Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Bellflower Unified School District

SAFETY AND SECURITY OF STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES:

BUSD has many ongoing safety and security issues. Also, teachers/students feel emotionally insecure due to low morale and staff mismanagement.

Incumbent Rick ROYSE and member Jerry Cleveland voted AGAINST supporting the Havice Anti-Bullying Bill, AB 79.

STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND SUPPORT STAFF SHOULD BE TREATED RESPECTFULLY:

Student issues/complaints are often belittled or disregarded by Board members.

Teachers are publicly berated by Board members--especially during Board meetings.

Requests for help/information from frustrated parents are often ignored by Board members/administrators.

Public speakers are occasionally interrupted or shut down during Board presentations (violating the Brown Act).

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY WHO USE FEAR AND INTIMIDATION:

Students are threatened with suspension or non-participation in school activities for speaking publicly about school problems.

Teachers/support staff are fired, resign under termination threats, or are reassigned with little-to-no attempt to resolve so-called "problems" beforehand.

Military reservist teachers are harassed for taking time off to perform their duties--even more so since being activated after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

INCUMBENTS VOTED "NO" ON THE NEW HEAD START PROGRAM:

Head Start is the most successful federal program ever, yet incumbents Harold CARMAN, Rick ROYSE, and member Jerry Cleveland voted AGAINST it.

HIRING AND RETAINING THE MOST-QUALIFIED TEACHERS FOR OUR STUDENTS:

Many fully-qualified teachers and support staff left schools/district due to poor working environments.

Veteran employees with experience and expertise are excluded from employee interview teams.

INFLUENCING STATE/FEDERAL LEADERS TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING:

Incumbent Rick ROYSE and member Jerry Cleveland consistently vote "NO" on special education funding for special-needs students.

Incumbents make no effort to research/secure additional, much-needed funding.

PROBLEMS WITH SCHOOL FACILITIES, CLASSROOM MATERIALS, AND FOOD:

Parents/teachers pay out-of-pocket for classroom materials that the district should provide.

Several schools have unsatisfactory campus facilities--bathroom stalls lacking doors and seat covers, poor shower facilities, poorly-functioning drinking fountains, etc.

Elementary students say that much of their cafeteria food is inedible--milk is warm, hot food is cold, etc.

TAX DOLLARS USED FOR EDUCATION RATHER THAN FOR AVOIDABLE LAWSUITS:

Mismanagement of teachers/staff results in lawsuits and loss of needed educational funds.

Incumbents turn a blind eye to bad administrative decisions instead of taking the initiative to resolve them.

SECURING PROPERTY VALUES BY ELIMINATING ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS AND SUBSEQUENT NEGATIVE PUBLICITY:

Many voters without children in the district believe public school issues are of little importance; however, ALL TAXPAYERS pay for our schools, and poorly-run schools lower property values.