Victoria Gamble, a legal recruiter, is running for a seat on the Rancho Santa Fe School District board of trustees. The San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates running for school board in districts around San Diego County about their policies, plans and priorities. Here’s what Gamble told us about hers. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? Ensure academic excellence: As a parent, with a daughter who was in first grade at Roger Rowe last year, there were serious issues concerning the academic arc of the students. More than 50 percent of the children were not meeting the state-governed requirements for first grade, and there weren’t enough resources in the classrooms for this set of students. Victoria Gamble (Courtesy of Victoria Gamble) Make parents’ voices heard: I will represent the parents and community who have voiced their concerns but feel we weren’t going to be able to accomplish anything. As a board member, I would listen to all our constituents, those with children at Roger Rowe as well as the larger community that supports this school. I would draw inspiration from current board members who have been navigating the system and those who want what’s best for every student. What is the most important issue currently facing your school district? Maintaining the excellence of our students and academics: We need to teach students what they need to know in terms of the curriculum as well as how to learn and how to love learning for the rest of their lives. We also need to ensure that the kids are safe from both external and internal threats, such as bullying and physical or verbal abuse. I believe that our school and community have the opportunity to guide them in very meaningful ways and I want to be a part of that. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? Improve communication and transparency: The board is elected by and for the community, so we should regularly communicate with community members instead of waiting for them to be proactive. We should seek to effectively disseminate information so that people don’t have to creatively search for answers to basic questions. Eradicate financial waste: Being well-informed is the precursor to getting involved, and that transparency should apply to our finances as well. I’m fiscally conservative, and I would like to have more oversight on how money is being spent and to inform our constituents of where funds are going. Educate our future leaders: I want to support the school as a dynamic hub for education that grows young people into future members of our community. That starts with academics, and I will work closely with my fellow board members and the superintendent to ensure that no student gets lost in the shuffle. What would your approach be to district budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? We need to ensure fiscal accountability. I would first conduct a full audit and find areas of waste. We need to have a full account of where money is going and ensure that it is being used purposefully. We need to ensure that we fund and allocate financial resources to academics and safety and look at innovative programs like foreign languages and AI. If our district had a budget shortfall, we would then be able to use the results of our audit to cut wasteful spending, unnecessary third-party consultants and other expenditures that do not ensure the academic success and safety of our students. How should your school district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? Striving for excellence: As a board member, I would seek to encourage students to reach far beyond state requirements. I believe that can be achieved through working with the superintendent and the teachers and finding creative ways to develop plans for the children to motivate and support them with one-on-one instruction, additional tutoring or other opportunities we can provide at Roger Rowe. We have a very small school, so we have an incredible adult-to-student ratio. I will work to ensure that each of our students gets what they need from their academic journey. Do you think anything currently offered in school curricula or libraries should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? As a parent, I want to ensure that all parents and the community have a voice on issues like school curricula and library material. I will work to ensure that parents’ voices are heard and that any objectionable material is addressed. What do you think is driving student absenteeism in your district, and what would you as a school board member do to reduce it? We need to maintain academic excellence in the district. By addressing academic issues and programs, we will ensure that parents and students have confidence in the district and will continue to keep our kids in school. Do you think schools should notify parents if their child’s gender identity or presentation at school changes? Why or why not? Absolutely. I believe in and support parental rights. The school and the parents need to collaborate and work together.