going forward.”Here are the questions posed to each candidate and Pace’s responses: DISPATCH: What are some of your specific goals if elected and how would you achieve them? Please briefly discuss your three top priority goals.PACE: The number one goal of the District is to increase academic performance, including closing the achievement gap. We need to continue to implement programs proven to build strong academic foundations in students, such as SEAL. In addition, our academic standards are much more rigorous now, so we must ensure that we provide support to ensure student success. I will keep pushing the district forward.It is critical that we keep our fiscal house in order. We are funded seemingly at the whim of the state, and good economic times can change quickly. If Proposition 55 fails or another recession hits, there could be significant cuts to our budget. Since I joined the board, we set a policy to increase rainy day reserves, and we have built that reserve, while simultaneously making our employee packages more competitive, with a balanced budget. I will continue this economic stewardship.Thanks to the people of Gilroy’s commitment to education, Measure E was approved this year.  This gives the district the resources necessary to build a new elementary school, renovate South Valley and Brownell Middle Schools, as well as complete other necessary projects throughout the district. If Proposition 51 passes, our local funds will go much further. As a member of the district’s facilities subcommittee, I will work to ensure projects are designed within budget and happen on time. While some are at or near state averages and others show some improvement, in almost all categories Gilroy’s state test scores are below minimum state standards. This was true in recent and past rounds of tests. What will you do to improve test scores?I reject the assertion that the district’s scores are “below minimum state standards.” Our CAASPP scores are at or above the statewide average, and we compare favorably to county averages in a number of significant subgroups. And Gilroy’s scores are growing.Of course, I want our scores to increase more. The district is devoting significant resources to ensuring that students are familiar with the online test format and are able to process the new types of questions, and I support adding needed training and technology for this. A reworking of the math curriculum has happened, a shift to next-generation science standards is coming soon, and a plan for replacing textbooks is being implemented; all these changes and more should cause test scores to continue to climb.However, one test should not be the single measure of the quality of our schools. By many metrics, our district is doing well. The graduation rate is up; the dropout rate is down. Advanced Placement options have doubled in recent years. Meeting University of California entrance requirements is now the default for students. Opportunities abound to be parts of specialized programs, such as the Bioscience Academy, the Spanish/English Dual Immersion program, FFA, gifted and talented programs, and GECA, our highly ranked high school on the Gavilan College campus. The community service requirement is producing young people who understand the value in giving back. There are many career technical education offerings, teaching skills such as metalworking, computer programming, biotechnology, auto maintenance, and culinary arts. We have music options at all levels, including choir from fourth grade up and band from fifth grade up. Students shine in the wonderful theater and visual arts programs. A wide variety of sports and athletic options are available. District programs focused on school climate are creating welcoming environments where students can comfortably be themselves without fear. Teachers and staff are dedicated professionals. Our campuses are safe, secure, and well maintained.I am very proud to be a parent of two Gilroy Unified students, and glad for all the opportunities my children have had. Their experiences have been much more than the score on one test.Gilroy’s public charter school, Gilroy Prep, has consistently been one of the highest scoring schools in the state in key categories and grades tested. Should GP’s methods be mandatory in all GUSD elementary schools and why or why not?GPS has done well on state standardized tests, and their team has been generous with sharing their successful strategies. The district has made regular visits to see their program in action, and one school has a strong working relationship with GPS, where good ideas are passed back and forth. I think this partnership between the district and GPS is valuable, and I hope it continues. Some of their practices are not appropriate or possible at Gilroy Unified schools, for a variety of reasons, including funding, differences in the law, and staffing-related issues.       

Gilroy City Council candidate Fred Tovar has a history of missing election law deadlines and was fined nearly $2,000 for doing so, according to county records.

