Bob Anderson withdraws from race

By Patric Hedlund

Members of the community formed an orderly line in Cuddy Hall on October 18 to ask polite but heartfelt questions of candidates running for the El Tejon Unified School District Board of Governors. They had just heard candidates introduce themselves and tell their reasons for running.

Bob Anderson of Lebec opened the evening by withdrawing from the race because his home is on the boundary of the school district, on the wrong side of the line. Anderson apologized to those who may have voted for him on their early absentee ballots.

The introductory comments shared several themes. Candidates reflected on their pride in this district’s schools and its history. Many said their children had “gotten a good start” in these schools and graduated to go on to success. Several people still have children or grandchildren in the district.

The desire to “take our schools back” was expressed often, as was an agreement that, in making reforms, they all knew where to start.

“Teachers love their children, but we have an upper management problem,” said candidate Tim Schantzen as he explained his reasons for running for election, “upper management is not looking at our district’s needs seriously.” Schantzen said he had wanted to run for the board for 10 years, but his wife (a teacher) had asked him not to—until now.

“The trustees need to be here for the community, not to rubber-stamp the superintendent,” said Dean Crabb. Lark Shillig (also married to a teacher) agreed, “Three people have supported whatever [Superintendent Katherine Kleier] says; the drastic drop in students started with her…she caused a panic on the mountain when she pushed to abolish sports.”

“Everyone is disappointed in the superintendent,” agreed candidate Scott Robinson whose wife works at Pine Mountain Learning Center, where their two children attend school. “We need to hear teachers’ and parents’ priorities and provide oversight as a board—but we need to do it by the numbers.”

“We need to fix the district from the top to the bottom to make the district look better to the public,” added Vickie Mullen (her husband teaches for the district as well).

John Fleming, who is the only incumbent candidate, complained that the current board majority and the superintendent “do not seem interested in finding out for certain why families are leaving the district” through homeschooling or transferring.

Readable financials

One audience member asked what candidates would do if they could wave a magic wand. Crabb said, “I’d want the recession not to have hit. But it did, so I’d like the district financials to be readable.”

Candidate Linda Sheldon was in Canada presenting a seminar on payroll law in the U.S. and Canada, so couldn’t be at the forum, but in a phone interview she said the ETUSD financials she has seen are incomplete and confusing. She said they need to be improved. Sheldon was the fiscal director for a private school of about 500 students for ten years. She said she is interested in serving to help ETUSD put things in order.

One 2-year and three 4-year terms are opening

Four seats are opening on the board. One of those is a two-year term, three others are four-year terms.

Three of the seven candidates are running for the short term: Scott Robinson, Tim Schantzen and Dean Crabb. Voters can choose just one.

Anderson’s withdrawal from the race leaves four candidates vying for the remaining three full-term seats: John Fleming, Lark Shillig, Vickie Mullen and Linda Sheldon.

Personal agendas

Anne Weber stepped to the microphone. To serve well you need “to leave your ego…and your personal agenda outside the door,” she said. “If you are elected, what will your mantra be to keep your personal agenda in check?” she asked.

The question was not abstract or philosophical. Of the seven candidates remaining, four of them have a spouse employed by the district. Anne Weber herself is technically a district employee, because ETUSD is the fiscal sponsor for the Family Resource Center. She depends on a good working relationship with the superintendent and the board to do her job effectively.

Mullen said she would work to be sure the community has a voice. Fleming said, “My grandchildren are my agenda.”

Robinson said he wished to see the board work more harmoniously. Schantzen said he wants to take the board in a new direction. Shillig said she wants to see kids obey the golden rule, and for the adults around them to do that too.

“I am one of the boisterous ones,” admitted Dean Crabb, “because the current board doesn’t care what you have to say. It is not fair not to care about the concerns of parents.”

Kids falling between the cracks

One parent said she was concerned about the kids at the continuation high school who had to be off the campus by a specified time but don’t have bus transportation. She said “sheriffs are being called and kids are getting expelled.”

Robinson said, “This goes back to the superintendent. She doesn’t inform the board.”

Fleming, who is currently on the board, said “this is a great concern. There may not be an easy solution. We frivolously wasted money on consultants that could have helped add one more teacher back to Frazier Park School to reduce class size, or to help with this issue you bring up about your son….”

Crabb said he was looking at the financials, and found “a lot of things we need to figure out.”

At the October 10 regular meeting of the ETUSD board it was mentioned by staff that 15 special education students are costing the district $1.5 million for teaching and transportation. The Mountain Enterprise has not verified that statement.

Shillig said, “We should be cutting expenses at the top instead of at the bottom.”

Parents want to volunteer

Susan “Moxie” McMahon said she was concerned about the size of classes as more teachers and all teachers’ aides have been laid off.

“Now our parents have to pay for our own background check, making it impossible for many parents to volunteer,” she said. Costs for fingerprinting, ‘life scan’ for criminal background and drug testing can reach $100 per parent.

Robinson noted that Pine Mountain Learning Center, which is one of the top performing schools in the state, is based around parent participation. As a charter school, PMLC does not have the same problem with costs to parent volunteers.

Candidates reviewed how much the community has offered to do for the schools for free, from coaching sports, to teaching music, to helping teachers in the classroom.

Robinson also said that he was surprised to see a lack of research presented by the administration in the current board’s meetings. “We need to make informed decisions, not snap decisions,” he said.

There was a great deal of discussion of the need to open back out to the community, “to treat each other with respect as colleagues.”

“People have knowledge. We need to call upon them for insight and guidance and to open channels to accomplish goals,” Fleming said.

Schantzen said he was shocked to learn that “El Tejon teachers first heard that the superintendent had taken over the principal’s position over the loudspeaker along with the students.”

He said perhaps the board should have some nonvoting advisory positions for teachers and classified employees.

The forum was hosted by the Rotary Club of Frazier Park and Mountain Communities, Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce, the Mountain Communities Municipal Advisory Council and The Mountain Enterprise newspaper.

This is part of the October 26, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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