UPDATED – Los Altos School District Candidates – an Un-Endorsement Choice Matrix

 

UPDATE: Oct. 25. Candidate Vladamir Ivanovich dropped out of the race about a week ago.

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It’s about two weeks since the key endorsements went out for Los Altos School District candidates. Los Altos Town Crier chooses Pablo Luther and Amanda Burke-Aaronson, apparently for their empathy, affability and other soft skills. [ Yet Pablo is a Finance Guy.] The partisans behind the mantle of the new Huttlinger Organization choose Pablo Luther and Steven Taglio, apparently for their ability to prop up and not stray from the LASD policies, which are cast in stone.

UPDATED OCT. 13 — And new this past week I have seen key figures in the LASD PTA and IEPTA promoting and hosting coffees – where not all 4 candidates are present. Also some are forwarding political advocacy email from LASDVoices…sometimes signing with their PTA or IEPTA title. Some of these ladies are skirting on the edge of propriety and threatening their 5o3c non-profit status through advocacy. Sigh, I can remember when us PTA ladies just volunteered for traffic control or to renew the plantings at the schools. Now they are managers of political cells. Kvetch, kvetch, what a world. UPDATE: OCT 25: The Town Crier ran a story, “Parent leaders walk fine line between endorsements, sharing info.”   Yes, yes, It was an accident, and maybe they were a little sloppy.

 

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ORIGINAL

I don’t know about you, but I’m not keen on endorsements and hate to be told what to think. So Lalahpolitico had a better idea and made an “objective” matrix. Three of the four candidates told me they thought my initial matrix portrayed them and their competitors fairly. They thanked me. I have a few made minor tweaks since then.

I believe I have fairly summarized in the matrix below what I heard candidates say during the two forums. Three of the four candidates said the matrix is fair. (One gave no feedback.)  If you don’t like most of their positions, skills, attitudes, or style, don’t vote for them.

Based on the video and transcript of the LWV Forum on Sept. 17, and the one on Sept. 30.  I believe I have fairly summarized what I heard candidates say into  a tidy matrix.  If you don’t like most of their positions, skills, attitudes, or style, don’t vote for them.  You can assign you own personal weights to what is most important to you.  There are a couple of questions some of the candidates have still left unanswered.  This matrix has been updated once – here.  Additional corrections, clarifications, elucidations from candidates and the community are welcome. nschroder@losaltospolitico.com

YOUR CHOICE MATRIX

[Oct.15-Corrected Typo:Amanda Burke-Aaronson is the candidate who will Yes,recuse on BCS Votes]

Key:

meh! = not particularly

na = not available

CACF = Citizens Advisory Committee for Finance & Facilities

grade reconfiguration = k to 6, 7-8 vs. k-5, 6-8 vs. k-8, others are possible

Max enrollment = LASD apparently has a policy capping at 500 students per school

life expectancy of BCS= do they think BCS should persist, can persist, will persist

establishment endorsement = if former superintendents, board members, PTA presidents, etc. endorse you…or a major local newspaper

 

 

The below is for the Googlebot… to index this page

		Steven Taglio, appointed incumbent		Pablo Luther, CACF		Amanda Burke Aaronson		Valdimir Ivanovic, CACF
need 10th site		YES		YES		not necessarily		not necessarily
magnet programs		YES		YES		YES		YES
magnet school		NO		Maybe		YES		YES
Financial saavy		meh!		YES, CACF Committee,  is CFO type		meh!		YES,CACF Committee, techie, self-taught
Pension reform urgency		No		No		No		Yes
Opinion of LASD current financial position		rosy		comfortable		gaps could be made up with volunteers		sense of urgency- we have a structural deficit
will close a school		No		No		let the community decide		No
keep neighborhool school model		YES, absolutely the best		YES		Yes, but let the community decide how much		Yes, but with magnets in some form
Hillview an option		Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes
Give up on eminent domain on Hillview		na		na		yes, perhaps		na
willingness to do grade re configuration		somewhat		somewhat		somewhat, let the community decide		YES
Loading – open to reforming current max enrollment per school “policy”		No		somewhat		YES		YES
Life expectancy of BCS		limited		4 1/2 to 5 years		enduring		needs to “behave” like a magnet school
Kahn Academy		Good way to do blended learning in math		Good, but need high touch augmented by technology		Amazing. A way to do individualized learning		Thumbs down. Fewer screens. Teaching should be personal
LASD and other ” Establishment” endorsements		Los Altos School District endorsements like Huttlinger, PTA members, LASDVoices		Los Altos School District endorsements like Huttlinger, LASDVoices, PTA members / Also Town Crier		Community endorsements …Town Crier		None, a point of pride
Donors		himself		himself, but seeking public donations		Can’t afford herself, see Form 503 for her over $99 donors		himself
lives within 500 feet of a LASD school site boundary		No		No		No		No
Recusal for discussion of BCS		No		No		No		No
Recusal for votes on BCS		No		No		Yes		No
style		stay the course we’re on,usually a “go along” guy on the board		maintain, but evolve, “plays nice with board”		listening, healing		questioning, challenging authority
children		now at Covington		started private, then LASD, youngest now at MV High		were at Santa Rita, Now BCS		now at Bullis-Gardner
Extended family, living or decesased,  was or is involved in the education sector or supplying the education sector		YES		?		grandmother teacher-principal, borther teacher – administrator		?
Extended family, living or decesased,  was or is involved with an education union in any state of the USA		?		?		While brother was a teacher, he was unionized		?
residence		City of Los Altos		City of Los Altos		City of Mountain View		City of Los Altos
employment		VP of Marketing, Education software company		financial executive, real estate investor		neo-natal nurse, prof at USF		retired – software development mgr.
**Readers asked me to add ethnicity. I don’t approve but have added it		American		American –          born in India, named after Picasso. Luther is a common Indian surname.		American		American