to ensure that there is no waste in the school district’s spending, and therefore I would support an audit of the district’s services to ensure that we are providing services as cost effective as possible. I would also support utilizing volunteers to perform some services such as student supervision and some light maintenance.
As for increasing funding, SMMUSD should aggressively pursue private and business donations as well as enlisting sponsorships from our business community. We will have to aggressively pursue state, federal, and private grants, and we will also need to ask the cities of Malibu and Santa Monica to increase their contribution levels to our schools. Generally, we need to work with other school districts to lobby the state and federal government to place education as the highest priority.
I encourage voters to support Measure EE on the Nov. 5th ballot. The funds generated from the successful passage of this measure will help to alleviate immediate budget concerns in the district, as well as enhance our opportunity to improve the quality of education throughout the district for the next 12 years.
If we come to the point of having to cut some school programs, my perspective as a public school teacher for the past six years will be crucial during this process because I know first hand which school programs are critical to student learning. 2. If you had to choose, which extracurricular activities or sports programs would you eliminate because of budget constraints?
I oppose eliminating any school program with proven results of improving the quality of education in SMMUSD. It would be counterintuitive to the ultimate goals of the district of providing a challenging and enriching education to every student. Also, I would hope that the citizens of Santa Monica and Malibu would rally to find ways to fund those programs that enrich student development. If programs had to be eliminated, I would look to those that aren’t related to the academic goals of the district and to those that don’t have a strong enrollment. 3. What is your position on separating Santa Monica High School into six smaller schools?
As a school board member, my continual goal and challenge will be to provide the highest-quality learning environment for all students of SMMUSD. The size of Samohi makes it very difficult for the school to provide a high quality education for all 3,500 students. If we are to be serious about providing a high quality education, our classes should average 20 students from K-9, and 24 students from grades 10- 12 (compared to the present average of 33 students after third grade). Too many students are not meeting academic standards, falling through the cracks, and aren’t able to receive the support and individualized instruction that they need to be successful in school. Although I support present efforts to create smaller schools within Samohi, I will support exploring the creation of a second high school in Santa Monica if the present efforts don’t drastically improve the quality of education within the school. 4. The Santa Monica Malibu school district has been accused of unfairly expelling and suspending minority students. How would you address this issue if you were on the school board?
Our job as educators is to teach all of our students that they have the ability to make choices in their lives and that with each choice comes a consequence. As a third grade teacher, I deal with the issue of discipline every day. We must always strive to treat each child fairly and ensure that they know what is expected from them in their academic and extracurricular work. Children perform better and can be judged fairly when they know the expectations in advance.
I believe that if the teachers and administrators in SMMUSD approach education in this way — where expectations are clear, treatment is consistent and unbiased, students know they can make choices and that those choices will have either positive or negative consequences — we will see fewer discipline problems and fewer accusations of unfair treatment. I also believe the schools need to seek increased parent involvement when students are making choices that detract from their education. As parents are a child’s first teacher, the schools need to utilize the partnership of teacher, parents, and community to better support the needs of the student.
I realize that many accusations have already been made. These accusations must be investigated with the greatest scrutiny. We cannot tolerate any unfair treatment by teachers, administration, or staff at our schools. I support the dedication and involvement of the Mothers for Justice who have brought this issue to the forefront of the school board and superintendent. 5. The district recently signed contracts with several fast food restaurants for thousands of dollars that will help fund various programs, including sports. Do you support fast food being served to students at the high school?
It’s no secret that the profits that are generated from fast food sales are used to pay for extracurricular activities, athletics, and other educational programs. For many schools, this extra money makes those programs possible.
However, “fast foods” are typically high in fat, high in calories and low in nutritional value. We must consider the fact that the quality of adolescents’ diet impacts their performance in school. Even moderate undernourishment can affect cognitive development and school performance.
With rates of adolescent obesity soaring out of control, the district needs to make responsible decisions on what foods it will make available for its students. Providing an overabundance of “fast food” options sabotage parents’ and educators’ efforts to teach healthy eating habits by providing readily access to unhealthy foods.
As a board member I would support finding ways to improve students’ knowledge and attitudes about healthy eating practices, as well as “quick-food” options for students that do not sacrifice nutritional value. We must find a balance between filling our educational funding gaps and providing healthy food options, giving students options that will satisfy both our funding needs and our desire to teach them the life skill of a healthy diet. 6. Why should we vote for you? What skills and experience make you a better candidate than the others?
I am the only active K-12 teacher running for school board, and there are no active K-12 teachers serving on the school board currently. I’ve been teaching third grade in South Central L.A. for the past 6 years. I believe this experience makes me more acutely aware of our district’s challenges. I decided to run because I want to contribute my teaching experience to improve our schools. Our city’s future depends on the success of our schools and I am passionate about working on policy issues that will help improve the education of thousands of students in Santa Monica and Malibu schools.
As the only active K-12 teacher running for the board, my decisions will always be based on what is best for the students. I will bring a unique perspective that is not currently represented, always keeping the best interests of Santa Monica’s and Malibu’s students at the forefront.
Name: Shane McLoud. Political affiliation: Democrat. Profession: Public school teacher, Figueroa St. Elementary, LAUSD. If you weren’t what you are, what would you be? Staff member to an elected official where I could improve public policy (my previous job for 3 years). Favorite CD and movie: “Us” by Peter Gabriel and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Favorite thing about living here: How our amazing SM mountains meet our pristine beaches. Have you ever been arrested? No. Have you ever declared bankruptcy or had financial insolvency issues? No. Endorsed by: Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Los Angeles County Young Democrats, Mayor Pro Tem Ken Kearsley, Councilmembers Sharon Barovsky, Andy Stern, Joan House, Malibu Democratic Club, LAUSD Board President Caprice Young and School Board Member Genethia Hayes, and my school’s principal and assistant principal.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 30, 2002. Read the original PDF.