Elect King, Ortiz and Rossi to county education board

Years ago, the Santa Clara County Office of Education was widely regarded as one of the best in California. But beginning in 2008, chaos reigned in the county office for the better part of a decade. Four consecutive superintendents left the office in conflicts with the county board of education.

But the board and the office have turned a corner.The new superintendent, Mary Ann Dewan, selected in February, has shown strong leadership on a wide range of issues, including, for example, taking over the finances of the troubled Alum Rock Union School District with the board’s full support.

It’s imperative that the board build on the momentum.

Six candidates are running for the three contested seats on the county board. We recommend firstterm appointee Kathleen King in Trustee Area 2, Peter Ortiz in Trustee Area 6 and incumbent Claudia Rossi in Trustee Area 7.

The outcome of the election is important. The county Office of Education plays a major role serving the county’s 31 school districts and 273,000 public school students. It provides accounting, payroll, technology and training, and oversees school district’s budget and education plans. The board can grant charters and is the court of appeal when a local district turns one down. It also oversees Head Start, state-funded preschool and programs for troubled youth.

Trustee Area 2

King, a former Saratoga City Councilwoman, brings a unique perspective to the board. As the CEO of the Healthier Kids Foundation since 2008, she has insights into students’ needs because her non-profit organization conducts health screenings of children at public schools throughout the county.

King has been a calming influence on the board since being appointed to fill the position created by Trustee Michael Chang’s resignation in December for personal reasons. The same can’t be said about her opponent, Cupertino City Councilman Barry Chang, who has a history of being divisive.

Voters should be reminded that Chang’s antics while on the Cupertino City Council caused Santa Clara County Executive Jeff Smith to write a letter accusing him of threatening county employees and telling a planner he would “come after him.” Chang did not respond to an invitation to meet with our editorial board.

Trustee Area 6

Ortiz has experience working on behalf of children as the manager of public policy and government affairs for Year Up, a non-profit organization that provides young adults the skills, experience and support to build their careers. He has also served for the past two years on the Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District board.

He is a strong supporter of universal access to preschool, and intervention and restorative justice for at-risk students, an important issue for school districts throughout the county.

Ortiz’ opponent, Kiara Kassandra, did not attend our editorial board interview and has not been running a serious campaign.

Trustee Area 7

The Area 7 race, consisting largely of Morgan Hill voters, should be the most challenging for voters. Rossi gets the edge over her opponent, Morgan Hill School District Trustee Gino Borgioli, for her commitment to helping at-risk children in the county.

Rossi knows that nearly 2,500 students drop out of schools in the county every year and has been a strong advocate for the creation of the Opportunity Youth Academy — the effort to bring kids who have not earned a high school diploma back into schools. Rossi has also displayed good listening skills and an open mind when it comes to evaluating charter schools.