6 vie for 3 seats on Auburn Union School District Board of Trustees

With a future of consolidated school campuses and the possibility of a facilities bond measure, Auburn Union School District (AUSD) Board of Trustees candidates have a lot to say about the current school climate. Six candidates are on the ballot in November, all with differing opinions about how to balance the budget, whether a bond is needed and if the schools should be a place for equity. Incumbents Julann Brown and Michelle Sierra-Sammons and appointed incumbent Josh Terrell will defend their seats on the AUSD Board of Trustees. Parents Renee Dowd, Greg Holt and Jayson Wedge also seek a seat at the table. The Auburn Journal continues its candidate coverage to the 2022 election with a multi-part series that allows candidates to address key questions concerning their races and views on those topics, in their words. In today's edition, the Journal features questions and answers from Auburn Union School District candidates. Here are their answers: Julann Brown Occupation: Accounting and Business Services Experience with AUSD: Parent Advocate/Leader, 2001-14; Board Trustee, 2014-present Website/Contact: www.julann4strongschools.org, email: julann@julann4strongschools.org What specific characteristics do you bring to the Auburn Union School District? A collaborative approach to problem solving, the financial background necessary for understanding the complexities of school finance, experience advocating at a state level for public schools through my leadership role with the California School Boards Association, and the historical knowledge of this district first as a parent leader and then as a board trustee. Most importantly, I bring my passion for public education and my love for the greater community of Auburn. What is your biggest priority if elected to serve on the AUSD Board of Trustees? ·&emsp;Continue the implementation of district-wide programs that address our high need students in order to close the existing achievement gap. ·&emsp;Focus on educational programs that inspire student achievement and life-long learning ·&emsp;Prioritize the social emotional wellness of our students and staff through allocation of state and county resources and community partnerships. ·&emsp;Fix the structural deficit by right sizing our district, allowing AUSD to raise teacher and staff pay to parity neighboring districts. ·&emsp;Modernize our facilities to reflect 21st Century learning and create safe, vibrant, creative learning and workspaces for our staff and students. ·&emsp;Advocate at the state and federal level for full funding of public education and continued local control of educational funds. As AUSD works to balance the budget and consolidate to fewer campuses, what are your recommendations? How can the district ensure the needs of the community are met? AUSD has a Fiscal Recovery Implementation Plan (FRIP) Committee established consisting of staff, parents and community members who are working on a plan to present to the board of trustees for approval. It would be irresponsible of me, as a current board trustee, to voice my opinion in the matter before the committee has completed its work and presented their recommendation. It is important that I trust and honor that process. The formation of the FRIP committee is just the first step. Once the board of trustees approves a plan it will be essential that the AUSD engages with the community. I personally went through a school closure when Alta Vista was closed in 2008. I know how hard it can be for families and I also know that my son adjusted quickly to his new school. I can assure this community that I will insist that this process is done with the utmost sensitivity and compassion. I want our families to feel heard and cared for as we make this transition. Do you support Measure E - to repair and modernize AUSD school facilities? Why or why not? I fully support this measure. The space in which we expect our kids to spend a majority of their day learning matters and all children deserve to learn in safe, quality classrooms and school facilities. Our facilities are aging and in need of serious upgrades that better meet today's educational needs and foster collaborative teaching and learning. Measure E is the only funding mechanism available to AUSD that will fully meet our facilities needs. Recently, the AUSD Board adopted an Equity Statement which protects a barrier-free learning environment. What is your opinion of this policy? I whole-heartedly endorse this policy. Every day we have children walking through the school doors that represent a wide diversity of students. These children come from different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, different cultures, different religions, and different family structures with their own set of family morals. Our job in public education is to accept all students as they are and provide the necessary resources that each child needs to succeed and thrive. Renee Dowd Occupation: Administrative and accounting assistant at a non-profit, parent to an elementary and high school student. Experience with AUSD: My experience with AUSD represents the collective view of the parents. I have been a parent here for six years. Even before the pandemic, the district's average test ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public schools in California. To re-elect the same people