The Campbell Reporter

Education

Campbell Union High School board has six candidates, three open seats

By Alicia Upano

This is the first of three parts that will feature profiles on the candidates running for a trustee seat in the Campbell Union High School District.

Six candidates are vying for three seats on the Campbell Union High School District board in the November election. These individuals include incumbents Pam Parker and George St. Clair, and newcomers Joe Pandit of Saratoga, Campbell resident Philip Reynolds Jr., retired Prospect High School teacher Royce Lorraine Peterson and Matthew Dean, a former Campbell city councilman who ran in 2002.

Pam Parker

The Campbell Union High School District is on the right track, Pam Parker said, and she wants to help the district stay the course.

Parker joined the board in 2002, after serving two years as president of the Branham High School Home & School Club. The 57-year-old part-time bookkeeper points to the board's record during the past four years as evidence of her success.

In recent years, area school districts have struggled with declining enrollment and fewer state funds. The high school district, however, has managed to build its coffers with community support.

The current board has overseen the expenditure of a $95 million school facilities bond measure passed by voters in 1999. The bond helped build new science wings at Westmont, Prospect and Del Mar high schools, libraries, and a new music building at Leigh High School. Parker was also pleased to see classrooms and bathrooms get a much-needed remodel at Branham High School.

Parker was also involved in the passage of Measure M, the 2004 parcel tax, created to help reduce class sizes, improve curriculum and school safety and recruit new teachers. The money has been tied up for months in ongoing litigation with Saratoga resident Aaron Katz. Although the lawsuit is in appeal, Parker said the board is now using the money conservatively and offering teacher bonuses.

In fact, teachers' salaries were the hot topic when Parker joined the board in 2002. The teachers were within hours of striking when both sides came to an agreement.

"The relationship is much, much better, although it's not perfect," Parker said. "I believe we can always do better, and I believe communication is always the most important thing."

Parker keeps in touch with the students and parents by attending numerous parent meetings and school events. She also takes advantage of the newly implemented School Loop, an online tool for parents, teachers and students to discuss assignments and grades.

Most recently, Parker was proud to see the district come out from under its program improvement status, a federal designation given after a district fails to meet its academic targets two years in a row.

Another focus for Parker was the district's assistance team, where she served to help boost the school's academics.

"Our scores are doggoned good this year," Parker said. "It's an indication that we are figuring how to meet the needs of all our students."

Parker has two sons who graduated from Leigh and Branham High schools. She will soon attend her 40th reunion for Blackford High School.

After high school, Parker was pursuing a teaching degree at San José State University when her mother died, and Parker left college to care for her younger siblings. Participating in education has always been her goal, she said.

"I enjoy going out and seeing what our high schools can do, and seeing what I can do to help make it better," Parker said.

George St. Clair

George St. Clair sums up his qualifications in three ways--experience, the ability to ask good questions and a willingness to listen.

St. Clair, 56, is running for his fifth consecutive four-year term. He is the tutorial center coordinator at Mountain View High School and has an extensive education background.

He has master's degrees from Columbia University in teaching and curriculum and international education, as well as a post-graduate degree from Stanford University in design and evaluation of educational programs. He conducted research on school improvements for WestEd Regional Education Research Laboratory and was a master teacher in the U.S. Peace Corps in Samoa and Fiji.

In 1990, St. Clair ran for the school board because he thought his expertise would benefit the schools and it was an "opportunity to make ethical decisions," he said, and that remains true today.

"I'm proud of where we've gone, and proud most especially of the board," St. Clair said. "This is the best school board we've ever had. We are a great team."

St. Clair hopes to build on the board's successes, pointing to the 1999 bond and the 2004 parcel tax passed by voters. The bond was the first time the district appealed to voters for help, and was sorely needed, he said. The district also qualified for matching state funds, adding an additional $42 million to the $95 million in bond money. The parcel tax will help give teachers the salaries they deserve,
he added.

Looking forward, St. Clair would like to see voters extend the bond, which is set to expire. This will enable the district to finish its renovation work on all the facilities. If passed, the $90 million bond measure would improve facilities for physical education, vocational training and performing arts, as well as modernize classrooms and improve access for disabled students.

Like Parker, St. Clair sees charter schools as a new challenge for school boards. Charters are public schools with more flexibility in finances and academics, and must be approved by a local, county or state school authority before opening.

The Campbell Union High School District board recently denied two charter schools--Leadership Public Schools and South Bay Preparatory. Leadership appealed to Santa Clara County Board of Education, was approved and opened this fall. South Bay Prep will appeal as well.

St. Clair fears the charter trend has become a way for groups to obtain public monies for what "in many cases are inferior educational programs." Further, the homogeneity in some charters may lead to a fragmented society, he said.

"We want to hold them to a very high standard; we don't want to see our children failing," he said.

Charters and other controversial matters are the rough waters the board constantly navigates, he said. The toughest challenge is to balance the needs of all with the needs of few, and not bow to a vocal minority.

As a former science teacher, St. Clair looks to evidence and data before making objective decisions. He knows he can't please everyone, and sometimes has to "respectfully disagree."

"The board must reach consensus, and the way I have tried to keep an open mind and to listen to all sides is to keep the conversation public," St. Clair said. "We're the only body that has all the students at heart. We want the whole district to be successful."