They would have my vote.

Mine too!

They would both have my vote as well even though I do not believe in everything said I believe both are far more competent than anyone we have on the board currently and I would support them.

I would rather vote for you Rebecca. A person who seems concerned about the issues and willing to read and learn to make informed decisions.

I would vote for Stacey even if I don't agree with everything she says. She seems informed and analyzes things well.

I would not vote for Kathleen, though. She contradicts herself a lot, on one hand is against a parcel tax in PUSD and criticizes many items while on the other she enjoys the benefits of the parcel tax where she works (Palo Alto) and is OK with what that district does even though it is just as bad as what PUSD does. She also was in favor of extending the school day as if 6+ hours wasn't enough.

Rebecca, thanks for the chuckle. I already served as a PUSD board member. Perhaps you wouldike a turn?

Stacy has my vote, you know there is no contradiction. Financial responsibility has it's rewards. I look forward to the new governance team and being able to support their efforts to get the district back to a healthier position. I would love to see you step forward as well and to your suggestions, either in a run for office or out here.

Said this for a year, I have no intention of running. You can agree or not read or not, but the materials I post and that Stacey posts is informing the conversation, if you are so inclined. It's optional reading. Happy to read anything you may have to share.

Rebecca has a point, it would benefit the PUSD families to have citizens at the school board meetings who can speak up and discuss areas worth analyzing in depth at the meetings instead of just brain washed parents scared to death by the Alinsky tactics of the administration and union drones.

Go Stacey!

While I haven't always agreed with her, her posts are always well-thought-out and well-informed. She always takes the time to research the issues, and seem to be fair-handed and rational rather than emotional. She'd get my vote!

I will support Stacey and "Rat Turd". I can just see those campaign signs now!!! Well at the very least, they both live in the city unlike Mr. Kiernan.

Stacey has no children, so she would probably vote AGAINST the best interests of the children. No Way would I vote for her!

Because I would rather have a crazy person serve on the board than a woman with so much time to spend that she can troll around on a message board.

I may be a bit fuzzy on California election laws, but wouldn't Stacey have to give her real name for the ballot?

Could be a hindrance for her political career...

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]

Didn't the teachers union endorsed two of the board members but not Arkin?

Well, Arkin is the only one that makes sense and has some guts to do the right thing even if she is in the minority and therefore does not get much support from the rest.

So I guess whoever the teachers union endorses is the one we do NOT vote for.

Grant is a YES man and Hintzke is not that fiscally responsible and both were endorsed by the teachers union - go figure!

Also, your comment about Stacey is dumb. Of course any candidate running for the school board would have to use their real name.

Stacey would do better than any of the three yes men or Hintzke.

I wrote:

"Grant is a YES man and Hintzke is not that fiscally responsible and both were endorsed by the teachers union - go figure!"

meant to write:

"Grant is a YES man and Hintzke IN MY OPINION is not that fiscally responsible and both were endorsed by the teachers union - go figure!"

The statement is not dumb at all. I'm sure Stacey herself would agree that tranparency is a fundamental requirement of elected officials.

I'd add persuasive speaking skills, organizational leadership, a demonstrated level of achievement, and good character to the list of qualifications. Stacey may have these attributes, but I've seen no evidence (or even his/her real name.) Call me overly picky, but I'll pass until I find out a lot more.

Is Stacey knowledgeable? Perhaps. It's not enough. It's one thing to anonymously criticize our elected officials, dishing up platitudes without providing credible, actionable alternatives.

Of course, this is all hypothetical, assuming one of our resident Town Forum cranks wants to take it to the next level and run for office.

I am personally exploring the possibility of running. I would bring a rare combination of desirable skills, experience, and talent to the board. And the deepest humility.

Kelly's right ! And, YES Stacey and Kathleen have my vote.
It does seem the vocal parents are brainwashed by the union bosses, union teachers, in fact most in this process are puppets of the unions....that's how we're sitting here broke...for them it's ALL about money... which is NOT education. Look at the timelines as to WHEN the problems started in CA....it's NO coincidence the slide started 30 years ago when CA PUBLIC unions started (thanks to Gov Moonbeam). VERY plain,but some refuse to see the cause and the cost.

I don't know if Rebecca is trying to riducule Stacy and Kathleen for their comments or their time spent "on line", but I do know that they are both fairly well informed. Do they "have all the solutions"?...Probably not. Would they bring "fresh" thinking to the school board (something other than the parcel tax) PROBABLY SO! And that is what we need and that is why I would vote for them. Hell, I would vote for anyone with a fresh approach who could "think outside of the Box". A parcel tax will not fix the school districts problems, only LEADERSHIP can fix that and the time has come for NEW LEADERSHIP.

I certainly wouldn't vote for Stacey. While she may analyze things well, she has a very pompous and condescending attitude and is very quick to judge people. At times she seems more interested in pontificating than actually reading what other people say.

A reader:

I would not vote for you, aren't you the one who always finds a way to say parcel tax, parcel tax? And used San Ramon as an example of a great district that cares blah blah?

Read this:

Web Link

Looks like San Ramon was not forthcoming with its community. It led people to believe that the parcel thax would save CSR, and it did for only one year, because they have obviously now chosen to take that money, which was supposed to be for CSR and used it for something else. My guess? To finance items like step and column (look at their cuts, no mention of freezing raises but they are increasing class sizes to 28) - Before you say that is better than in PUSD: hey, at least we do not have to pay for a parcel tax, and both districts will not have the desired 20 per class, or even 22.

