Published: 1 years 221 days ago
Sacramento Bee: Sacramento's future, and the future of the region, rests on the quality of its public schools. That's why voters will cast crucial ballots this year for the Sacramento City Unified School District. There are good choices for each of the open seats, but here are three that would provide the best chemistry for the board, the district's new superintendent and, most important, the students they serve.
Area 1: Ellyne Bell
Area 2: Andrea Corso
Corso has been a whirlwind of activity at challenging schools. In this race she faces an uphill battle, entering in July when others had been campaigning since January. But voters should take a close look. Corso would bring much-needed focus on student achievement to the board.
During her career, Corso has taught in the toughest of circumstances, ranging from rural North Carolina to an alternative school in Chicago to a charter school in New York. She's a strong believer that students of any background can learn.
Corso came to Sacramento in 2007. She was director of student achievement for Sac High when that school made huge gains – increasing the Academic Performance Index by 95 points.
She would strongly support the superintendent's "data dashboard" initiative, seeking monthly or quarterly reports on school improvement. On contract negotiations, she'd like the district to look at places where teachers and districts have brokered innovative pacts, such as in Denver and Baltimore.
Corso currently serves as a consultant for a nonprofit Mayor Kevin Johnson established for schools – a job she'd have to relinquish if elected to the board, as it involves working with the district.
Area 6: Shane Singh
Singh is rooted in the Pocket/Greenhaven area. He grew up speaking English as a second language, from a family that struggled financially. Tapped early for the gifted-and-talented program, he went on to UC Berkeley and McGeorge School of Law. He is a business litigation attorney.
His school experience gave him a "strong passion for programs that improve the life of disadvantaged children." He is president of the Greenhaven Soccer Club, providing programs for 1,400 kids.
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