Some of my opponents in this election advocate for the right of a teacher to exercise free speech (under the guise of no government interference) in order for education in the classroom to thrive. As a community, it is important to recognize that this philosophy lends itself to the possibility for teacher activism, promoting agendas related to racial ideologies, gender ideologies, religion, sexual content and other topics which are not developmentally appropriate for the youngest of our children. It is important to recognize that school districts have the authority to control classroom content and curriculum. While in the classroom, teachers (1) should be acting within the scope of their employment, (2) are generally considered to speak on behalf of the district, and (3) are expected to adhere to the policies set forth in the areas of curriculum and instruction. Therefore, the speech of a teacher does not have full First Amendment protection. While the California State Standards do call for the teaching of developmentally appropriate controversial topics in some cases, teachers should be acting as facilitators in the classroom, not imposing their personal beliefs and opinions upon students.
Students cannot learn effectively in unsafe environments. It is important to adhere to effective discipline policies which keep order in the schools. California law, for example, is making this increasingly difficult with the passage of a law which bans schools from suspending students who show willful defiance towards a teacher or administrator. This law took effect in January 2024. As a school district, we are now tasked with finding creative ways and alternative consequences to deter this type of behavior. This could result in unsafe learning environments in our schools as students who are not held accountable for their actions are inclined to willfully misbehave.
In addition to lockdown drills, we need to consider buzz in doors as a first line of defense in all of our schools to keep threatening and/or suspicious perpetrators from entering the campus. These doors are already in existence in some of our schools, but not all.
We cannot tolerate bullying in our schools. If principals and assistant principals are visible on campus (and they should be most of the day), they are the first line of defense against bullying. Administration, firstly, in partnership with teachers and parents, is responsible for creating a climate of safety, respect, support, and belonging for all students.
Without transparency there can be no accountability. The research shows that highly functioning and effective school boards showcase the positive and do not fear highlighting what is not working. For years, even pre-pandemic, the various boards of Temecula have been reticent to be completely transparent with the public. While the education received in Temecula has worked for many families as their students have moved on to adulthood, there have been thousands who have graduated despite not performing at grade level in literacy skills and/or math.
Currently, according to THE 2023 CAASPP, 38% of Temecula students are not at grade level in reading and writing. In addition, 53% of Temecula students are not at grade level in math, and 57% are not at grade level in science. There are also several special populations within Temecula that the State is now claiming the district needs to get moving in a positive direction. If these levels of academic proficiency do not start moving positively, the district is under threat of technical assistance, meaning, the district will be under direction from the state, and an outside group will begin to provide assistance to enhance systems and build capacity, including tools to build strong performance management systems, a plan for sustainability and leverage federal funds to implement education programs.
At every meeting, an effective, highly functioning board should continually monitor data within the public square revolving around student achievement and moving resources around to schools that are struggling in order to prevent the predicament the district is in currently. Effective board members do not fear transparency or holding executive staff accountable. Effective board members put student needs first as a prerequisite for ensuring the best possible education for them. As a community, we need to address these challenges in a far more transparent manner than has been done in the past. We need to begin to ask for long-term, sustaining solutions from district staff in addressing these issues.
TVUSD is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on mental health services. In addition to counselors (which are a prerequisite for a well-functioning school), the district has hired several supplemental counselors and social workers to address student mental health issues. Students experience trauma in life. This trauma comes in varying forms, depending on circumstances. We need to ensure students experiencing trauma are provided access to mental health services with 100% parent participation to help them cope with depression, anxiety, etc. I have personally spoken to several students who feel hopeless regarding the world in general.
Largely, this hopelessness comes from social media usage. As a community, we need to make efforts to reduce their circle of areas of concern and enhance their circle of influence. This means helping students to manage what they can control in life (meaning the focus should be on their academic performance and setting goals for themselves as to where they can improve). In addition, many students experience anxiety regarding their academic performance and not being able to complete their work proficiently. The goal is to reduce the need for mental health services and for students to cope with stress through their own self-regulation. In order to accomplish this goal, the district needs to provide the academic interventions necessary to get students at grade level and to give them the tools for educational success.
Every school board sets goals for the superintendent as this individual is the CEO of the district. As a person with a strong record of student achievement, roadmaps are also a necessity for every school regardless of whether it is functioning well, or not. A roadmap consists of concrete, measurable goals for every school in the areas of English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Advanced Placement, reducing chronic absenteeism, and school climate (parents and students).
These annual goals, set collaboratively by administrators/teachers/classified staff and approved by the superintendent, keep all stakeholders unified on a positive trajectory in ensuring the most optimal outcomes of student success. These goals enable the board and the superintendent to monitor student outcomes and allocate resources where the needs are the greatest. These goals and results should also be shared with the public, as parents and community members also have a role in supporting the school effort in ensuring student achievement and academic growth are attained.