Kudos to The Sierra Madre Rotary Club for hosting the only Sierra Madre candidate forum for the Pasadena Unified School District Seat #4 candidates, Bill Bibbiani, Gregor Edwards, and Cristine Soto, on Tuesday.  Rotary President Dan Alle called the meeting to order, and thanked Starbucks for providing coffee, and Wildflour Baking Co. for providing danishes, croissants and muffins.  He thanked the group who had pulled the forum together, with special thanks for Dr. Janice Nelson and Tammy Gates.  The forum was held using the format recommended by the League of Women Voters.  Dr. Janice Nelson was timekeeper, Rotary President-elect Rudy Hayek acted as runner to provide Moderator Rob Stockly with the question cards submitted by members of the audience.  Each candidate presented their opening statement, then questions from the audience, followed by a closing statement. 

Candidate Soto won the draw and spoke first, and informed the audience that she was an attorney in the Pasadena Juvenile Court with a brother who is a senior at PHS.  She said she became involved when she came home from school at Berkeley and found her brother's education lacking, stating that many of his teachers were satisfied as long as the students were in their seats and causing no disturbance.  She stated that while the PUSD is fortunate to have great potential to offer better than it does, it is struggling system wide.  She noted that while Sierra Madre School and Don Benito, for example, shine, she wonders why we can't replicate that in the other schools, which also have good teachers.   She stated that she has three main concerns - curriculum, parent involvement and community involvement.  She is for a consistent curriculum, so that any student leaving sixth grade at any elementary school can go to any seventh grade in the district and not be behind because of inconsistent curriculum.  Regarding parental involvement, she said that she sometimes jokes that PUSD seems to have a model of the 50s stay at home mom, which is not practical for this day and age.  And she noted that some portions of the community have traditionally left education to the educators, and that they need to be encouraged to become more involved in the education process.

Candidate Bibbiani went next and stated that he was running on his experience, his expertise, and his record.  He stated that he finds it difficult to run against unrealized hopes.  He supports keeping Sierra Madre students in Sierra Madre.  He cited his 30 years of experience in PUSD and his recent retirement, stating that his experience is needed immediately for crises facing PUSD, including budget cuts from the state.  He calls himself the architect of the District's Quality Schools Initiative.  He stated that he was unhappy when Superintendent Percy Clark imposed district wide curriculum, because a losing curriculum was imposed on schools that had been shining without it.  He stated that he feels that the district is heavy on bureaucracy, and that he trusts the schools, the teachers and the community that is involved with the school over administrators.  He stated that he is for autonomy, and enabling the schools and the teachers.  He noted that the best private schools are autonomous, not automatons.

Candidate Edwards spoke next, and stated that he is a full-service package.  He has been an educator, and worked in the private sector at JPL.  He stated that he is a team builder, and he wants the model schools to spread through the district.  He stated that for whatever reason, over the past 15 or 16 years the district has been neglected, and that the community must address the problem.  He stated that 3 of his four children had attended PUSD, and that he had had to negotiate with the district and that is not acceptable.  He said he has 3 initial priorities, first, order and purpose, a code of behavior.  He said that when you walk into a good school, you can feel that the principal, the teachers, and the students all know what is expected of them.  Second, parental and community involvement.  And third, he is for a comprehensive curriculum, emphasizing academics, and including vocations, technology and arts and sciences.

During the question and answer session, the candidates were asked how they felt about the possibility of Sierra Mesa as a secondary school here in Sierra Madre.  Soto noted that for that to happen, it's important that it takes place measuredly, that no one is left behind as the schools transition.  Edwards stated that he supports the concept of a secondary school at Sierra Mesa, and would want to look at the plan and how it would work.  Bibbiani noted that he supports the idea, and that it is important that the legacy of Sierra Madre in PUSD be continued.  When Sierra Madre entered PUSD, it brought two schools, and it should continue to have two schools in the district.

In closing Dr. Edwards noted again that he is a full-service candidate, accessible and involved, and noted that he is involved with focus groups and other boards pertinent to the district and education.  Bibbiani noted again that he is running on his experience, his expertise and his record, and that the schools need to do better.  Soto noted that the PUSD dropout rate is higher than the state and national averages, and that she hopes to be a part of making that change.

We have scanned in the literature provided by each of the candidates at the forum, for those who would like to know more about the candidates but were unable to make Tuesday's breakfast.  The links to their literature below are posted in alphabetical order.  Please note that in Ms. Soto's original printed literature, page 2 and 3 are continuous.  The photos below are in chronological order. 

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