Councilmember

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Councilmember

SEATS AVAILABLE: 1

Councilmember

SEATS AVAILABLE: 1

Councilmember

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Mayor

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Governing Board Member

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Dave Markov

District: Palmdale
Position Seeking: Governing Board Member

Question 1: Please share a meaningful experience you had with art (visual, dance, drama, music, media arts) while growing up.

Taking part in drama in high school was a life-changing experience. Getting on stage, in front of people, gave me new confidence that has played an important role in my life. That type of experience is valuable whether you pursue the stage or go to work in an office — we all have to communicate one way or another.

Question 2: What kind of creative solutions would you suggest to support student outcomes such as English language development, closing the achievement gap, and preparation for college and/or meaningful careers?

We have to give kids good stories — stories that encourage them to reach their potential. We need to use our reading time as an opportunity to build student character. Stories reach both the heart and the mind.

And we need to show tough love to all the stakeholders — teachers, administrators and parents (of which I am one). We need to double down on our commitment to the kids. It’s only with that commitment that the kids have a chance to succeed.

Question 3: What do you think should be the role of the School Board in ensuring that students have access to a broad range of study?

The board is there to serve the parents and the students. Too often, school boards forget that. The board needs to have the same perspective as the parents: test scores are important — but success in life (job and family) is more important. And part of that success comes in giving learners a broad range of study. If school boards keep a parents’-eye-view of learning, they’ll make sure students have access to a broad range of study.

Question 4: In light of the Local Control Funding Formula and development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), what are your creative solutions for achieving goals in the eight priority areas?

You change student lives when you change the stories they hear. That’s the first step — change the students with empowering stories.

Then you do the same thing for the parents. Share stories with them of student success so they can see the possibility.

And then you add commitment to those new visions. You get teachers, parents and students to double down on their commitment to student success.

None of this is easy — but success is not easy. But it boils down to building the solid foundation shown above. With that foundation, great things are possible.

Sharon Vega

District: Palmdale
Position Seeking: Governing Board Member

Question 1: Please share a meaningful experience you had with art (visual, dance, drama, music, media arts) while growing up.

In Junior High I reluctantly took ceramics class and before long I looked forward to ceramics. Art had always been stressful and even though I followed directions my art looked like it was done by a 5 year old. In ceramics I followed directions, learned and follow basic design principals and was very successful. My successful experience in ceramics gave me desire and confidence to take additional art type classes like Interior Design , Costume, and Clothing Design.

Question 2: What kind of creative solutions would you suggest to support student outcomes such as English language development, closing the achievement gap, and preparation for college and/or meaningful careers?

Hands on elective/exploratory classes support positive student outcomes for the above groups. Attendance for students in my Home Economics classes was higher than other classes and low achieving students often have attendance issues. In Home Economics we worked on math, reading directions, vocabulary and science in a different format making it easier and more tangible for low achieving and ELD students. Exploratory classes give students the opportunity to explore careers and interests so they can prepare for college or career training.

Question 3: What do you think should be the role of the School Board in ensuring that students have access to a broad range of study?

The School Board needs to make a broad range of study a priority. School Boards may need to think outside the box to make this happen. When I retired in June Home Economics was no longer offered at Cactus Intermediate do to declining student enrollment. My suggestion when I left was to have the Art and Home Economics teachers share schools by splitting days or semester—-this didn’t happened. I am currently teaching after school Home Economics as a volunteer and at this time I have one class and waiting list. AS a School Board member this will be a priority.

Question 4: In light of the Local Control Funding Formula and development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), what are your creative solutions for achieving goals in the eight priority areas?

In order to achieve the LCAP goals all stakeholders need to own the goals. If parents, students, classified staff, administrators and teachers don’t support the plan the goals will be hard to achieve. LCAP is a new way budgeting and prioritize educational activities and we all need to greet it with and open mind.

VaJezatha Payne

District: Palmdale
Position Seeking: Governing Board Member

Question 1: Please share a meaningful experience you had with art (visual, dance, drama, music, media arts) while growing up.

I participated in singing at school and church as a child. I attended Cornell University and sang in the Pamoja-in gospel choir, and currently, I am a Sweet Adeline of the Antelope Valley Showcase Chorus. The power of music has proven to be a stabilizing force in my life. My desire is that children learn music and other arts in school, as it will provide a lifelong benefit.

Question 2: What kind of creative solutions would you suggest to support student outcomes such as English language development, closing the achievement gap, and preparation for college and/or meaningful careers?

To create and strengthen the bridge between parent-teacher, teacher-administration and community school. I suggest that relevant issues such as bullying, obesity, and the achievement gap be used as topics of dialogue in the homes, schools and community, as these are non-conflict goals that we all can agree on, thus providing a common ground on which to build.

Question 3: What do you think should be the role of the School Board in ensuring that students have access to a broad range of study?

The school board should be pivotal in connecting the Palmdale School District to California and the world. There are a myriad of intersecting curriculums, i.e. outdoor classrooms, college preparatory, vocational, early childhood and bi-lingual mastery for all students, foreign exchange programs from emails to travel that will expose our children to a world that permits them to become universal students ‘from the desert’ of Palmdale.

Question 4: In light of the Local Control Funding Formula and development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), what are your creative solutions for achieving goals in the eight priority areas?

The LCAPs priority areas have been categorized into 3 groups Engagement-it is my goal to normalize parental involvement in student learning via effective methodologies that allow parents to participate verify and validate the learning progress for student and less disciplinary problems and for Pupil Outcome-Equity versus Equality is the key here by providing to the needs of students versus a one size fits all will allow for overall success And Improved Conditions of Learning-at all schools that should begin with more teacher involvement in funding matters with a focus on equity versus equality at district schools.