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Disillusionment brings candidates out in Ravenswood

by Faiza Hasan

A rush of candidates have filed papers to run for seats on the Ravenswood school board, including a slate which is part of a new group that vows to make "positive changes" in the district.

For months, the district has faced criticism from many quarters, much of it focused on Superintendent Charlie Mae Knight. Knight was acquitted in 2001 of conflict-of-interest charges related to her role in the district, but the district still faces the prospect of a state takeover if it doesn't improve its special education program.

Many criticize the district for failing its students, and many of the new candidates say they are disillusioned with the current school board and feel it needs to change for things to improve.

This widespread discontent led to the formation of a coalition of parents, teachers and other community members, called the Coalition for Quality Education. In a press release, the group vows it is " . . . committed to creating positive changes in the Ravenswood City School District that will result in each child receiving an educational experience of the highest caliber in order to compete successfully and confidently in any academic arena as self-motivated, life-long learners."

The coalition has endorsed three of the nine candidates for the elections: Marcelino Lopez, a parent and activist; Adam Mitchell, a former Ravenswood teacher; and Todd Gaviglio, who has served for the past six years as a principal at John Gill Elementary School in Redwood City. These candidates believe that to improve the quality of education, the district needs to increase communication between teachers and parents.

After nearly 12 years on the school board, Bomani Siwatu will not be running for re-election on Nov 5. Citing "personal" reasons for his decision, Siwatu said he will remain deeply involved and committed to the district.

"This is not like a lifetime appointment. Three terms is a lot, probably the longest in Ravenswood," he said. "It is time for me to move on."

The final list of candidates includes nine people who will run for three open seats. The candidates are: incumbents Lois Frontino and Ruben Abrica-Carrasco; and newcomers Mary Williams, Leland J. Francois, Myrtie Fitzpatrick, Wayne Owens and Lopez, Mitchell and Gaviglio.

According to Owens, who is running for election for the first time, the current board members are "more like yes-people for the superintendent and that needs to stop."

Lopez said, "Our kids are capable of learning. Because we are from East Palo Alto and from poor families has nothing to do with our kids not able to have good grades." He went on to talk about his disappointment with the current board.

"(Members) have not lived up to expectations," he said. "I believe that they concentrated more on taking care of the superintendent than the kids. I feel like our kids are being neglected and the parents don't have a voice."

Siwatu, Frontino and Abrica-Carrasco strongly disagree with Lopez and the other candidates. They say that the board has worked hard to meet the diverse needs of the area's children.

Abrica-Carrasco cited examples of changes the board has brought, for example improving special education, starting a dual-language program, opening a charter school with Aspire, building new school and community facilities like playing fields, and expanding after school programs.

"The system has improved, anyone can go visit and see," he said. "It is light years away from what it was. I can only stand on my record and what I have been working on. I feel we have made a lot of improvements."

This belief is shared by Frontino, a former Ravenswood administrator, who wants to "improve academic performance and to work collectively with parents, staff and board members."

"We have hired some high-quality staff for the school sites," she said. "The superintendent has done an outstanding job with special education. We have upgraded schools and playing fields."

"There are many positive things happening in the district and as a board, we work collaboratively to support the best interest of the children and parents of Ravenswood," she said.

His fellow candidate and coalition member, Adam Mitchell, believes the district is facing a leadership crisis. "The current school board has set up a wall around themselves by not interacting with the public, the teachers and the media," he said. Mitchell used to work as a teacher in the district and said he was so disillusioned with things in Ravenswood that he left his job.

"Clearly things have happened in the past years that might be positive, but the fact is that these people have not been advocates for kids and quality education," he said.

"The district was close to being taken over by the state, it is close to a fiscal crisis and had to lay off people. The district is essentially at war with the teachers and the community."

E-mail Faiza Hasan at fhasan@paweekly.com