by Mark Powell
I am a lifelong San Diegan who attended San Diego Unified schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, graduating from Madison High School in 1979. Now, I am the proud father of two daughters who attend the neighborhood elementary school in University City, where my wife and I live. It is time for Efficient Change, and Effective Competent Leadership within San Diego City Schools. Now is the time for new leaders who will foster a forum that promotes the sharing of creative and “sensible ideas” to meet the immense challenges in educating our children. To learn more about me please log onto my campaign website www.markpowellforschoolboard.com and thank you for the outpour of support I have received.
Comments 19
Thank you for taking on this challenge and giving parents, taxpayers, and
educators a rallying point for much-needed Reforms. Your endorsement by
legandary School Board member John de Beck (1990-2010) speaks well for
your character.
Mark,
You may be a great candidate; I hope so, but don’t take the “outpouring of support” too seriously. If you are a Republican taking on an incumbent Democrat and you have a pulse, you will get all the support you can ever want on this site.
I am relieved we have a viable choice!
Wow, what a resume! I hope all of the conservatives (and maybe Alger) will rally behind you and help you with your election! It’s wonderful that you want to help the community. Thanks Mark!
Earth-to-Alger hotline:
John deBeck is a Democrat, elected to the SD city school Board 5 times
….and he now endorses Mark Powell for SD City Schools, District A.
Having dealt with DeBeck, I thought he was pretty fair and open minded to the problems facing the district. He was probably the more conservative one on the board during his time. I don’t believe that Mark is shooting himself by getting DeBeck’s endorsement, in fact, it probably helps him.
Jim,
What does deBeck’s endorsement of Powell have to do with my contention that the users of this site support any Republican who runs against an incumbent Democrat?
Mark Powell is a modern “Horartio Alger” inspirational story of success and hard work.
Inexplicably, Rostra’s “Alger” could not wait to minimize Mr. Powell’s prospects with sarcasm. There is food for thought in that.
Jim,
I actually said that I hope Powell is a great candidate. I do not know much about the man and I doubt many others on this site do either. What they know is that he is a registered Republican and he is a running against an incumbent who is a registered Democrat. I was simply pointing out that those facts and those facts alone are enough to gain him enthusiastic support on his site. I definitely was not minimizing Mr. Powell in any way. On the other hand, those who fall in love with a candidate simply because of party registration…
By the way, you didn’t answer my question.
Alger, I doubt he “will get all the support you can ever want on this site.” What if he specifically says “Hey, Alger I’d like your support.”
Maybe you’d support him. Maybe you wouldn’t. Just like any other candidate – partisan or non-partisan – he has to earn our support,
I agree that a majority of readers/contributors on this site probably are philosophically aligned with Powell, and therefore will lean toward supporting him. And if they don’t maybe he’ll stomp his feet and leave the GOP.
D7,
I may indeed support Powell. I read much of his website and I am impressed with his background. I look forward to learning more about him. Unlike many on this site, I do support candidates I think will do the best job regardless of their party registration.
I thank all of you for your support. I am an advocate for teachers, parents and administrators, but will always make my decisions based on what it best for our students.
Mark,
I agree with you 100% that we need to put the focus back on what is best for the students. I have long complained that we are too worried about making things better or more convenient for the adults while shortchanging the people that the schools were created for in the first place.
Can you share any specific ideas on what you would do to help enhance student learning?
I found a news article published on July 26th 2010, by 10News that stated, “…school district has created a new $85,000 job, and may be giving it to someone who worked on a school board member’s campaign…posted right next to the action item on the board’s agenda was the resume of Carol Hunter and a contract for the coordinator position with her name on it.” Carol Hunter is Democratic incumbent John Lee Evan’s campaign manager. This item was brought to the board in the middle of summer, July 27th 2010 when schools and teachers are on summer break. Take a look at the article and I am sure you can connect the dots. http://www.10news.com/news/24402482/detail.html
Mark,
Now that I know that you are still following this blog, can you please answer the question I posed on April 19th which was…
Can you share any specific ideas on what you would do to help enhance student learning?
Hello Alger,
Since, I am basing my campaign on “No Hollow Promises…Just Common-Sense Result!” I needed to make sure my first year goals as a board member would not over promise and under deliver. I have set realistic goals and strive to over deliver. My first year goals are all designed to address student learning and to keep schools safe.
1. Ineffective Teachers: Negotiate with the teachers union to implement a uniform teacher evaluation system. (I have several working teacher evaluations models that are being used in other districts throughout the country. These models have been hashed out between the unions and the districts already and could easily be implanted in SDUSD)
2. Budget Concerns: Responsibly negotiate teacher contracts and eliminate non-essential positions or programs. (Review all existing contracts to make sure they are competitive with the open market)
3. Class Size: Hire back as many teachers as possible and create part-time and full-time teacher assistant positions. (It appears that class sizes will increase, because the current board did not have the foresight to predict that the state is bankrupt. There were absolutely no economic indicators that the state was going to receive a ton of money over the last 4 years. In fact, all economic indications, such as unemployment rate, gas prices, real estate, etc. indicated that the state was going to lose millions in funding, yet the incumbent still promised the teachers a 7.2% raise…unbelievable. Teachers will need help. The most cost effective way to bring down the Teacher/Student ratio is to hire teacher assistants from local teacher credentialing programs. I had a TA when I was a teacher and although she was only paid a fraction of what a teacher was paid, her value was worth her weight in gold)
4. Vocational Training For Students: Create a partnership with local businesses and implement a comprehensive internship program. (I will be instrumental in creating a business/city government/school partnership. Since I am a business owner and former school administrator/teacher/dean of students and I can speak from a knowledge based position with other business owners. Local businesses know what they are looking for in an employee and it is the duty of the school to prepare students academically for future jobs)
5. Bullying/School Violence: Acts of bullying or school violence must be addressed by the schools administration as a top priority. Acts of bullying or school violence at the secondary level will also be addressed by school police. (School policies regarding discipline/violence on campus, will need to be reviewed and students who bully other students on or off campus at the middle and high school level will be dealt with by the school police and the Juvenile Court System. Parents of elementary students who bully will be held accountable for their children’s behavior as well as the student. Dress codes will be reviewed and enforced uniformly throughout the district)
6. Excessive Testing/Report Cards: Stop “teaching to the test” and implement a report card system that parents, teachers and students understand. (By implementing a uniformed teacher evaluation system, test scores will not be the sole criteria for teacher evaluations and will free teachers to teach…..not just to the test. Report cards will reflect a student’s academic achievement, positive or negative, in a way that is clearly understood by parents)
Thank you for taking the time to ready this. Mark
Mark,
You have obviously given this quite a bit of thought and for that, you deserve credit. Not only that, but you have some good ideas that have not received much attention. I especially hope that your idea about hiring teaching assistants gains traction. That seems like a very sensible solution to increased class sizes.
I am most intrigued by your proposal for teacher evaluations. I think it is obvious that teachers’ performance, like everyone else’s, should be judged. The question has always been how. Would you be able to share the evaluation models you referred to?
Hello Alger, I will share various and established teacher evaluation models by bringing them forward to the other board members, teachers and the even the union for review and consideration. These teacher evaluation models are out there and from what I have seen they work, and work well. It seems to me that the current board member spends a lot of time trying to undo poor decisions and the board has lost its focus…educating students. I will always support parents, teachers and administrators, but will base all of my decisions on what is best for students. Thank you for your encouragement and support! Mark
Mark – take a look at the PTIP process in Poway for teacher evaluation and intervention. It is really good, makes sense, and seems to work really really well.