Why do you want to continue to be the County Superintendent of Schools?
I want to continue serving the families, students, education employees, and San Luis Obispo County. There are several long-term projects that my administration has started that will significantly benefit our community. I want to continue working on the recruitment and retention of employees, employee workforce housing, Early Childhood Education programs, alternative education programs for at-risk youth, and our apprenticeship programs. The accomplishment of these programs dramatically benefits our entire community and serves as a model for other counties.
What is the most important thing that the County Superintendent of Schools does?:
County superintendents of schools are established pursuant to Section 3, Article IX of the California Constitution and are considered county officers (similar to a sheriff, district attorney, or clerk). (Gov. Code § 24000.) County Superintendents work directly with school districts to provide support and guidance for operations. General responsibilities include fiscal oversight, communication and distribution of laws/regulations, licensure verification, support services such as juvenile hall, special education, state preschool, career and technical education, monitoring of local district plans, professional development, and other duties as determined by the Governor’s office or local jurisdictions.
If re-elected, what would you hope to accomplish in your first year?
Plans for the next term include implementation of the childcare workforce development sponsored by the County Board of Supervisors, recruitment and retention of educators, recruitment and retention of support staff, increased pre-apprenticeships, additional partnerships with arts organizations and schools, expanded public service employee housing options, leveraged use of technology and remote services implemented during the pandemic, and increased partnerships with business organizations and social services.
What do you wish more people understood about the role of County Superintendent of Schools in SLO County?
The community needs to understand that a school district’s general governance and management is the responsibility of the local district superintendent and the governing board. The County Superintendent of Schools represents the Governor’s Office and only becomes involved in daily governance and management if granted/assigned such responsibility by the state or a local governing board of trustees. As County Superintendent of Schools, my authority is limited by the California Education Code Section 1240, which describes the statutory duties of the office.
How do you gather the input of the business community in the work of your department?
I gather input from the business community through service organizations such as Rotary, serving as a Workforce Development Board member, our SLO Partners division that directly reports to my administration, membership, and participation with all San Luis Obispo County Chambers of Commerce, regular communications with city managers-mayors-the Board of Supervisors, and local business leaders, and regular attendance at local economic development meetings.
Education and Qualifications:
I have served as a custodian, teaching assistant, teacher, and administrator at the elementary, secondary, and university levels. I received my undergraduate degree and teaching credentials from UCSD, my administrative credential from Cal Poly, my doctorate from UCSB, and an additional graduate degree from CSUDH. I currently serve as the San Luis Obispo County Superintendent of Schools and a clinical faculty member in the College of Science and Mathematics, School of Education at Cal Poly. I believe in high expectations, fiscal accountability of tax-payer monies, and pledge to continue providing leadership for San Luis Obispo County.