issues

Here's what Arianna has to say on several key issues affecting OUSD...

Fiscal Responsibility "Like most school districts across the state, the Orange Unified School District will be facing some tough decisions in the next few years. Accountability is fundamental but our choices must be balanced against the needs of our students. I believe that each measure we take must be carefully analyzed to ensure that short-term cost cutting does not impact our long-term goals for student achievement."

Student Achievement "Our top priority must be high academic achievement. Great strides have been made to improve student test scores in recent years but there is more work to be done. There is also a need to stretch ourselves beyond one-size-fits-all programs and allow for innovative teaching to help our students."

Budget Oversight "The current OUSD budget was created with assumptions based on the State budget revisions from May.  Clearly those figures are unrealistic given the State's current budget crisis and districts across California have been told to expect the outlook to be grim come December when the next revised budget is released from Sacramento.  What does that mean?  The new OUSD Board will need to begin work immediately to revise its budgets accordingly - and cuts may be inevitable.  But where and how much? These are questions we all have a stake in and the community should be well informed and asked to participate in public forums -  no voice should go unheard in these important matters.  It may not be easy to build consensus but this District deserves leaders who understand the importance of neogotiation, the business principles of the bottom line and community building.

School Safety "OUSD students and teachers deserve the safest possible environment in which to learn and teach.  I applaud the innovative use of Student Resource Officers in our schools because they represent the type of partnerships we need to encourage between our schools and the community.  As the only candidate to be supported by the City of Orange Police Officers I take that endorsement very seriously and will work diligently to imporve school safety and work with local law enforcement to find more ways to keep our kids and staff safe. At my own school I have been an advocate for online training of teachers and parents to assist adults in recognizing the dangers of online activity and help parents keep their kids away from predators.

Teacher Recruitment "How will we attract new teachers to OUSD? Our district has been blessed with hundreds of educators who have dedicated their entire teaching career to educating OUSD students. As they begin leaving the district after their decades of service, we must honor their legacy by encouraging the next generation of teachers to strive for even higher achievement at OUSD. Developing new pools of enthusiastic and promising educators must be a priority for the years ahead."

Technology "The 21st century student is here and we must keep pace. Technology has opened so many opportunities in education and we need to be at the forefront of both utilizing technology in the teaching process and in training students to be tech ready for the world around them. Computers, video production and other electronic programs are tools that educated students can use to propel their careers to the next level."

Check back often to see responses to Visitor Issues and updated core concepts.