My Platform

By Gregg Sonken

These paragraphs describe my thoughts on my responsibilities if elected as an EUSD Trustee.

Safety and security for all students High academic achievement where all students experience the joy of learning (while at Mission Estancia, test scores rose from 886 to 937 during my 6 year tenure) Promoting a culture of joy, learning, accountability, and responsibility as a common vision for all students, staff, parents, and community members

I am very passionate about children! It would be a dream come true to be a servant leader in our community. As an EUSD Board Trustee, I would be a voice of reason and an independent thinker.

"What does the District motto, 'Children First' mean to you?" All visions and decisions that I make will absolutely have the children in mind. With every decision, I will be always be thinking of how the outcome will ultimately impact the students in our district. At Mission Estancia, I knew every student's name because they were all important. Students are my passion!

"Do you support Prop P?" Yes, I am so excited about the technology it will offer the students. I am excited for the teachers to be able to integrate the technology so Encinitas students can be 21st Century Learners. I would like this district to continue to be on the map as a GREAT school district and cutting edge in preparing our students for their future endeavors. The Prop promotes the District's 21st Century Learning vision, allowing more of our curriculum to be project based. I look forward to visiting the schools and seeing the students engaged in this new way of learning.

Teachers and administrators all know how much the various facility projects will help make the day better, such as improvements to heating and air conditioning. Anyone whose spent anytime in one of our schools knows what a disruption from learning it can be to not be able to control the temperature better. Having better electrical (and solar power) coming to the buildings and better equipment to run it with will make every day a better day for learning.

"What makes you an asset to the Board of Trustees?" Having worked prudently over the years with a declining school budget, I've learning to be good with resources. I am also very good with people. I look forward to working with the other Trustees to collaborate. I am an independent thinker that will vote for what I believe to be right for our community. If I am lucky enough to be elected, this role will not be about me, but about what is best for the stakeholders - our kids and our community. I will bring integrity to this position and always be someone you can trust."

"What do you believe is the most pressing issue facing EUSD today?" Certainly the current state of the economy and the district budget is of great concern. Prop P is critical right now. If this bond doesn't pass, we will be in a tough situation as far as finding other solutions that free up money in the budget (see http://www.eusd.net for info on how Prop P frees up other district money that can be used toward teacher salaries). No one, including myself, wants to reduce teachers and increase class sizes. But, there are required repairs and maintenance that absolutely has to happen for our schools to remain safe. If Prop P doesn't cover these repairs, we will have a very difficult situation on our hands that I won't take lightly and will scrutinize closely.

I also really want to focus on keeping staff and administrative morale high during these tough times. I want to ensure that each child is learning.