PUSD Candidate Q and A: Roberta A. Perlman

Age: not provided

Occupation: Doctor of Optometry, Adjunct Professor, Western University of Health Sciences 

1.    Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background and why you should be elected or reelected to the Pomona Unified School District Board of Education.

-I have lived in this community for 32 years and have 2 children who attended K-12 in PUSD.

-I am a health care provider, and an adjunct professor at Western University of Health Sciences.

-I am the local delegate representing PUSD on the California School Board Association.

-I have been a 21-year school volunteer and advocate for quality education.

-I continue to be dedicated to identifying and addressing the unique academic and social/emotional needs of each child within our district.

-Our improved educational programs and updated facilities are creating safer schools, more conducive to learning.

-I have carefully monitored our District's spending practices and am committed to ensuring that all available funding is focused to the classroom.

2.    What do you see as the primary role of the school board?

-We are elected to represent and be responsive to the needs of our students, families, and community.

-We set vision and direction for the school district, student achievement, and quality instruction, and continually set goals toward that vision.

-We receive and monitor data, and use it to drive improvement in educational programs.

-We are accountable for ensuring responsible spending practices.

3.  One key thing school board members are tasked with is voting on budgets and making sure the district is spending wisely. What kind of experience do you have working with budgets?

-I am a 32- year successful business owner, so intimately understand the necessity to spend all available dollars wisely. 

-I served as the tax representative on the Measure PS oversight committee that monitored expenditures of bond monies. 

-My experience on the school board has clarified the intricate and complex budgetary demands on our school district.

4.    If elected or re-elected to the board, what will be your top 3 priorities for the upcoming term?

-Providing our students with the love of learning by offering a rich, innovative curriculum to include music and the arts

-Providing safe, modernized campuses

-Providing improved counseling, and opportunities for college and career

5.    Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed the Local Control Funding Formula legislation into law, which will give districts supplemental funding based on the number of students who are English learners, students from low-income families and foster youth and a concentration grant for districts with over 55 percent of this targeted population. What do you think of this new formula?  How do you think it will benefit Pomona Unified?

-Children who are socioeconomically disadvantaged and are English language learners require additional support to succeed. 

-LCFF funding will allow our district to provide this additional support.

6.    Do you have any specific changes you want to make in school district policies, programs, or the various school curricula being offered? If so, what changes do you want to make and why?

-I will continue to work to promote more college & career counseling and opportunities to help ensure that our students become successful, productive adults.

-I would like to see an expansion of our pathway programs that allow our students the opportunity to discover their interests and passions.

-I would like to see a stronger music and arts program in elementary school, as I feel that the arts help develop creative thought and provide an outlet for expression.

7.    School districts, including PUSD, are rolling out new standards known as common core.  What are your thoughts on common core? What are some key issues, if any, you see with implementing it?

-Common Core addresses evaluation and interpretation of information and promotes higher level thinking skills. This new curriculum will better prepare our students for the rigors of college and career.

-There are numerous challenges with implementing Common Core. We are preparing our teachers, through professional development, to implement the new standards. 

-All students will eventually be required to take the new standardized tests online and therefore our technology must be updated to accommodate these new demands.

8.    What are your thoughts on how the district’s test scores are trending year to year? How important of a measure do you feel test scores are in determining student achievement? How important do you think they are in evaluating teacher performance?

-Our test scores are showing a positive trajectory over the past few years.

-Although test scores are one indication of a student’s achievement, they do not address the complexities of learning.

-Standardized tests generally don’t evaluate critical or higher level thinking skills or how engaged students are in learning.

-Using test cores solely to evaluate teacher performance therefore renders an inadequate evaluation.

9.    What do you see as the primary role of the superintendent? What do you think the board’s role is in working with the superintendent?

-The superintendent is the district's educational leader and is responsible for overseeing and ensuring that the board is informed about district operations and activities.

-It is the superintendent’s responsibility to communicate effectively with the board, ensuring that the needs of each student are being met.

-It is the superintendent’s responsibility to implement the vision, goals, and policies of the district, keeping the district focused on learning and student achievement. 

10.  What are your thoughts on the importance of parental involvement in helping students achieve. How will you engage the community to improve public schools in the district?

-Our parents are an integral part of the team that is necessary to ensure the best education possible for our children.

-Having served as president of the Council of PTA’s, Panther Pride Association, and numerous other school based organizations, I understand first hand the positive impact of parental involvement in our schools.