Diane-Why I am Running for the School Board

In every decision that is made there is a moral and ethical component
& consequence.  Each of us has a moral and ethical map by which we
navigate our lives. I must follow mine.  I decided when I retired that I
would stay out of the school’s business and give the new
superintendent/principal advice only if I was asked.  I did this for
3 years.  During that time, I received numerous calls regarding the
school and problems that parents, students, and staff were having. 

My response was always the same: There is a process for problem
solving at the school. The law requires and it is the duty of the
Superintendent/Principal to explain this process at the beginning
of each school year by sending out the complaint form and the
information on the complaint procedure to all parents. There
is also a board policy which explains all of these procedures.

Inconsistent, arbitrary and capricious decisions have been made
concerning following board policy and the special education
processes.  People have become frustrated, they feel that they are
not being listened to and feel that their issues are being dismissed. 
At each board meeting, the law requires the district to notify the
board, the number of complaints the district has received each month.
Each month at every board meeting the answer is always the same;
no complaints have been received this month. Yet there was one
entire board meeting held concerning complaints.  At this

meeting, even one knowledgeable ex-board member, was there to
support the parents and staff concerning their complaints. These
people were mostly Sunol parents.

The people at this meeting were dismissed as trouble makers. This
concerns me greatly.

Special education formal timelines and processes have not been
followed.  For example, I can state from my personal experience:
My family requested formally, via letter, that special education
testing be performed on a child in our immediate family.   This
formal request was ignored and nothing was done.  We moved the
child to another school district, as other Sunolian have done, for
various reasons.  Should this be the  ultimate solution to Sunolian
concerns?

Eleven devoted, dedicated, valued, long time employees were either
fired, encouraged to leave, or could not work for this
Superintendent/Principal.  I began to understand the depth of the
problem.  I was told by one ex-board member recently, “Molly made
the hard decisions and I respect her for that.”  Are we saying all of
these hard working 11 veteran employees, who gave their lives, love
and devotion to Sunol Glen for countless years, should be fired or be
encouraged to leave our school?  If names were named you could be
the judge.  Four  of these employees are Sunol residents.  We now only
have 3 Sunol employees left to give a community prospective to
our school.  Gone are the mentors for our great new teachers.

Following process:  I, too, have made my concerns known to
teachers, the Superintendent/Principal, and to  the 2 elected
board members.  I, too, feel, I have been dismissed and labeled
a trouble maker.

I am running for the board not to be the Supt/Principal and not
to run the daily operations of the school.   I am running to see that
board policies and Special Education mandates are consistently
kept, that all legal requirements are met to save the school from
lawsuits and to monitor budgetary issues to keep the school solvent.   
I am running to be a voice on the board for
1) all students included in all:  are special education & gifted students
2) to keep promises made to our community for our community center

3) to enhance and complement the many innovative and great programs
that are going on at Sunol Glen and
4) to support our great staff.