Monday, September 29, 2008

School Board Candidates Forum


What are your questions for our candidates? 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Carol Skiljan and Mary Page have extensive experience and support our local public schools Their challenger has a single agenda, the TIP academy. EUSD closed TIP because it had numerous fiscal problems and was benefitting its founder, Hazelton. EUSD needs to elect Skiljan and Page and keep our money for the District schools.

Anonymous said...

Annonymous -
How can the third candidate have "a single agenda - the TIP Academy" when the school is closed?
Perhpas the challenger simply supports change (improvement?) in Encinitas schools, which can't be a bad thing, right?
Can you elaborate on Mary Page's "extensive experience"?
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

To learn about Mary Page's experience and involvement in EUSD schools, go to www.marykpage.com.

Anonymous said...

I have worked with the school district and various schools for several years and cannot support the Skiljan/Page ticket. People who want change should absolutely vote for Muir.
I am a parent of a child with special needs. The incumbent board tolerated our former special ed director for years despite her hostile approach to staff and parents. Their failure to take action for years to me means that they cared very little for our special ed program and its "constituents." The support for special continues to be weak --children with IEPs are often not given grades, are often pulled out of classes because aides are not sufficiently trained or adept or familiar with a child's special needs, there remains no Autism program in EUSD despite other districts having them in place (e.g. Orange County and others).
Yes, Muir was involved with TIP. She did so because it was in what she thought was in the best interest of her child, something that every parent should be willing to take a stand to do. Her tenacity and vision for thinking outside the box continues to be criticized by those comfortable with the status quo. I am a true believer in thinking outside the box. A Board position does not require "extensive" experience which the first blogger seemed to suggest. It does require, however, a person who is committed and offers new perspectives -- and that, is certainly what Muir offers. The fact that Skiljan and Page are running together suggests to me that their election to the board would simply keep things the same. Muir has been on the Library Board, has helped to start a charter school, has a child in the EUSD system and has an interest in making the education system more supportive of all children. She is not part of the "Old Boys" (or "Old Gals") club and I believe a new perspective will be refreshing.

Anonymous said...

Here, here for Muir! Our schools are fine but they can be better by making sure that children with disabilities get the support they need so that they are successful academically and socially. I do not want a child with a disability in my child's class with the aides they have now. It looks like babysitting. TIP - at least from its former website -- had innovative programs that really enhanced a child's educationale experiences. Right now, our district is so set in using only certain books and certain approaches that it has become stagnate. We need differentiated classrooms. Gate classes, more intensively supported classes, etc. We probably would not need those special day classes if we had differentiated classrooms. Nowadays, teachers have to teach to so many different levels in a single class that it triples what a teacher is expected to do. The GATE kids get bored, the kids who are at the lower levels have low esteem because they feel they're the dumbest of the class and so the middle kids simply float along. Think outside the box folks! Let's get some new thoughts on this board!

Anonymous said...

Blogger 1 said that Muir has a single agenda which is the TIP academy. I am not sure why that is a bad thing. Most districts have charter schools so her support of having a charter school in EUSD does not seem reason enough to not vote for her. The parents who elected to attend TIP pay taxes just like we do and should be able to send their child to a public charter school if that's what they think is best. EUSD cares more about test scores than grades. If you're worried about district money, why not cut out those ridiculous board briefs where everyone is patting themselves on the back. How much does the printing and distribution of those cost?

Anonymous said...

I am also supporting Muir. She is open to change and open to learning about the problems with special ed in EUSD. Many of our special needs children are not receiving services that they are entitled to under federal law. There is a long term culture of fear and distrust around this issue and Mo is at least willing to look into it. The fact that she went the extra mile to start a charter school is a plus in my eyes. "Experience" is not cutting it for our advanced learners and learning disabled students in EUSD.

Mike said...

There is a lot being thrown around here. I would invite you all to check your facts regarding education, the law, and the Encinitas Union School District. If you really are seeing the things you describe in regards to special needs students, don't waste another minute here but contact the State Board of Education. For the pro-Mo set, I am curios why you think the EUSD administration is against charters. They EUSD Board opened TIP, and it was the TIP administration that shot the hole in their boat, jumped ship, and let TIP faculty and families drown. My observations of the EUSD Board during last spring, was that they were giving TIP the benefit of the doubt way longer than was fiscally responsible to taxpayers. As Mo Muir did not attend the one candidate forum so far and has only a few quotes in local news, I am wondering how you all know so much about her. Please have her email me if you know her as I'd like to be able to fairly present what she plans to bring to the Board. Lastly, if you really expect one candidate to make sweeping change, you need to check your fifth graders social studies book under 'majority vote'. You'd need a slate, like the most recent Board elections in Del Mar Union School District, to get your majority. That can't happen until 2010.