Jane Parker on Education

'Jane is good at getting input from all sides and bringing people together for the good of the County,' said Bob Coble, Secretary of the Northern Monterey County Federation of Teachers-COPE committee. 'Her common sense approach to problem solving is a breath of fresh air.'

Many school districts in Monterey County face increasing class sizes, deep budget cuts, declining test scores, higher than acceptable dropout rates, and high rates of teen pregnancy. We must address the causes of these problems to give our children the bright futures they deserve.

The Challenges: Many, many families in Monterey County are struggling to pay their rents or mortgages and feed their children in a very expensive community. This often means that one or both parents must work long hours—sometimes at more than one job—and/or are attending classes to increase their skill levels so they can better support their families. The result is less time for parents and children to spend together on homework, family interaction, problem solving and other important activities that support academic success.

As a community, we have an obligation to give students and families the support they need to succeed.

My Approach: Through my work with the Pathways to Safety program at the ACTION Council, I have seen how effective it can be to bring together community stakeholders—businesses, nonprofits, schools, colleges and anti-gang, youth development and after school program providers—to create activities at school sites to support academic success. These might include prevention of bullying and violence, counseling for children and families, homework support, art projects, sports, and other activities to enhance health, communication skills and classroom performance. Local nonprofits that currently offer such programs are stretched to their limits. It will take leadership to explore new ways to support these vital efforts.

The Board of Supervisors can have an important impact on the quality of education in our county, if individual Supervisors are willing to exercise leadership. When elected, I will draw upon my background, experience, commitment and connections to forge innovative solutions to the educational challenges encountered by Monterey County’s school districts, families and students.