Mike Blessing Position Statement

By Mike Blessing

I am running for a seat on the Oceanside School Board this November 4th. Many of you may know me from my work and community involvement with the City of Oceanside. I began working for the City way back in 1976 as a staff planner. I became City Planning Director in 1985 and in 2000 I was appointed Deputy City Manager. After over 33 years of public service I plan to retire next year and wish to continue my public service to the Oceanside Community by serving on our local school board.

My wife, Sandi Blessing, served one term on the school board from 1992 through 1996 and enjoyed it very much. She was influential in hiring former superintendent Ken Noonan who served the school district with distinction for over 10 years. We have raised two sons, Joey and Ben, in Oceanside schools each attending Ivey Ranch, Martin Luther King and El Camino High, and their graduation from these schools were proud moments for Sandi and me.

I want to be on the Oceanside School Board for several reasons. I believe I am uniquely qualified to serve on the board based upon my 30 years of public policy experience. I know the City and its residents and I understand that open and responsive institutions are prized in this City. As I have done throughout my career, I would encourage will parents, teachers, and community members to be fully included in School Board policy-making decisions.

If elected to the Oceanside School Board ----

• I will bring a fresh new perspective and will focus on policies that aim to raise academic performance standards at all schools.
• I will work to increase and expand parental involvement.
• I will provide experience that can assist in building school facilities in a cost effective and timely manner.
• I will remain open to hearing all public input prior to making board decisions.
• I will support all measures that will keep qualified and motivated teachers in our classrooms.
• And I will work hard and search for ways to provide music, art, sports and vocational training opportunities so that well-rounded young adults graduate from our schools and are prepared to take on the challenges of the world.

As City Planning Director and Deputy City Manager I worked to ensure that land uses were preserved in the City's Ocean Ranch and Rancho Del Oro area so that companies like Genentech could bring high paying bio-tech jobs to the City. This is so important and vital to the health of our city and will allow our kids the opportunity to live and work, in a quality job environment , right here in Oceanside. It will also demand that our school system produces highly motivated and well-educated young adults to serve these growing industries .

I want to thank all the past and present Mayor's and City Council members for their support in my run for the Oceanside School Board. And I also want to thank the hundreds of community activists, property owners and business operators from all over the City who have endorsed my candidacy for the Oceanside School Board. After working in public service, in a sometimes super charged and heated environment, it is gratifying to get such wide-spread support from all segments of our community!

In closing, let me just say it has been a pleasure to serve the residents of Oceanside for the last 30 years and it would be my honor to continue serving as your newest school board member. So please mark your ballot and vote for Mike Blessing for Oceanside School Board on November 4th. If you have any questions please call me at home at (760) 439-7675.