2011 candidates for CSBA offices announced
Published: October 1, 2011
The 2011 Nominating Committee met on September 24 to interview the candidates for President-elect and Vice President of CSBA. Upon deliberation, as outlined in CSBA Bylaws and Standing Rules, the Nominating Committee voted to put forward Jack Bedell and Jo Lucey as candidates for 2011 Vice President and Cindy Marks forward for President-elect.
The Nominating Committee is aware of its important responsibility to present to the Delegate Assembly those candidates they believe will provide the best possible leadership for CSBA. More information on the nomination process and the adopted candidate criteria is available on the CSBA website.
As provided for in CSBA’s Standing Rules, nominations for President-elect, as well as additional nominations for Vice President, may be taken from the floor of the Delegate Assembly meeting in San Diego on November 30. Individuals interested in running for office must notify CSBA President Martha Fluor prior to the beginning of the Delegate Assembly meeting. Information regarding timelines, rules and regulations governing the election process is available on CSBA’s website. All candidates will have the opportunity to participate in the Candidate Forum on November 30.
2011 CSBA officer candidates
Following are the statements from the candidates for Vice President and President-elect. The statements appear exactly as they were received by CSBA:
Cindy Marks
President-elect
Modesto City Schools
It is our collective responsibility to encourage and equip our youth so that they have every opportunity to succeed and grow into responsible adults in order to achieve their full potential.
My experience mentoring inner city youth and known gang members for eleven years, serving as a school board member for thirteen years, a member of Delegate Assembly for four years, a Director of Region 8 for six years, the many CSBA committees and currently serving this past year as Vice-President, has equipped me to understand what is needed to give youth a positive vision for their future.
I am passionate about meeting the needs of the students in California through enrichment of an academic curriculum that provides opportunities for them to succeed in a global society while closing the achievement gap and making the best use of our available finances. I have a known record of diligently working with local and state officials informing and educating them on the needs that our students and schools face. I won’t hesitate to speak up for what I believe in. It is my desire to incorporate the Delegate Assembly members’ views in such a way that CSBA continues to grow and change into an even more dynamic organization that is respectful and mindful of all of the challenges facing our school districts.
I will be a strong courageous leader who will advocate for our youth and would be honored to have your support.
Jack Bedell
Vice President
Orange County Office of Education
Six (6) million children deserve better. School years and days are shortened. Standardized testing drives the curriculum. Arts programs are sacrificed. Districts are paying millions of dollars from general funds for required but unfunded mandates. In Orange County, were IDEA fully funded, about 7,000 jobs would be created. Imagine what that could do for class size reduction! Rural California schools are under the constant threat of losing forestry monies. Athletic programs, the “front porch” to school for many, and helping keep them enrolled until graduation, are targeted. Career technical education, gateway to the middle class, is threatened by zealousness to make everyone‘s high school education alike, that is, college preparatory. One size does not fit all. The achievement gap is alive and well. Programs for the at risk are vulnerable. I ask for your support. Having been a 6th grade substitute teacher, community college professor, university administrator and professor, an elected spokesman for over 16,000 university faculty, member of a county board and member of a K-8 board, I bring a blend of experiences to work with you to take CSBA to the next level. Our emphasis is just not getting Proposition 98 funded. Of course, we need money. We also need Boards trained to advocate, parents supported in their goals and teachers committed to academic excellence where all have access to quality, and all involved in education are accountable. I promise you my energy working on behalf of CSBA’s Mission, and together, working for California’s children.
Jo Lucey
Vice President
Cupertino Union School District
Public schools are the foundation of our American democracy. The strength or weakness of our schools today will be directly reflected in the strength or weakness of our state and nation for years to come. Our children’s future, and the future of our communities, depends upon our ability to provide an education that enables the students of California to contribute to an increasingly complex and global economy. We must invest in our public schools.
CSBA’s critical mission is to drive the public education agenda and to advocate and promote governance that improves student learning. Each of us, as school board members, are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that the schools in our local communities are the very best they can be. Collectively, we are the stewards of public education. It is imperative that we have the tools and knowledge to act not just in our local communities, but to influence the state level policies and decisions as well.
My business executive experience, my tenure as a school board member in the Cupertino Union School District, my leadership role in the Santa Clara County School Boards Association, and my service as a member of CSBA’s Delegate Assembly and Board of Directors have given me a broad range of leadership and governance experience. I am passionate about the value of public education, and I am committed to serving the interests of our students and school boards. I ask for your support as a candidate for Vice President of CSBA.