Los Altos, CA, October 3, 2014 — The Huttlinger Alliance for Education endorses the re-election of Tamara Logan and the election of Vladamir Ivanovic and Sangeeth Peruri to the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees. The Alliance encourages its supporters and the entire LASD community to cast votes for Logan, Ivanovic and Peruri on November 4th.
Members of the Alliance leadership have analyzed the candidates’ views on public education as expressed in the public record. Based on its deep familiarity with the issues facing the district, the Alliance has determined that Logan, Ivanovic and Peruri very clearly have the best backgrounds to support and lead our successful district into the future.
Alliance leaders view the choice facing voters in the upcoming November election in stark terms: three candidates who have actively supported the educational mission of LASD and two candidates who have dedicated their efforts to opposing and undermining LASD.
Actions speak louder than words. The Alliance encourages voters to look beyond campaign slogans to discover where each candidate has invested time and energy over the past few years, especially on key issues the LASD community has faced.
Tamara Logan
Tamara Logan has earned re-election to a second term, having been steadfast in her commitment to serving the best interest of all students attending LASD schools. She worked tirelessly to reach an accommodation with Bullis Charter School in the face of a decade of relentless and costly litigation, while not compromising the educational opportunities of the students who attend district schools. Tammy’s leadership as Board President in brokering the 5-year BCS facilities agreement is a testament to her ability to work with those who maintain positions adverse to the interests of the district. We are also confident that if the Measure N facilities bond measure passes, she will be a responsible steward of voters’ money, ensuring it is spent in a manner consistent with the long-term interests of district students and the broader community.
Vladimir Ivanovic
In 2012, the Alliance was unable to endorse Vladimir Ivanovic on the grounds that he was the least prepared candidate. In 2014 we feel differently, and are confident that Vladimir is prepared to serve ably. Having maintained a constant presence at district board meetings, served as President of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Finance, and shown passion for progress and technological innovation, Vladimir Ivanovic is ready for a school board seat. In addition to the expertise he has developed over the years by studying the district’s finances and attending school board meetings, Vladimir volunteers at Gardner Bullis and seeks new ways to bring technology modernization solutions to bear on school and district operations. Based upon his multifaceted experience and personal principles aligned with those of the Alliance, we endorse Vladimir Ivanovic for school board.
Sangeeth Peruri
With new ideas about the future of the school district, Sangeeth Peruri’s achievements and optimism merit a seat on the school board. While Sangeeth’s professional background is impressive, his educational background is what makes him an excellent candidate for school board. His work for LASD, from Covington PTA Vice President to LASD Curriculum Committee member to tenure on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for Finance, reflects his dedication to the district and his neighborhood school. In addition to his resume, Sangeeth’s vision for a peaceful BCS solution, new curricula, and continued excellence in Los Altos leads us to support his candidacy for a position on the board of trustees.
Martha McClatchie
The Alliance does not endorse Martha McClatchie for School Board. During McClatchie’s tenure as Treasurer of the BCS Foundation, it spent millions of dollars meant for facilities and education on litigation against the District. McClatchie imprudently advocated for providing District facilities without a written lease to BCS and staged a confrontational “lockout” to publicize her point of view. McClatchie is running to be a custodian of public funds, so her role in redirecting educational funds to pay for litigation against the District and advocating decisions contrary to the District’s responsibility as the trustee of public property leads us to conclude that McClatchie is not an appropriate choice for LASD trustee.
John Swan
Nor do we support John Swan for school board. His history as a founder of BCS, which is well on its way to its stated goal of becoming a 900-student school, indicates his lack of commitment to LASD’s ‘small neighborhood school’ model that has served our community so well for over a century. We are troubled by Swan's comments about the Measure N facilities bond, as well as the fact his spouse authored the opposition argument to the successful 2011 Measure E parcel tax for LASD. While we may concur with some of Swan’s various statements and newspaper editorials supporting curriculum innovation and modernization, they highlight his apparent unawareness of LASD’s longstanding and highly effective parent-driven and parent-funded innovation twin engines: PTA and LAEF. Swan is well-aligned with interests opposed to the LASD board and is unlikely to be an effective contributor or collaborator among trustees.