that got us here doesn't make sense. As a parent, I'm disappointed in my child's education. My passion to serve increased as students were removed from the classroom and parents were removed from information. Website/Contact: Vote Renee Dowd for AUSD on Facebook What specific characteristics do you bring to the Auburn Union School District? I'll bring the parent voice back. Confidence and morale for students and teachers is at an all time low. I'm looking for positive solutions but always with a central theme regarding how it will affect our children's education. What is your biggest priority if elected to serve on the AUSD Board of Trustees? My priorities will be: ·&emsp;Address declining enrollment and the poor health of the district. ·&emsp;Create an environment where students want to learn and parents are partners. ·&emsp;Make students' education central to every decision. As AUSD works to balance the budget and consolidate to fewer campuses, what are your recommendations? How can the district ensure the needs of the community are met? With regard to the budget, solutions need to be implemented before cuts are made. When the current board cut the buses, they didn't have a viable solution and left parents and schools scrambling. Parents, teachers, and the board have a responsibility to act in together to engage the students, improve test scores and serve the educational community. Unless we act now to elect new board members, we will have more of the same deficits, school closures, morale issues and declining enrollment. Do you support Measure E - to repair and modernize AUSD school facilities? Why or why not? Raising our property taxes again? When asked about it, one of the current board members replied, "If you live in a million dollar home, it ONLY raises your property taxes by about $280 or 2 1/2 tanks of gas." This is exactly the kind of elitist thinking that is breaking the backs of the families and students. The timing is wrong; inflation, gas and food prices, taxes... And with a 40 year plan, we will be paying for equipment long after it's been retired or replaced. Finally, the state has already collected taxes from us - they need to start paying for capital improvements and not come back to us for yet more money. Recently, the AUSD Board adopted an Equity Statement which protects a barrier-free learning environment. What is your opinion of this policy? As far as equity, who and what data decides what "barriers" are potentially impacting learning? Every student has potential barriers to learning… is lack of bus transportation on that barrier list? I'm not comfortable with defining and dividing students by race, gender, sexuality, and other categories as outlined in the current board's newly adopted Equity Statement. I believe that offering exceptional educational opportunities to EVERY student in a safe, non-political environment will produce exceptional outcomes with no child left behind. That is equality, not equity. Greg Holt Occupation: Congressional staffer Experience with AUSD: I attended Alta Vista and E.V. Cain for my K-8 education, and I've volunteered at the AUSD school my daughter now attends. Website/Contact: holtfortheboard@gmail.com What specific characteristics do you bring to the Auburn Union School District? Common sense, problem solving, and leadership What is your biggest priority if elected to serve on the AUSD Board of Trustees? My number one priority is to develop a culture of individual academic excellence and responsibility at our schools. As AUSD works to balance the budget and consolidate to fewer campuses, what are your recommendations? How can the district ensure the needs of the community are met? Consolidating campuses, as discussed by the current board, is a good idea. Rather than making E.V. Cain a TK-8 we should examine allowing the students currently enrolled at Cain to complete 8th grade and, after the final class graduates, closing the school and selling the property. If we transfer TK-5 students to Cain, those younger students will be exposed to the drugs, violence, and bullying Cain is known for. Our elementary schools have been developing a strong culture of respect and ownership among the student body; it will be more effective to maintain that culture than hope to turn-around the reputation the Cain student body has developed over decades. If we don't resolve the safety problems rampant at Cain, we will continue to lose students to surrounding schools. Do you support Measure E - to repair and modernize AUSD school facilities? Why or why not? I've spoken with a number of parents who've pulled their kids out of our schools, and no one has cited the condition of the facilities. The most common reasons? They've left for better academic opportunities at a charter or private school, they've left because of safety concerns, or they decided to home school because the district acted as a rubber stamp for Sacramento. The building is not what makes a school; culture does. Recently, the AUSD Board adopted an Equity Statement which protects a barrier-free learning environment. What is your opinion of this policy? Barriers and obstacles to educational opportunities… like a lack of transportation? That's a bold statement from the same board that canceled bussing. I reject the premise of this question. The AUSD Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Statement doesn't protect anything and offers