I would like to put in context the quote in this article about being frugal.

I would not count school supplies or textbooks as an area of focus. Those items are a very important and a small part of the equation. To be clear, I've always supported thoughtful spending on textbooks and supplies for our students and teachers.

Sincerely,
Philip D. Palmer

Mr. Palmer seems to be out of touch with what is going on in the classrooms. While the district is taking measures that all students at all schools have use of technology to further their education, computers are not being replaced every year. With the adoption of CCSS, at almost every grade level, there aren't any textbooks that have the lessons teachers need to help students fully obtain the standards. Rather teachers are having to use multiple sources, which has more than doubled the amount of time they spend preparing for lessons. In the mean time as the district has come through the financial crisis with it's fiscal health intact, the teachers have only received raises to help cover the cost of their health insurance premiums. Their take home pay has not increased in several years and with the increasing cost of living, many teachers are leaving the district to go live in more affordable areas and work in districts that more fairly compensate teachers. This strongly affects the quality of education students receive now and in the future.

This is great news! Phil is knowledgeable about current issues in education, both locally and globally. His warm personality eases even the most difficult board discussions because he works to find common ground or disagree respectfully. We need his experience and skills on the board as we tackle curriculum transitions and facilities improvements.

At tonight's board meeting, the room was filled with teachers advocating for fair compensation for their dedicated work in the district. Many teachers spoke about the hardships they face due to low compensation (26th out of 32 districts in Santa Clara County) ranging from struggles to send their own children to college to having to put their own student loans into forbearance. I appreciated Palmer's response to the teacher's plight, and I hope that he advocates for using a small fraction of the district's 42% reserve to pay the district's teachers a fair wage.