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- How important do you believe excellent public schools, early-childhood and lifelong learning programs are for our community? Give specific examples.
Importance to our Community – Children are our future. The earlier children are enriched by the Educational System, the better chance they have at completing Primary Education. The Emeritus Program is an excellent example of this kind of enrichment.
- To what degree do you feel that protecting adequate funding for our school district, its programs, early-childhood education and after school programs is a community responsibility? Please elaborate.
Protection of funding – Crucial. Without funds there are no programs. Funding must be protected and nourished by the Community without fail.
- What priority would you attach to ensuring adequate funding for our schools, after-school programs, and early childhood education in development of the city budget?
Priority of Funding – Educational funding is my highest priority, along with emergency response and law enforcement.
- Are you familiar with and do you fully support the agreement negotiated for the City for the agreement negotiated for the City to provide funding to the School District?Ó What was your role, if any, in crafting or passing this agreement?
Support of City Funding to school district – Not familiar with the agreement, however, if the agreement is in the best interest of the school district, I would support it.
- In the upcoming January 2007 City-School District contract discussions, do you intend to support the maximum $1 million-dollar increase indicated in agreement, provided that city revenue benchmark increases have been reached? Under what circumstances would you not be willing to do so?
Support of maximum increase agreement – I would support the bill as long as benchmarks are met. If the bench mark is not met, the situation would call for a review as to the best interest of the school district, which would be my 1st priority.
- If the SMMUSD 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?
Crisis Funding beyond current levels - I would support crisis funding beyond the current agreement if circumstances were warranted.
- Please provide specific examples of how you have supported the district and the education of our youth?
Specific Examples of district support – I am a founder of the Malibu Kiwanis Chili Cook Off, and was for three years on the Board of Directors. During that time we established Scholarships for the Malibu Schools which continue to today.
We purchased and provided computers for classrooms, and built the playground for Point Dume Elementary School.
- How have you shown leadership to ensure adequate city funding for our schools?
Leadership funding for schools – As a voter I exercised my voice in support of
funding initiatives.
- As a council member, what kind of leadership will you show to address school funding?
Leadership as Council Member – As my previous answers indicate, school funding is of tantamount importance to me, and I will behave accordingly.
- Do you endorse Measure BB, the Santa Monica-Malibu School Safety and Repair (Bond) Measure on the November 7, 2006 ballot and will you actively campaign for its passage?
Measure BB – I am still researching this subject to discover if it is in the best interest of the school district. If it is in the school districts best interest, I will certainly campaign for it passage.
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