JIM COGANYou are my top priority. I am excited to work for you and with you to make our district the best it can be. I will be available to you and responsive to students, families, staff and teachers. I would like to see more involvement of students with the school board. I will work with Superintendent Dubost to establish a student advisory body or student representative to the board to ensure that we are hearing from students. Finally, I will work to open up new opportunities for our students as they finish high school and graduate. I will work to establish and improve on existing internship programs so that our students have the best opportunity to compete in the job market. |
Top Thing he Wants to Accomplish
I want to create additional sustainable ongoing revenue for the district. One opportunity to do this involves the use of vacant land owned by the district, which could be used to develop affordable housing. A portion of that housing could be reserved for teachers. I have experience developing affordable housing in the Bay Area that will ensure the district gets the best deal possible. With the additional revenue we can fulfill the commitments made in Measure M like building the aquatics center. In addition, we can retain great teachers, protect and expand extracurriculars and enhance our career training programs.
What Experiences, Past jobs, or Education makes him qualified for School Board?
I have 20 years of public service experience, working for the cities of San Jose, Menlo Park, Ventura and Paso Robles. I have written hundreds of staff reports and read thousands. I have trained newly elected officials and their staffs how to navigate the world of public office and politics. I won't experience the steep learning curve other new school board members will. I understand government finance and budgeting. I have a lot of experience developing communication programs to build public trust and understanding. I have a thick skin and would rather hear constructive criticism from community members than not hear from them at all.
I understand our community. I volunteer my time on the Board of Directors for the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, as a youth football coach and elder at Highlands Community Church. I love our school district. I have two sons at Kermit King and the high school. The decisions I will make on the school board will affect my family personally. I will always work for the best interest of our students first
I understand our community. I volunteer my time on the Board of Directors for the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, as a youth football coach and elder at Highlands Community Church. I love our school district. I have two sons at Kermit King and the high school. The decisions I will make on the school board will affect my family personally. I will always work for the best interest of our students first
Why did he decide to run?I was asked to run by community leaders like Dee Lacey and Joel Peterson, because of my experience and values. I want to ensure that the decisions made by the school board are focused on what is best for our students. I want to raise the level of public discourse about the district and enhance public trust by improving communication, so that we can develop solutions together.
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How will he respond to COVID-19 as a member of the School Board?I want to get students back in the classroom as soon as it is safe and I think that we need to prioritize returning students based on need. We need to ensure that we have safety protocols in place to keep students from contracting the virus and add more resources to our student success team to ensure that students who have had a harder time in distance learning are able to catch up. Finally, it is critical that all of our decisions related to reopening are based on the latest scientific understanding of how the virus is spread and informed by the experience of other cities that have already opened schools.
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Beyond what I have written for work, I want to leave you with this thought. My campaign isn't about me and what I want. While it is my name on the ballot, my campaign like every campaign, is about an understanding of our community as it is and of what it can be. My campaign is about the values of those who support me. Paso Robles is a special community of people who care and are willing to put their time and money where their mouth is. Together we can overcome any hardship and accomplish any goal. We will decide what is best for our students and they will be successful. We will build amazing facilities and prepare our students for the challenges of tomorrow. We will innovate and empower a new generation of innovators. We will raise the level of public discourse and make room for everyone to have a voice. We will do these things, because this is the legacy we inherit as Roblans and we know no other way.