Goines, Luskin, Pefley for LASD board

The Los Altos School District, facing hard budget decisions, a parcel tax renewal and another bond measure in the months and years ahead, needs board members who are committed to the district and knowledgeable about its workings.

Among the seven candidates running for three board seats, we think Mark Goines, David Luskin and David Pefley are the best choices. They all fit the above description. All three are well-versed in district finances, and all attend board meetings regularly.

Goines is a sound financial mind who has been president of the Los Altos Educational Foundation. Under his leadership, the foundation has doubled its contribution to district funding over the past six years. Luskin has been heavily involved in a variety of school functions, including a PTA legislative chairman and a site council member at Loyola School overseeing curriculum. Pefley is an accounting expert whose diplomacy is reflected in support by the mayors of both Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

We expect new board members to embrace a philosophy of peaceful coexistence with the charter school. Seeing the big picture and being committed to all school communities is important. We’re convinced Goines, Luskin and Pefley see that big picture and will act acccordingly.

Casas Frier, Swenson for FH-DA board

The trustee race for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District is more political than it should be. One candidate has strong union backing. Another candidate says it’s important for board members to represent diverse communities in the district. Our criterion for endorsing is simply to identify the best candidate for the job. That’s why we like Laura Casas Frier and Bruce Swenson.

Swenson, a retired Foothill College math professor, brings knowledge and a historical perspective gained from four decades of service to the district.

Casas Frier especially empathizes with the colleges’ mission to help underserved students. She attended community colleges as a catalyst to higher education and graduated from law school. She has already proven herself a tireless advocate for the district, lobbying at the state level for funding increases.

Casas Frier’s people skills and can-do attitude, and Swenson’s analytical abilities and district experience, would enhance the capability of the Foothill-De Anza board.

Eng, Liao, McGhie for CUSD board

We see a clear need for more transparency in the way Cupertino Union School District officials communicate with the public. For this, among other reasons, we are endorsing Lynette Lee Eng, incumbent Ben Liao and Susan McGhie for the three open seats.

To quote one candidate, the 16,500-student district is doing well but can do better. District officials can start by taping their board meetings again, a practice they stopped after approving raises for two assistant superintendents in April. Officials may be justified in the pay raises, but that hasn’t been well communicated to the public. Electing information-access advocates Eng, Liao and McGhie will change that.

Eng has the ambition and determination to make changes for the better. At Montclaire School in Los Altos, she initiated a Mandarin immersion program. Liao has long opposed the district’s pay raises for administrators. As a member of the state’s school board association, he has lobbied to increase funding in the district which has been among the lowest in the county. McGhie, an active parent who has been involved in a variety of school roles, wants to improve working conditions for teachers.

Eng, Liao and McGhie represent a step forward.