By JUDITH MEISTER is past president of the Santa Monica High School PTA and a former candidate for the Santa Monica-Malibu Board of Education.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK the many supporters who have expressed disappointment about my withdrawal from the school board race and who have encouraged me to continue as a write-in candidate. While my decision to withdraw from the race was difficult, I have made peace with that choice and am ready to move on.
The write-in approach might provide a way for some voters to express their frustration or anger about the way the political process played out, but it would not result in my election. I would rather focus my energy on moving forward. The support voiced by so many community members has strengthened my resolve to continue to be a strong advocate for all of our children.
My goal in seeking a seat on the school board was to make a difference in our school district to benefit our students — to provide fresh leadership to effectively address serious concerns about district finances, administrative leadership, minority student achievement, and special education reform.
I had hoped to achieve more open communication, transparent decision making, and accountability in the way that business is conducted in our district. Although I will not be a member of the school board at this time, I believe I can still make a difference. I hope that those who share my goals will join me in seeking the necessary changes.
There are, in fact, some signs of hopeful change that I have seen over the summer. Interim Superintendent Tim Cuneo inspires confidence.
He has been working with school board members to better define the board/staff working relationship and has made special education reform a priority. I understand the frustration and share the impatience of parents who have worked on and seen several special education reform plans sit on the shelf for years. It is imperative that we implement reforms now. The Barber Report and Special Education Strategic Plan contain the framework for action.
The board has retained an experienced outside consultant, the Claros Group, which has been charged with bringing together the full range of stakeholders, with the objective of devising an action plan by January 2009. I plan to be actively involved in this process and closely monitor its progress so that our special needs students, families, and staff will finally see results.
I am also a part of the PTA Council Special Education Committee, which has begun the work of building a positive collaboration between parents, teachers, administrators, and the school board. Work has begun on two parallel efforts — a community forum in November and a parent support network at each school site. As a parent of both a child with special needs and a child in general education, I know that it will take the involvement and education of our entire community to change the atmosphere to one of trust and inclusion.
My other focus will be on the long-term plan for Samohi. The first phase of construction will happen as part of the Measure BB plan and is currently under design. The long-range vision for Samohi is truly a once in a generation opportunity for our entire community.
The plan transforms the physical facilities of the high school to support the academic, athletic, and artistic excellence of our programs and extends opportunities to the entire community to enjoy these cultural and recreational facilities. This effort to remake Santa Monica High School has the potential to unify our community as leaders from our city government, school and college districts, business community, civic organizations, and residents come together to plan for the best education possible for generations of our children.
Although this election is not likely to result in much change among the school board members, I believe it is important for the community to expect open communication and transparency in decision making. We have a responsibility to engage the school board and administrators in a thorough discussion about public education issues. The more we stay involved in a constructive way and the more hard questions we ask, the more we can be sure the focus remains on what is best for all of our children. That’s what I plan to do now. Please join me.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 19, 2008. Read the original PDF.