no teeth to enforce anything. Equity in the current "social justice" context refers to equality of outcome; it is not synonymous with "equality." This statement fails to provide anything for our students, but it does suggest a shift towards introducing grievance politics into our elementary school curriculum. The statement reads "we [the school district] must remove obstacles to accessing educational opportunities." What specific obstacles has the current school board imposed? Perhaps a current trustee could cite specific examples of biased, prejudiced, or discriminatory AUSD policies they supported before this statement was issued? This statement seeks to remove personal responsibility for poor performance today and attribute blame to factors in our nation's past. It goes on about preparing our students to be "world influencers." Meanwhile, in Auburn, 64% of AUSD students are failing to meet grade level expectations in math, and 57% can't read at grade level. Maybe we should help our students read books without pictures before we prepare them to be "influencers." Elementary schools nationwide have ditched gifted and talented education (GATE) programs in the name of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In the 2018/2019 school year, AUSD embarked on effort to adjust our GATE program. One suggestion encourages the district to "[c]onsider an inclusion model... offerings designed to challenge and engage students who have been identified as gifted, as well as students who simply feel gifted." Such a model would fail both types of student. A free society isn't equitable, and an equitable society isn't free. I support equality – equality under the law, equal treatment by the school administration, and equal opportunity for all students to succeed. Michelle Sierra-Sammons Occupation: Assessment Supervisor, Placer County Assessor's Office Experience with AUSD: Eight years as Board Trustee Website/Contact: michelle4ausd.com What specific characteristics do you bring to the Auburn Union School District? I operate under the philosophy of servant leadership. I value people, who they are, and their perspectives on issues, even if they are different from mine. I listen, trust and care about people, and that includes our students and families. Prior to moving to Auburn in 1998, I worked as a paraprofessional in a middle school, serving special education students, so I know what it's like to be an employee of a school district. I have spent the better part of the last fifteen years training assessor staff in our county and other assessor offices across the state on property tax laws, so I understand the complex issues, and sometimes, frustration surrounding government operations. I also believe in community involvement. I am a member of two local service clubs that focus on children and education. What is your biggest priority if elected to serve on the AUSD Board of Trustees? If re-elected, my biggest priority would be to increase student achievement. We can only do that if we provide equitable resources in an environment where students feel safe and ready to learn. As a board member, I will continue to strive to help our students have what they need to be successful in life. As AUSD works to balance the budget and consolidate to fewer campuses, what are your recommendations? How can the district ensure the needs of the community are met? Our district does not have the capacity or resources to continue operating as is. Our Fiscal Recovery Implementation Plan outlines the steps the district must take in order for us to not only be fiscally sound, but strong. The district comprised a committee of parents, AUSD staff, and community members to ensure input is received and considered. The committee is still at work, and I look forward to reviewing the input they will provide. Do you support Measure E - to repair and modernize AUSD school facilities? Why or why not? Yes, I support Measure E. We need to invest in our facilities. Our school sites are in dire need of repairs and modernization. If the measure passes, we will be using the funds for facility, technology and equipment only - no salaries. There will be an oversight committee and audits to ensure the monies are being spent properly. What most folks don't know, understandably, is that our district receives no funding from the state to address our facility needs. This is ultimately an investment in our students. I urge our voters to consider supporting this measure. Recently, the AUSD Board adopted an Equity Statement which protects a barrier-free learning environment. What is your opinion of this policy? I fully support this policy, and was proud to vote yes on it. Not only am I a current board trustee, I also serve on the Executive Committee for the California Latino School Boards Association (CLSBA). Studies show there are wide achievement gaps for our students of color, along with our students who are experiencing homelessness, poverty and those that are in foster care. Both AUSD and CLSBA are committed to recognizing, respecting and addressing the diverse strengths and challenges for all of our students, and I am pleased to be part of these organizations. The only way we can close the achievement gap is to not just approve an equity policy, but to act on it. Josh Terrell Occupation: Primary parent/appointed incumbent/server Experience with AUSD: Former student, longtime volunteer, six months