Courtney Porter
Why are you running for school board? After spending 37 years as a Lodi Unified teacher and coach, I am eager to continue helping the kids and community of Lodi after my retirement by serving on the school board.
Why are you the best candidate for the seat? My educational career has included roles such as Science Department Chair, Lodi Education Association (LEA) Executive Board, aquatics director and head water polo coach at both Tokay and Lodi high schools. I have worked successfully with AP, Pre-AP, special needs students and a variety of children from diverse backgrounds. I bring to the board a unique wealth of knowledge about the innerworkings of our district both as a teacher and as a coach.
If elected, what do you hope to accomplish? I would like to see a clear line of communication to and from the LUSD Board to LUSD management and school sites. The Board works for the people and needs to hear their message. We need to make sure that schools are meeting the needs of all of the students in our community.
What role should a school district serve and how would you measure success? Every child that is enrolled in LUSD must have the tools necessary to be successful in a highly competitive world after high school. It is a serious responsibility, and we all need to do our best to prepare our future leaders, scholars, technical workers and community members.
How can Lodi Unified School District better serve the community? The schools are a vital aspect of our community. Each school should have a clear vision and purpose provided by the students, parents, teachers and community leaders. This vision and these goals provide the structure necessary for all students to be successful.
In what areas has Lodi Unified School District improved recently? Measure U is a positive step. LUSD needs to work toward getting more people involved in making Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) budget decisions. We need to ensure that parents and students are stakeholders in this important decision-making process within LUSD. The LCAP process must also include transparency from our district management on all decisions.
How would you promote further improvement? We need an open implementation with a periodic review from outside independent accountants of Measure U so fiscal accountability can be ensured. Also, a review of each department for efficiency and cost would be helpful.
Who’s a leader you admire and why? Winston Churchill. He was an inspiring, reassuring presence in a time of great apprehension and conflict.
Your thoughts on:
School safety/security We need to do more and improve on what we have.
Student work/life balance Extremely important that educators and parents allow for a healthy balance in a young adult’s life with school and positive outside activities.
Low-enrollment schools Depends on location.
Trade schools/skills I am a strong believer in more access for student’s vocational education. Lincoln Tech’s Career Technology Education (CTE) classes are an asset to our district.
Technology in education We need to stay nimble and current so our students have access to the latest technology as a tool for learning.
School start times Research shows that high school students would benefit from later start times, but a change to a later start would have to work harmoniously with athletics, after-school programs, bussing schedules and parent needs as well.
Teacher tenure/retention We must work within the contract and make sure it is properly enforced.
School discipline Students should be made aware of the rules and they should be enforced equally.
Taxpayer accountability Complete transparency on how all taxpayer money is being spent in an open and precise way.
Standardized testing It’s very important to know a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Testing allows educators a benchmark to accurately measure the needs of students. I believe standardize testing provides that but it must also carry accountability for students and give the teacher a snapshot to improve their educational techniques. Testing should inform but never overshadow good instruction.