Responses of Jonathan Mann

Signed CEPS "Excellent Public School Pledge"

1. What is the significance for our community of ensuring adequate funding for our school district, its programs, early childhood education and after school programs? Please elaborate.
   
   Obviously it is extremely significant; just compare scholastic testing between American and European students.
   
   
2. What priority would you attach to ensuring adequate funding for our schools, after-school programs, and early childhood development in the city budget?
   
   High priority, AND accountability for how the money is spent.
   
   
3. Are you familiar with and do you fully support the agreement negotiated for the City to provide funding to the School District?
   
   As long as there is a complete audit of how revenues are, targeted and spent.
   
   
4. Do you fully support providing the maximum level of funding for our schools under City-School District agreement? Under what circumstances would you not be willing to do so?
   
   If the funding were being misdirected, or mismanaged.
   
   
5. If the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District faced a budget crisis brought on by circumstances outside the District's control, such as by funding cuts from the State of California, would you be willing to support crisis funding to the District even beyond the City-School
   District funding agreement?
   
   Certainly; DEPENDING on need and circumstance.
   
   
6. Please provide specific examples of how you have supported the district and the education of our youth? How have you shown leadership to ensure adequate city funding for our schools? As a council member, what kind of leadership will you show to address school funding?
   
   I have been a full time teacher and substitute for LA County Special Schools, SMMUSD, Saint Monica High School and LAUSD since the mid 80s until 2002. I have worked with emotionally handicapped students and am very aware of how inadequate our schools are, and how teachers' hands are tied by the bureaucracy and the lack of updated teaching materials. I am also aware there are teachers with emergency credentials and mentor teachers that do not perform at the same level, and there are administrators that need to be replaced. Teachers are woefully underpaid, but we need to weed out the deadwood and attract professional pedagogues. All teachers should be able to pass standardized tests and parents should be a resource, not a hindrance. One of the most serious problems in our schools is the lack of assertive discipline and incentives to perform well. As a council member I will keep close tabs on how revenues are targeted and the quality of our education programs.