Name: Wally Upper

Status: Candidate

As a school board trustee, what plan of action would you advocate to help close the achievement gap among students in the district?

Academic achievement is the primary goal of public education. First you need to recruit and retain the best teachers. They should have training and advanced educational opportunities on the job. You need learning objectives and ways to measure each student's progress. You need the best textbooks and learning materials. And you need the active involvement of parents as educational partners in their children's success.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposes to decrease Proposition 98's current-year funding level for schools and community colleges by $400 million - $360 million for K-12 schools and $40 million for community colleges - according to the California Department of Education Web site. The governor's budget proposes to suspend the Proposition 98 guarantee in 2008-09, and proposes a spending level of $55.6 billion, which is $4 billion less than the guarantee. How, as an ACUSD trustee, will you help create a balanced budget? Are there specific programs that you believe should remain intact regardless of the proposed budget? If so, what are they and why are they important?

It is the responsibility of the administration to propose a balanced budget that may include alternate ways of doing it. I would consider and debate the alternatives with my fellow board members. Mandated and programs essential for students' success must remain intact. Free bus transportation is one such program. The transportation fees reduce ridership, safety, attendance and attendance revenue while increasing costs to collect the fees.

How will your presence on the Amador County Unified School District Board of Trustees contribute to the "Year of Education" this school year? What are your plans/ goals for your successive years as a trustee?

I have 26 years of experience in school and college administration. I have served as a bus driver, superintendent and college president. I have the ability to go to the heart of the issue fast ignoring the nonsense and the unimportant considerations. Over the years, the community will see a more professional board agenda and a healthy discussion of the organization and governance of Amador County schools.