JARED GAYNOR
Why are you running for school board?
I’m running because I believe I have an experienced voice that can be useful to elementary education in Galt, and I think my background can be useful as the school district continues to deal with the operational and budgetary fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the years to come.
Why are you the best candidate for the seat?
I believe I’m a strong candidate for the seat due to my experience in education and educational operations, and hope to bring that to bear to benefit students throughout the district.
If elected, what do you hope to accomplish?
I hope to assist the board and superintendent in navigating the next few years of more limited resources and the operational expansion necessary in our growing community.
How can Galt Elementary better serve the community?
I think Galt Joint Union already does a good job serving the children of the community; I simply hope to continue that tradition.
Your thoughts on:
Educational inequality: Educational inequality is real, and early inequality has a multiplying effect on future opportunities. Ensuring resources are allocated to give all students an equal opportunity to thrive should be a key metric for any educational board. Ultimately, students must work hard to succeed; the board’s members should support administration and teachers to ensure there are fewer artificial impediments to that success.
Student-teacher ratio: Aside from resourcing teachers effectively with best-practice curricular materials (books, technology, training, etc.), I believe the best way to increase student success is through smaller class sizes. Students are all different in their strengths and opportunities for growth, and helping teachers provide more individualized attention can have significant positive benefits.
Local Control and Accountability Plan expenditures/transparency: LCAP strategic planning and transparency is an important community tool to ensure funding in our public schools is being used to create the most significant positive impact on students. Having the plan be fully transparent is not only a compliance requirement, but allows for greater community dialogue in how resources support students in the community.
School safety/security: Student safety is obviously of paramount importance; after all, if a student is not/does not feel safe in their learning environment, they won’t be able to effectively learn, grow and thrive.
Technology in education: Technology in the classroom is no longer just of tangential benefit, but now must be a required facet of every curricular plan. Equipping teachers with the tools they need to teach, and students with the hardware and informational resources they need prepares them to continue to learn and grow into the future.
Charter schools: Charter schools are a fine choice of expansion of academic opportunity if they can effectively expand opportunity. Should a community have a need or desire for more focused academic preparation, so long as resources are not inequitably steered to charter schools, I think a charter-style education is beneficial to many types of students.
School discipline: School discipline should be focused on two goals; safety and growth. Obviously, any student actions that impair the safety of any students should be disciplined accordingly. Further, however, student discipline should be seen as teachable moments, helping students understand why some behavior is unacceptable, and helping the student grow from their actions and the impact on others.
Accountability to taxpayers: As public institutions, school boards and districts are accountable to the communities they serve. Transparent operational practices and open and honest discussion are paramount to ensure the district retains the trust and belief of the community.