Kanwaljeet Gill

Why are you running for school board? I went to LUSD schools and I currently have children attending Millswood Middle School and Vinewood Elementary School, so I have a vested interest in advocating policies and curriculum which is in the best interest of the students. I was born in India and speak Punjabi, Hindi and some Urdu, so my presence would bring a diversification of viewpoints and thoughts to the Board. Since I am not coming from a traditional educator background, I would bring a different perspective to the Board. Most important of all, I know the children are the most important part of the equation and I would act in the best interest of the school children.

Why are you the best candidate for the seat? Because my kids are currently enrolled in LUSD schools, I have skin in the game. Just as I expect consistent high performance from my children, I would advocate policies that hold kids to higher expectations and to do better than “just pass.” Habits ingrained in school help kids develop into contributing members of their community instead of becoming a liability to the public.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish? Nothing would please me more than to see kids performing above their preconceived limits. A student’s pliable mind, with some help from home and the hard work of the teachers can build a solid foundation on which kids can build to become upstanding and contributing adults in their communities.

What role should a school district serve and how would you measure success? The school district serves as a platform which imparts knowledge and some sort of moral compass to young, budding minds. Success is not always measured by grades and scores. If a student is the first in their family to graduate from high school, that’s a form of success. If an astray child is brought back to the correct path by a counselor or teacher who took time to listen and make the child feel relevant, that’s success.

How can Lodi Unified School District better serve the community? Since my daughter joined kindergarten in 2011, I’ve seen two kinds of parents: involved and uninvolved. For the most part, the kids who perform well, have parents who are involved in their schooling. Teachers need parental support, because they’re usually outnumbered 30:1 and really can’t give your child the attention level needed. Parental support plays a very important role in the child’s consistency in high achievement.

In what areas has Lodi Unified School District improved recently? Budget wise, the district is in much better shape than when my daughter started in 2011. There have been been some facility improvements, due to some measures being approved. There are plans for overhaul at Lodi High and a new elementary school that I am aware of.

How would you promote further improvement? Just as a squirrel stocks away supplies for winter, I feel the district should set aside some funds for rainy days. I would advocate fiscally responsible plans which allow building of new schools and to lower the teacher:student ratio.

What concerns you about Lodi Unified School District? With all the new homes being built in Lodi, I am really concerned about a lack of foresight by city administrators about how it will burden the already stretched school district. You can’t go to Costco and buy a new school, it takes years of planning and building to have a school ready. I see about another 600-700 new homes coming up in addition to the already 600 or more built in last two years, but I don’t see any new schools being built.

How would you address these concerns? As a board member, it’s one of the first things I would bring up, “Where are the new schools?” Most schools already have 30 kids for a classroom and the saturation will only get worse unless new schools are built to handle the waves of new students coming in.

Who’s a leader you admire and why? There are a few who I could list, but what (University of Alabama football coach) Nick Saban has accomplished in the last 10 years is noteworthy and unlikely to be replicated anytime soon, if ever. His self-discipline sets the tone, the whole department buys into his message, and his constant fear of failure keeps him dominating college football like no one in history. He’s led Alabama to five national championships in football in the last nine years and shows no signs of slowing down. He breaks down everything into small steps and preaches about doing the little things right. Take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves. Your thoughts on:

School safety/security

In these current times, it’s sad to think that security at a school should be paramount. Unfortunately, that point is brought home on a regular basis via breaking news and new student orientation at Millswood Middle School when the principal said her most important job is to make sure the kids get back home safely every day and teachers/staff return home to their families safely.

Student work/life balance I don’t think this is an issue. I’ve never seen my kids get homework to the point where they’re up late and unable to participate in any other activities. My kids are able to consistently perform well in school and participate in sports along with competitive sports. I’ve seen students from Elkhorn School doing many hours of nightly homework, but they signed up for that.

Low-enrollment schools Students need to be spread out and open enrollment needs to stop. It’s not right when one school has 20 kids per class while another is 30 per class. Some parents enroll kids in other schools because “they are better” but a high student:teacher ratio doesn’t help anyone.

Charter schools If you want your kid to have a non-public school education, then send them to private schools. I am not in favor of tax dollars being siphoned to teach someone else’s agenda. Those tax dollars can help public schools.

Trade schools/skills For those students that have no aspirations beyond high school due to socioeconomics or motivation, it’s not a bad idea to train them so they can start earning a decent living and not becoming a burden to society. If they can find gainful employment, they’re less likely to be a liability to their community.

Technology in education These days, almost everything has a technological component. Diabetics can monitor blood sugar without painful finger sticks. Bosses can track their employees on the delivery route and tell the customer what time to expect the widget. Teachers can share classwork online so a student visiting family overseas can keep up with the curriculum. It’s important students learn the basics of technology so they can be up to speed and use technology to enhance their learning experience. I have no doubt that some current students can be innovators in their fields and we’ll read about them in the near future.

School start times I realize the importance of a good night’s sleep. Proper rest can prevent a lot of health issues, like high blood pressure, heart burn, grinding of the teeth, and headaches to name a few. But I don’t think the lack of sleep is coming for early school times. Most often, the culprit is late bed times, especially with the omnipresence of these tablets and smartphones. Turn off the device and get to bed on time — your body will thank you.

Teacher tenure/retention This is tricky.Yes, teachers should enjoy job security that comes with teaching and allow them to focus on the job instead of looking over their shoulders all the time. However, there are some bad apples that spoil the lot and some teachers do tune out once they get that coveted tenure. There should be some sort of agreement that addresses issues that arise, but there is no recourse because of tenure.

Local Control and Accountability Plan It’s a good concept, but sometimes theoretical doesn’t conform to real world application. I haven’t seen enough as an outsider to opine on it at this time.

School discipline It’s depends which way you’re using the word “discipline.” One definition is “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.” Another definition is “orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior.” The former doesn’t always work, it works on those who have something to lose and doesn’t do a thing for those who have nothing to lose. Having an environment which is conducive to the latter is far more effective.

Taxpayer accountability Taxpayers provide the funds for the school district, through property taxes and/or surplus funds from the state. So the district is obligated to be accountable to the public. Whoever signs the check has a right to know what’s being done with the money. The district should be transparent with their budget.

Standardized testing Some sort of testing is required to measure how well the students have grasped the concepts they were taught during the prescribed period.Yes, some students are not good test takers and their scores do not always reflect their mastery of the subject. However, for the most part, standardized tests do a decent job of reflecting how a group of students did during a school year or over the prescribed time.