Elect David Cohen - Berryessa Union School District Board of Trustees

On October 11, the six candidates faced off in a candidate forum sponsored by the Berryessa Citizens Advisory Committee. Watch it here. The forum clearly shows how David Cohen has the knowledge and experience to guide the district to greater levels of achievement.

I am a product of public education and hold a PhD from UC Berkeley. As the father two young children, I have observed how much kids love learning new things, and our system needs to harness that enthusiasm. My daughter is in second grade at Noble Elementary School in the Berryessa School District. I work hard to ensure that she and her brother, who will be attending the district next year, have a broad range of opportunities and all the support that they need to be successful. I believe that to have a strong school district, it is important to pursue the following goals.

Make sure that testing requirements do not excuse us from finding creative ways to guarantee the success of each child in our diverse student body.
Teachers must be properly rewarded and compensated for their crucial work.
Schools must have courses in art, industrial arts, and music, so that every student will have an opportunity to excel.
Strong counseling programs are needed so that children at all capability levels will be properly supported.

Unfortunately, difficult budgetary times have made it very hard to do more than focus on survival and have made it challenging to expand anything traditionally viewed as extras in the schools. During my 4 years on the Berryessa School Board, our district's students have achieved great successes. District scores are up and 11 of our 13 schools are now scoring above 800 on statewide testing. Three more schools have received prestigious Distinguished Schools Designation. This was done while budgets have been cut. I have made sure that the needs of our students are always foremost in our minds as difficult choices are made.

It is important that our school board works well together and also serves as a strong, independent body, asking tough questions and demanding accountability from school administration. The current members of the Board have shown their faith in me by electing me to two consecutive terms as Board President. During these difficult fiscal times, steady leadership is essential in order to set and follow through on the most important priorities for our children.

I spearheaded the expansion of local financial support for our district by leading the effort to pass a local Parcel Tax (Measure W), which was supported by over 72% of our community in 2008.

I am proud to be supported by our community's local leaders, including Mayor Reed, Councilman Chu, Supervisor Cortese, and Congressman Honda. These role models recognize the dedication that I have toward the children of Berryessa and also appreciate the fiscal responsibility that I push for as we try to get the most we can out of our education dollars.

I am also supported by a broad cross section of educators in the district, including elementary and middle school teachers, principals, counselors, and staff. They have seen how much I strive to truly understand their day to day challenges as I help guide the district forward. I am proud that so many other community leaders, parents, and neighbors support my efforts. See my complete list of endorsements.


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