Improving the Quality of Education

By Craig J. De Luz, Sr.

The key to improving education in our area is to instill greater accountability -- accountability for the school board, administrators, teachers, parents and students.

1. SCHOOL BOARD- keeping a watchful eye on elected officials is a good place to start. This is the most direct method of effecting change. We must seek out board members who are willing to tell us what we need to hear, rather than what we want to hear. Furthermore, our school board must be together in their focus and present a united front. Do not confuse this with always being in agreement. Simply put, the education of our children must always be priority

AS YOUR CITY COUNCILMAN, I will work with those school board members who are striving to make positive changes, as well as identify and support active community leaders to run against those who don't.

2. ADMINISTRATORS- These folks have it hard. They are part bureaucrat and part educator. Often, they are limited by regulations placed on them at the state and federal levels, in addition to the overwhelming demands of teachers unions. This too often gives them many excuses for not succeeding in educating our children. We must remove or at least limit these obstacles in order to allow administrators to do what they do best. They must be allowed lead and manage, develop partnerships with local businesses and community groups, and make parents and teachers feel as though they have some control over the educational process.

AS YOUR CITY COUNCILMAN, I will lobby at the state and federal levels to allow for greater control of our schools at the local level. In addition, I plan to work with the school boards to encourage them to offer contacts to administrators that promote rewards for success and holds them accountable for failure. Finally, I work to bring at least one charter school to our district within the next four years.

3. TEACHERS- These are the foot soldiers in the fight to educate our kids. We place most, if not all, the blame at their feet when our kids can't read or write. Like administrators, teachers must be freed up to do their jobs...teach.

AS YOUR CITY COUNCILMAN, I will promote a pay structure for teachers that rewards them handsomely for their success and holds them accountable for their failure. I will seek to augment existing funding sources, principally through grants and partnerships with local businesses, to see that teachers have the resources they need to be affective in the classroom.

4. PARENTS- Accountability must start here. Parents who are involved in their children's education give them a great advantage. They ensure their child's needs are met and that they are properly challenged. They see to it that every possible opportunity is afforded to their child. They also insure that their student carries his/her own weight by doing their assignments and being in class. I do not believe that we can force parents to be involved in their kid's education, but we can encourage them to do so.

AS YOUR CITY COUNCILMAN, I will promote programs that honor parents who are involved in their children's school. I will also work to develop a truancy policy which holds both parents and students accountable.

5. STUDENTS- We cannot make kids learn, but we can make them go to school. Truancy is the number one issue affecting most kid's education. Our first goal must be to get them off of the streets and into the classrooms.

AS YOUR CITY COUNCILMAN, I will fight to pass a daytime curfew for school-age children. We will place stiff penalties on those who choose not to be in class, like public service after school etc.. Additionally, I will also see to it that, as a part of community policing, the Sacramento Police work hand-in-hand with the school districts in truancy enforcement.