DORIAN BAKERI know you (students, staff, families) want to get back to in person school, and yet you are concerned about health and safety. I know that this pandemic has created an incredibly stressful work situation for teachers as well as for students and families. I know that Covid-19 has interrupted the education and extra curricular activities of our students in ways that we cannot yet calculate. While the primary job of the board does not include micromanagement, the board sets policy and provides direction. If I am elected, issues like these that directly affect emotional health and happiness will be very high on my list of priorities. |
Top Thing she Wants to Accomplish
My first priority as a trustee should, and would, be fiscal responsibility, making sure that our budgets are balanced and include a secure reserve. California requires a 3% reserve, but I believe we need at least twice that as a safety net to cover unexpected expenses and/or drops in revenue, i.e. if we have a fluctuation in ADA we won’[t have to immediately cut jobs and student programs. If we have a good reserve we would be able to weather those storms.
What Experiences, Past jobs, or Education makes her qualified for School Board?
I received my BS in Journalism from Cal Poly SLO in 1979, and ten years later, my elementary teaching credential. My most relevant employment experiences include teaching in Paso Robles Public Schools, mostly grades 1-3 at Virginia Peterson Elementary, for 25 years, and then moving over to San Miguel to help open Almond Acres Charter Academy, where I taught 3rd grade until my retirement in 2017. Teaching school along with membership on various leadership, curriculum, and hiring committees throughout my professional career, gives me first hand knowledge of how our district works. In addition, raising four children in Paso Schools, being a long time volunteer with Paso Robles Girls Softball League, and attendance (and often speaking) at many school board meetings over the years qualifies me to run for a seat on our school board.
Why did she decide to run?I decided to run for school board after witnessing the poor governance of our school district by the prior board and superintendent, during which time the fiscal health of the district was decimated; there were improprieties in hiring practices and purchasing; there was intimidation of staff members resulting in a lack of trust that continues to this day. Promises that were made to the community were broken, such as the aquatic center that wasn’t fully funded, and students enrolling in programs that had to be cut. Students suffer as a result of the poor discipline standards, because teachers are not properly supported. I will stand up for local control of schools so that our community, instead of Sacramento, can more fully determine our curriculum and policies. These issues need to be corrected because poor governance and poor fiscal health negatively affect the education of our students.
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How will she respond to COVID-19 as a member of the School Board?Currently we are limited by state requirements, however I would encourage staff to pursue every avenue available to fully open, with a distance learning option for students and staff who remain at risk. I fully support opening safely, with proper safety precautions in place.
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