as an appointed AUSD Governing Board Member Website/Contact: jterrell@auburn.k12.ca.us What specific characteristics do you bring to the Auburn Union School District? I bring level-headed, anti-agenda, common sense leadership to the board. I'm all about collaboration and transparency which are the keys to fostering the trust our stakeholders need in our district. And I have the backbone to make decisions that few have been able to make. What is your biggest priority if elected to serve on the AUSD Board of Trustees? The budget efficiencies we will gain due to the campus consolidation streamlining should allow the AUSD to start offering competitive packages to our staff. With teachers and support wanting to stick around, the culture of care within the district will begin to strengthen, which leads to my top priority - having students and parents encouraged to engage with a district that learns and continues growing, together. As AUSD works to balance the budget and consolidate to fewer campuses, what are your recommendations? How can the district ensure the needs of the community are met? I will continue to recommend that the district acknowledge that America's schools are broken right now. With that, we need to resist restructuring our campuses and educational system 'the way it used to work.' There are too many factors both in and outside of the AUSD's control that don't lend to business as usual. While we should bring along the pieces that do work, we need to offer our families varied, forward-thinking options. And we need to comprehensively collaborate with staff and families for our future. I have many specific ideas, but this space is much too small. I'm also all ears. Do you support Measure E - to repair and modernize AUSD school facilities? Why or why not? I support Measure E because we're trying to get families to come and stay in the AUSD. Would prospective families rather hear about the $45 million dollar bond coming down the pipeline to improve aged facilities and athletic fields, or how Auburnites again denied our first ever elementary school bond? I'm not about prettiness and expensive tech, I'm about safety and functionality. It will cost $28/per $100,000 of a home's value/per year that will never go up, and there will be a community oversight committee. Recently, the AUSD Board adopted an Equity Statement which protects a barrier-free learning environment. What is your opinion of this policy? The concept of barrier-free learning is that we focus on the individual student, meeting them where they are academically and hopefully raising them up, both our lower and higher-achieving kids. If the board has a specific book or 'doctrine' decision come before us, that'll be a first for me and I've been on the Board since May. Our Equity Statement was old and so we updated it. That's it. No agenda, no pre-conceived ideologies baked in, no perfect timing. Jayson Wedge Occupation: Electrical project foreman Experience with AUSD: Over 10 years of children in the district and was involved with several onsite activities and needs. Website/Contact: www.votewedge.com/votewedge@gmail.com What specific characteristics do you bring to the Auburn Union School District? Always accessible and approachable, I will use my experience as a parent, coach and mentor to connect with students and the community. I'm known as a community organizer with fresh, inclusive ideas. In my professional life, I manage budgets, deadlines, projects and people. What is your biggest priority if elected to serve on the AUSD Board of Trustees? Create a diverse and educationally rich environment and curriculum through in-person, student-centered learning while being sensitive to parental authority. As AUSD works to balance the budget and consolidate to fewer campuses, what are your recommendations? How can the district ensure the needs of the community are met? My focus would be to concentrate on opportunities to increase enrollment versus decreasing services. I plan to focus on the basics of education, always being sensitive to individual needs and welcoming parent and community input. Do you support Measure E - to repair and modernize AUSD school facilities? Why or why not? I do not support Measure E. Many facilities upgrades and equipment will be outdated, obsolete and replaced long before these bonds are paid off. Increasing property taxes in an already burdened financial environment can break the back of families struggling to make ends meet, thereby further decreasing enrollment. Additionally, making improvements at schools that may be closed is not prudent. The government needs to pay for these improvements with money they have already taxed us, not tax us more. This bond measure will authorize additional debt of $45,000,000 just for this small district, and we will need to pay back more than twice that amount when interest and costs are included. Recently, the AUSD Board adopted an Equity Statement which protects a barrier-free learning environment. What is your opinion of this policy? The Equity Statement is an attempt to introduce partisan ideology into the schools. It's a broad brush of division based on subjective interpretations of class, race, sexual orientation and the like. 'Equality' celebrates all students and 'equity' creates bias using faulty data. I support and celebrate all students equally and believe that each of them deserves an unbiased school board.