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Q&A with Paso Robles School Board Candidate Matthew McClish 

Editor’s note: This is the second a series of Q&A’s for all candidates running for Paso Robles School Board. 

 

Q&A with Paso Robles School Board Candidate Matthew McClish

What motivates you to become a school board member?
My motivation for remaining on the board comes from many sources. I believe in great public schools and know the value they can be to a community. I have gotten to know so many teachers and staff at the district and continually am impressed at the dedication to kids, the commitment to constantly strive for improvement and the effort put into their work. There are some great people in the district and I feel very good that my kids education is in their hands.

As a parent in the district (my son just started TK and my daughter will in a few years) I have a vested interest in their education being what they deserve. I take my parenting responsibilities very seriously. As one of the board members who is a parent with kids in the district, I get to see things from a parent’s perspective which helps me. My son has made many new friends in his class and I think about those kids too, I think about the brave kids I met at the high school last year, I think about the kids of people who work for me or kids who I have coached – I think about their parents when I am faced with a challenging decision. I took an oath when I was appointed and take that promise very seriously.

What attributes are essential for successful school board members?
At the time of the election, I will have been on the board for just over a year. The attributes I feel are important are evolving as I get used to it all but at the top of the list is the ability to listen. No matter how efficient or good an organization may be there will always be problems. Being able to listen, accurately take in that information and making sure you give that same respect to all parties is supremely important. The board deals with some very complex issues and it rarely is a situation where this is a 100% right or wrong path – it is often a matter of degrees and you have to the all the facts and then use your best judgment

  • A board member must be good at developing relationships in the community and within the district and these have to be relationships built around trust and respect.
  • A board member must be able to absorb a great deal of information and dedicate the time to understanding it all.
  • A board member should know how to be part of a team. For any district to be incredibly successful the parents, teachers, administration, board, and students should all feel that they have a voice and role in the education process. As one team with one dream, there will be unlimited opportunities for our student’s success.

 

What is your vision for education in the community?
The Paso community is incredibly important to me. I plan to live here a long, long time and my wife and I are raising our family here. I have been the Chairman of the Paso Chamber of Commerce for the last year and we have made many steps to increase economic development in the city – the chamber has some great stuff happening and it was done as a team – it wasn’t about politics, it wasn’t about individual agendas, it was about what’s best for Paso now and in the future. A huge component of what will ensure a great future for Paso is the continuation and expansion of many of the great programs that are happening in the district. Our town needs more jobs that pay a living wage, we need more of our kids wanting to stay and make their lives here, we need to continue to help every student be college and/or career and community ready. You should see what is happening with Skills USA, and the welding program and the number of kids from Liberty who are going to Cuesta – it is so awesome and there are so many other programs like these.

I was walking an apartment complex the other day talking to people about their hopes and dreams and how the district is a part of that. One lady told me a story about her 4th grader who used to hate going to school and was not getting good grades but that had all changed. I asked her what caused the turnaround and she shared that he had discovered cross-country. He loved school now, begged to go and his grades had improved to the point where he is in on the honor roll. His mom was so very proud of him and you could see how it had positively affected their dynamic. The district’s goal is that every student will have success because we know that success in one area leads to success in others. Grade school competitive athletics is a fantastic way to show kids a path to success and its great for kids to be outside and active. These programs started 3 years ago and are so successful that they are being copied by other districts in the county. The family in my story has seen success in school where they did not before – the effects of this will be so so positive on our community.

How does the school board decide what is important?
The board has many discussions and planning sessions that give us a full picture of what is important in our community. At least for me, what factors most in my decision making is the research I do on campus sites or in talking to parents or teachers – most of this is in the listening.

What is your education background?
I am a Cal Poly graduate with my Master’s Degree in Public Administration. I worked full time all through my education and can empathize with the challenges many of our parents and students face. I have spoken and worked with classes at both Cuesta and Poly mostly in the business field. However, my biggest educational influences are my family. They are all retired now but my mom was a 2nd-grade teacher for 37 years, my dad was a principal and superintendent and my stepmom ran the SELPA (special ed) for Santa Barbara County for many years. Education has been a daily part of my life since as far back as I can remember.

Do you represent the school system or the community?
I consider the school system and community to be too linked to represent one or the other. A successful, healthy school system leads to a better community and visa versa. One of my big priorities moving forward will be to further increase the strength of the community/school system bond.

What have you accomplished in regards to school-related situations that make you a good candidate?
Well, I listed the attribute I considered to be the most important is the ability to listen and that is also what I feel I have accomplished in my time on the board. I know a lot of people in this community from my job as GM at Kennedy, my involvement in the Chamber and other organizations and in working with kids as a mentor or youth coach. Among people I know, there are various opinions about the district – I always listen and give proper respect to their concerns…and then I research and get back to them. I have tried (I hope successfully) to be a bridge builder. We can accomplish so much together and what better reason to work together than our kids.

Can you comment on recent disciplinary issues within the school district, and how would you resolve them?
I want to be clear when I say that disciplinary issues will always be a part of any school system and if anyone says otherwise they are not being truthful. As you well know, there was a survey done near the beginning of 2018 that spoke to many discipline issues mostly related to the high school. Many of the suggestions the teachers made were already in the works. Some of these include a full-time police officer on campus (jointly paid with the city), a great new camera system, staff resources and much more. The goal and hope is to keep teachers doing what they do best….teaching our kids. At all the recent back to school nights I spoke with many, many teachers at all campuses and every one stated how this year was a better start than any they could remember. What the survey showed me is that all of us can do a better job listening to each other (to continue a theme). The other takeaway I got was that EVERYONE involved wants the same things – teachers and admin staff are all great, dedicated people who want to change lives and make our world a better place. I strongly believe in all of them and the improvements have been noticed.

What are some of the issues facing PRJUSD?
Budget concerns are the main issue I am looking at. In many ways, the district is in better shape than it has been in a long time. However, there are some real challenges ahead. The board has set a goal of having a 10% reserve (our rainy day fund) but the state requires at least 3-percent. Current projections show that the district will be below that number. This is very concerning and something that deserves and requires strict attention. I spent a long time with the new CBO and talked about the plan moving forward. The plan is a good one with multiple checkpoints built in and lots of processes being refined or added. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Even though I have received great reports, the year is just 5 weeks old. Making sure the schools are operating safely for all is and always will be of paramount concern.

As the town grows we will eventually need school sites. Paying for those new schools will be a big topic of conversation in the next four years. The district is working with the city on ways to make this happen and still encourage builders to build the homes we need.

We also have to stay competitive in salaries for our teachers and all the staff. I have heard from countless businesses in town that they are having problems finding people for the salaries that are common in this area. The district is no exception and we need to stay competitive in our area while providing all the resources for staff and all the great programs for our kiddos.

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