No to "a reader" for the board, and no to a parcel tax that would fix problems for a year or so and then the board would probably choose to use that money for raises (did you hear that they are using money from an art grant to go to the general fund fo whatever? Yes, in PUSD!

"I certainly wouldn't vote for Stacey. While she may analyze things well, she has a very pompous and condescending attitude and is very quick to judge people. At times she seems more interested in pontificating than actually reading what other people say."

At least she is not here to be popular and look good and make friends with the union. She actually speaks her mind, sounds smart, can look at things and actually think about them! What a concept! The three YES men who do whatever is asked of them even if financially does not make sense, could learn a lot from Stacey.

Stacey popular? Maybe not. Would she do a good job on the board? Absolutely, better than any of the clowns currently sitting there acting as if we have tons of money in revenue, acting as if they lived in lala land .

Becca, your sarcasm aside, this just might end up with both Stacy & Kathleen spending less time online raising your blood pressure because that is probably the most fantastic idea to come out of Ruby Hills since the mandatory landscaping CCR's. In an era when grassroots politics is gaining in acceptance, both the established & entrenched political machines within the school administration are shaking in their boots with the thought of being ousted by a bunch of "over-reactive parents." Perish the thought that PARENTS of all people should have a say in not just their childrens education but to also have some financial oversight into how the monies are disbursed within the district.

You gals have my vote! Oh yeah, Becca, your hedge needs trimming.

I'd vote for both of them!

As public scorn for the Pleasanton teachers union, Pleasanton teachers, and incompetent management sharpens to an all time high due to the cancellation of the "open house" to save "instructional time" (what?), we need people on the board with willingness to confront this insanity and rubber stamping mentality.

I would also say my children who are students spend far more hours and weekend hours on afternoon/nightly homework than I guarantee the teachers do in their jobs.

What a pity that the cancellation of the 1 1/2 hour annual open house was approved.

I think the parents should all get together, and in the parks next to most of the school sites, keep the kids out of school that day and hold our own outdoor barbecue/all-day fun day so the kids have an opportunity to get "their day" back again.

If Kathleen Ruegsegger would run again I would vote for her. She did an outstanding job when she was on the school board last time.

The cancellation of Open House is imo a way for the teachers to get back at the community. It is part of their job, so I do not see what the furlough days have to do with Open House. The students already do the work so it is a matter of spending a couple of hours arranging the display and another hour at Open House - gee, this sounds like the Rhode Island Teachers who got fired: they refused to work a little with things like a 7 hour work day, or tutoring a strugging student, they wanted to be compensated at 90 dollars per hour!

No Open House has nothing to do with instructional time but with teachers trying to make a point but the only point they are making is that they don't like to work. They want part time work with full time pay, days off and more days off, amazing! And they call that concessions?

If PUSD teachers REALLY cared about instructional time, they would have agreed to have the 3 furlough days be the EXTRA days off they already get at Thanksgiving, when kids do NOT go to school

How can you "guarantee" that your kids spend more time on work than teachers do?? Seriously what planet are you from that you actually think that is true?!?!?!!!!?!

John Stossel from 20/20 wrote an article called "Teachers Unions are Killing the Public Schools" after ABC did a special called Stupid in America. He called public schools a "calcified monopoly." Take a look.

Web Link

What was the response? Of course the teachers union started demonstrating outside the 20/20 headquarters, explaining that they just too hard and are underpaid.

I would value anyone on the school board with courage to speak their mind, and challenge authority, conformity and idiocy. But "Courage" is notably absent in the 'Community of Character' PR material we all get, isn't it?

It's almost as if the government just wants the students and the board members to be complacent, conforming, 'yes' people. But that is not what commercial companies look for in employees. They want to hire people with the talent to invent new products, to figure out innovative ways of doing something, and to take the business to the next level.

The full video of the John Stossel documentary on public schools in America is here Web Link

The feedback I am getting from the exploratory efforts are quite strong. It may be soon time to reveal the identity of your dear reader to the Pleasanton community. I'll go ahead and say it, PUSD could use someone like me on the board.

That's an interesting survey you dug up, reader. Is this part of the work of the Excellence Committee?

From the survey: "the primary research question was posed: which readiness skills are most closely linked to long-term success?"

But it is impossible to answer that question with this survey because it was a survey conducted in 2007 of June 2005 graduates. Unless "long-term" means two years.

Hah, wrong thread.

To Stacey,

No problem, I answered over there.

As to this thread, I'm getting a lot of positive response to my prospective run at the board.

You must be talking to the same people who last year were sure measure G would pass. And look, it failed.

Here is some more feedback on your running for the board: what a joke! Someone like you cannot possibly do a good job for the students in Pleasanton. You would be a great union boss though, maybe you should look into that instead.

"The feedback I am getting from the exploratory efforts are quite strong. It may be soon time to reveal the identity of your dear reader to the Pleasanton community. I'll go ahead and say it, PUSD could use someone like me on the board."

You are arrogant. No, many in Pleasanton would not vote for a moron like you. Nice try and I look forward to know your identity.

I will reveal my real name.........Jennifer Hosterman

It appears we have some children playing with their parent's computers. Someone who was not me posted the above.

To the "To everyone" person. Maybe try sticking to just one name when you post. Otherwise people will think that you are just trying to disrupt that conversation or that you are thirteen years old.

I'd vote for you, reader!

I may not agree with 'a reader', but will fight for his/her right and support his/her desire to run for school board.