Bill Ponder is a former educator who is running for the San Diego Unified School District governing board’s Area E, which includes communities in East San Diego, such as, Paradise Hills, Encanto, and the Euclid area.

He and the other candidate, Marne Foster, are running to replace current board member Sheila Jackson, whose tenure on the board has been controversial at times.

Ponder is endorsed by the U-T San Diego, Councilmember Tony Young, and current Vice President SDUSD board member Scott Barnett.

La Prensa San Diego interviewed Mr. Ponder to learn more about his vision for the SDUSD, a district that has been hardly hit by the education budget cuts.

La Prensa San Diego: You mention three main issues in your candidacy. Students first, accountability and transparency, and we the people. Many other candidates who are now on the board have promised the same, yet there has been little change in the last years. What would you do differently in general?

Ponder: Student first means that every decision that I make will be focused on what is in the best interest of student’s education. For example, when I was at Mission Bay High School (a school with a large Latino population) I was involved with programs and services and advocacy for their education. I worked with Latino parents involved with ELAC and helped them to advocate for better education for their children which was not popular with the administration and a number of the teachers. I successfully got those parents and students greater access to AP/IB classes and worked with GEARUP and CALSOAP to provide enrichment educational programs during the summer. I provided support for the Latino faculty members who were fighting for better educational resources for Latino students (check with the Latino student group on campus). Accountability. While I was at the U. S. Department of Education grant, we identified and set goals for increasing the number of students of color taking and passing AP and IB courses. We increased the total each year and I along with the rest of the site coordinators did our work and stayed with our budget and made good sound educational and fiscal decisions with the resources. Transparency, I have and will continue to tell the truth and will provide all of our communities with the facts. Since I am not beholding to any special interest group beyond students, I will not withhold any information regarding student success or failure.

La Prensa San Diego: Why should Latinos in the district vote for you?

Ponder: The Latino community would be well served in voting for me because I am the only candidate that has promised to focus on solving and improving the education for all students and will not run for any other office once I am elected. I will work full-time to raise the educational outcomes for Latino students and be the strongest advocate for Latino parents. Don’t take my word for this talk with the parents who were involved with ELAC at Mission Bay high school.

La Prensa San Diego: One of your books focuses on apartheid. Right now, if you go to many of the schools in the district, especially around Barrio Logan, it is obvious that defacto segregation exists, and that those schools with a majority of Latino students are not in the best conditions compared to other schools in the district. What will you do to improve the quality of Latino students, which make up more the majority of students in San Diego schools?

Ponder: In the book, I discuss the deficit model, which basically says that most of our public schools don’t look for ways to increase student achievement. The apartheid is a just the tip of the iceberg because the system (board of trustees, superintendent and other leaders) don’t believe that our parents and students need quality education. By allowing these schools to continue to be segregated and continuing to send less qualified and less than committed staff to these schools underlies the truth. We know what needs to be done. First, insure that Principals at these schools are there to advance educational success for all students. Second, provide equity in terms of Title I and NCLB in terms of resources and support. Third, provide parental involvement in every aspect of the school (not just SSC, SGT) but in the classroom and during those events and activities that highlight student success.

La Prensa San Diego: You’re a product of this district. You’ve been a successful educator. Do you think, given the current state of the quality of education and district budget, that San Diego City Schools can still pave the way to success to minority students?

Ponder: I believe we can succeed if we become more fiscally responsible, focus our resources on student achievement with goals and outcomes that are clear and measurable. I also believe that companies and other organizations will help us when we show them that we are making substantial academic progress. Lastly, since I was a product of this distric, I understand that our children need a 21st century education now.

La Prensa San Diego: Do you endorse propositions 30, 32, and 38?

Ponder: Prop. 30 only (may) provide funding for schools for one year (no). Prop. 32 not sure what this will do but what I do know is this… I am a member of AFT (check and see) and they are using my dues against me, and Prop. 38 is the only proposition that focuses on k-12 education (yes).

La Prensa San Diego: How would you rate the work of Sheila Jackson on the board?

Ponder: Ms. Jackson’s tenure on the board was hers. Her successes and failures are well documented.
La Prensa San Diego: Marne Foster has been endorsed by the teachers’ union. Why should people vote for you and not for her?

Ponder: Because I have 30 years of experience in every aspect of public education (K-12, community college, University of California and university vice president) and I have the depth and breath of responsible leadership focused on fixing the problems. The status quo is unsatisfactory and all too many cases it is failing our students and teachers deserve better.

La Prensa San Diego: Anything you’d like to add?

Ponder: My candidacy is on building and raising the level of academic achievement focused on all students and with 46% of the students in our district being Latino those students will gain the most when I become the trustee.

To learn more about Mr. Bill Ponder’s candidacy, visit www.williamponder.org.