Kristi Rutz-Robbins Candidate Statement

By Kristi A Rutz-Robbins

We need a woman, mother and professor on the board.

We need a woman on the school board. We need a district mother on the school board. We need a university educator who knows what out children need to succeed. I am the board member your child needs.

My first goal is to prioritize excellence in the arts (both visual and musical) and athletics. Studies show that students engaged in the arts and athletics do better in school and are more attached to their education. Elementary school art, music and physical education need to be expanded. We must refocus on fostering a well rounded, high quality education that looks at real world needs.

My second goal is improving college readiness. A lower percentage of students from Temecula go directly into the UC system than the state average. We can do better than this with the right support for students and parents. There is no reason we cannot equal and excel beyond Poway and Carlsbad districts. Additionally, we need to provide our gifted students with more opportunities to excel beyond grade level expectations in the elementary schools.

My third goal is to increase our graduation rates and most importantly, make sure that the students graduating are job ready. This means we as a district must prioritize job training. San Diego Unified has some excellent programs in place we should consider implementing. We need courses offered at every high school that address the professional needs of students not choosing to pursue higher-education on graduation.

Lastly, I want to ensure that the district administration is transparent, professional, frugal and data driven. My expectations are that the bureaucracy must be streamlined, the administration must be highly effective and the staff motto must be: customers come first.

I have a Ph.D. and teach for the university TVUSD sends thousands of students to. I know what our students need. My children have been in the Temecula schools for 7 years and I will have a child in the district for the next 14 years. We need both these perspectives on the board. Please vote for me on November 4.