When it comes to people advocating for safety measures in their neighborhood, Gilroy City Council candidate Cat Tucker is very familiar with the concept, as it is what drove her toward local politics in the first place.“I started getting involved in city politics because of traffic issues in my neighborhood back in 1990s when the city refused to put a [traffic] signal at Santa Teresa and Longmeadow,” Tucker said via email.Just like recent efforts from residents in Eagle Ridge and upper Welburn Avenue—highlighting the ongoing traffic stressors in the dense residential area surrounding Luigi Aprea Elementary School in the city’s west side—Tucker led her neighborhood in lobbying for Sunrise Drive to be constructed, then parlayed that experience into a stint on the city’s General Plan Update Committee, then eight years on the Planning Commission before first being elected to the City Council in 2007.“I applaud all the citizens for getting involved and letting us know their concerns,” said Tucker, who believes the city’s proposed citywide traffic study will help.As the only woman running for one of three open council seats and with current councilwoman Terri Aulman choosing not to run for re-election, if Tucker should lose in November it would leave an all-male City Council. Tucker said every month she gets asked a question from working mothers.“I bring a woman’s perspective and add diversity to the council,” she said. “One of the most common questions I [receive is]: ‘When will the city provide bathrooms at all the parks, not just the large parks?’ Every time, I tell them, ‘I ask about it every year during budget review time and I am outvoted, but don’t give up, we need to ask the men the same questions!”Tucker is an independent, moderate thinker, according to her website (http://www.cattucker.com), and active in the St. Mary Community as part of the church council. She goes on their Mexico Mission every year as the camp director, taking teens to build homes for the poor in Tijuana. Tucker is also the head of the Garlic Festival Association’s refreshments committee. A registered Democrat, Tucker and council candidate Fred Tovar are endorsed by the Santa Clara County Democratic Party.While she has served on the council for nine years already, Tucker feels there is still more work to do. If Gilroy voters re-elect her on Nov. 8, she says she will focus her next term on incentivizing business downtown by reviewing the development impact fees and creating a temporary pilot program for the reduction of impact fees specific to downtown; continuing to keep a balanced budget while still meeting the needs of Gilroy citizens; and finding a way to make a permanent arts center become a reality.Tucker voted against the 721-acre housing development proposed for north Gilroy when it was appealed to the council in December 2015 after being unanimously rejected by the Planning Commission, but that does not make her a fan of Measure H, the urban growth boundary initiative that would place city growth decisions in the hands of voters.“I have openly opposed Measure H, [and] there are many reasons,” she said. “It ties the city’s hands in regards to land use decisions for over 20 years and we don’t know the unintended consequences to our low-income community as far as rents going up in the future, due to low growth.”Passage of the measure also does not necessarily mean the downtown will benefit, she said.“There are no guarantees that it forces developers to build downtown,” she said. “They will do their market research and build whatever people are buying—it could be townhouses or condos or houses.”She added that there is already a process in place to stop sprawl—the state LAFCO agency.“I served on [the Santa Clara County] LAFCO [board] for three years and during that time attended two of the yearly LAFCO conferences so as to get a full understanding of the intention. I have a high regard for LAFCO’s mission and the staff,” Tucker said.She said she was not privy, however, to the lawsuit the agency filed against the city in order to keep the 721-acre housing proposal from going forward, citing issues with the project’s environmental review.“I was not included in any of the meetings when they decided to do the lawsuit, so I was very surprised. It was not needed since LAFCO’s authority allows them to reject any incomplete application.”But there were lessons to be learned, she said.“My main takeaway is based on data, and over the last 20 years LAFCO has only approved one project for Gilroy. I feel they take their position seriously and I don’t see any reason to think they will change. I doubt the next 20 years will be any different. Even the land included in Measure H will have to go through LAFCO, and I doubt it will get passed to be annexed.”    

Insider edition

Eligible Santa Clara County residents who have not registered to vote in the November 8, 2016 Presidential General Election can take advantage of special extended hours today to ensure that they will be able to cast a ballot. The Registrar of Voters’ Office will remain open until 8:00 p.m. today for those who wish to complete their voter registration forms. Today is the last day to register to vote.  Voters can also register online at www.sccvote.org. Online registration must be completed before midnight in order to meet the deadline. Alternatively, voters can sign and return paper registration forms by mail; forms that are postmarked today will be accepted. Paper registration forms are available at post offices, public libraries, fire stations, city halls, and most local government offices. “We hope that all eligible residents of Santa Clara County register to vote before today’s deadline, and then cast their ballot on or before Election Day. Turnout in the last presidential general election was about 80%. We would love to have an even higher voter turnout this November,” said Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey.  Voters should complete a new registration form if they have moved, changed a name, or would like to change their political party preference. To register to vote in Santa Clara County, a voter must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on or before Election Day, a Santa Clara County resident and not imprisoned or on parole for a felony. Voters who would like to check their registration status may do so at Check Your Registration Status. Voters may also request to vote by mail for this election at Request a Vote by Mail Ballot, or they may request to become permanent Vote by Mail voters at Permanent Vote by Mail. Postage is prepaid on all Vote by Mail ballots in Santa Clara County. For more information, contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office at 1-408-299-VOTE (8683) or toll-free at 1-866-430-VOTE (8683), or visit www.sccvote.org. 

If you want to get a long-range view of Gilroy, sit down for a chat with City Council candidate Paul Kloecker.

When it comes to people advocating for safety measures in their neighborhood, Gilroy City Council candidate Cat Tucker is very familiar with the concept, as it is what drove her toward local politics in the first place.