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The questions were prepared by the the Leagues of Women Voters of Palo Alto, Los Altos/Mtn. View Area, and Cupertino-Sunnyvale and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Programs,
Labor Negotiations,
Evaluating Performance
Click on a name for other candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. Given the fact that budgetary restraints will continue, what programs do you support and what programs would you cut and why? Please be specific.
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Answer from Bruce Swenson:
Foothill and De Anza Colleges are outstanding community resources that I would work diligently to preserve and protect. I support programs that prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and that provide such vocational training as dental hygiene, nursing and respiratory therapy. In addition, we must attract and retain excellent teachers in the face of fiscal constraints. I would consider cutting under-enrolled programs and duplicated services.
Answer from Laura Casas Frier:
Protection of core educational programs is needed so students can either transfer to four-year colleges or earn career certificates. Support networks including counselors, dedicated teachers, updated technology, tutors and mentorship programs (Puente Project, Pass the Torch) are critical. Duplication of services or areas not within the mission of Foothill-DeAnza District should be lower in funding priorities.
Answer from Julia E. (Fox) Miller:
The quality of core instructional programs must be maintained along with the infrastructure that support these courses. All programs should be reviewed on a case by case basis before cuts could be recommended; after that review I would look at the least utilized non-core academic classes.
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2. What do you see as the role of the Board in labor negotiations?
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Answer from Laura Casas Frier:
The board sets the policy and direction of the district in order to balance educational and fiscal objectives against the concerns of employees. Direct negotiations are handled by the administration, with recommendations submitted to the Board.
Answer from Bruce Swenson:
The Board represents the community and must safeguard its interests in all labor negotiations. To do this, the Board will have to find a proper balance between the needs of faculty/staff and those of students. Faculty and staff require strong salaries and benefits in expensive Silicon Valley, and students need to have access to outstanding educational programs. In finding this balance, the Board must ensure long-term financial integrity, so the District can fulfill its mission in coming years.
Answer from Julia E. (Fox) Miller:
As a Sunnyvale City Council member I am very familiar with the role of a governing board in the labor negotiation process. The law places limitations on the degree to which the Board can become involved. My experience has shown that when the governing board has full and open communication with the unions involved, negotiations are most likely to proceed smoothly. I would be receptive to meeting with union members and their leadership at any time.
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3. To which constituencies and by what process should the Board evaluate the performance of the colleges?
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Answer from Julia E. (Fox) Miller:
The Board gets input from many sources, the Academic Senate, outside auditors and the accrediting agency. Open board meetings also provide a forum for students and the general public to present information. The Board needs to assess all the information available and report to the public through the press and with our own newsletter. Board findings should be communicated to the faculty, staff, and students on a regular basis to make our colleges the best they can be.
Answer from Bruce Swenson:
Foothill and De Anza Colleges have exceptional reputations, both regionally and nationally. To ensure that the schools continue to provide outstanding educational programs, the Board needs to conduct regular, rigorous evaluations by an agency external to the colleges, such as a regional accreditation body. The results should be reviewed in a public Board meeting that includes community leaders, students and faculty/staff. The Board should insist that recommendations for improvement are addressed and implemented.
Answer from Laura Casas Frier:
The constituents include the students and the community. Performance of the colleges should be evaluated based on outcomes in student academic preparation for four year colleges and in preparation for careers.
One indicator of performance is the acceptance rate of students to the UC and CSU systems. Eighty percent of the Foothill-DeAnza Community College freshman class is classified remedial. Foothill-DeAnza is funded near the bottom statewide. Yet, our Foothill-DeAnza students have one of the highest acceptance transfer rates to UC and CSU colleges. Our students are academically prepared when they transfer because of the support networks in place. The board should give great weight to the programs that contribute to this outcome.
Another performance indicator would be the ability of the colleges to meet community demands for skilled labor. Our fastest growing academic function is the retraining of displaced workers. There is a nursing shortage. A nursing certificate costs $15,000 per student yet our state funding is limited to approximately $4,000 per student. This year our nursing program had 250 students on the waiting list! As a Board member, I would seek to build the colleges' ability to place more students in these high-demand programs, so they can become successful employees, consumers and taxpayers in our community.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates must limit their answers to 300 words total so that a paper Voters Guide may be published. After 8 p.m. on Sept. 12 word limits will no longer apply. Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. By entering information in the "Candidates Answer Questions" area of Smart Voter, the candidate agrees that his/her total response of not more than 300 words as it appears on 8 p.m. of Sept 12 may be published in print media.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
