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Carlos Taboada
Carlos Taboada was a candidate for an at-large seat on the West Contra Costa Unified School District school board in California. Taboada was defeated in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.
Taboada participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
In addition to choosing two new board members, citizens of the West Contra Costa Unified School District voted on whether the district should extend its funding measure for eight more years. The candidates running in this race discussed the measure in a candidate forum on September 29, 2016. Those in favor of passing the measure said it was necessary after a forensic financial audit revealed the district had misspent construction bond funds, leaving little funding left to complete renovations. Those opposed to extending the measure suggested the district instead look to private funding sources.
The controversy surrounding the district's misspent bond funds led to the resignation of former superintendent Bruce Harter and the hiring of new superintendent Matthew Duffy. In an effort to regain community members' trust, board member Valerie Cuevas proposed limiting campaign contributions to $1,000 for school board elections. Cuevas said such limits would help the voters have faith in the district again, but other board members and school board candidates disagreed.
The district was also involved in other funding conflicts. In June 2016, the district had to amend its spending plan for state funds after a complaint filed with the California Department of Education revealed $4.3 million had been omitted from a fund earmarked for services for high need students. In March 2016, the district settled a lawsuit with the California Charter Schools Association that alleged the district had not shared previous bond money with its charter school students.
Biography
Taboada is a retired teacher. He also served as a school counselor in the West Contra Costa Unified School District and as a member of the executive board of the United Teachers of Richmond.[1]
Elections
2016
Two of the five seats on the West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. No incumbents filed to run for re-election, guaranteeing two new members joined the board. Former candidates Mister Phillips, Antonio Álvarez Medrano, and Ayana Kirkland Young and newcomers Don Gosney, Tom Panas, Miriam "Stephanie" Sequeira, and Carlos Taboada ran for the seats.[2] Phillips and Panas were elected to the board.[3]
Results
| West Contra Costa Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mister Phillips |
22.63% | 28,018 |
| Tom Panas |
18.57% | 22,990 |
| Miriam Sequeira | 15.98% | 19,777 |
| Ayana Kirkland Young | 12.55% | 15,529 |
| Antonio Álvarez Medrano | 12.08% | 14,954 |
| Carlos Taboada | 11.05% | 13,683 |
| Don Gosney | 6.84% | 8,468 |
| Write-in votes | 0.29% | 363 |
| Total Votes | 123,782 | |
| Source: Contra Costa County , "Presidential General Election Official Results - Final," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Funding
Taboada reported $2,357.01 in contributions and $38.21 in expenditures to the Contra Costa County Elections Division, which left his campaign with $2,318.80 on hand as of October 22, 2016.[4]
Endorsements
Taboada was endorsed by the United Teachers of Richmond CTA/NEA, the community organization Evolve, and the Richmond Progressive Alliance.[5][6][7]
Campaign themes
2016
Ballotpedia survey responses
Carlos Taboada participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on October 13, 2016:
| “ | A comprehensive academic reform aimed at closing the achievement-opportunity gap. Incorporate art education in the instructional programs alongside science, engineering and math. Stop charter school encroachment on public education. Start intense lobbying effort to secure sustained and long-term funding from the State[8][9] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in California. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| “ | Closing the achievement gap, improving post-secondary readiness and expanding arts education are bundled into one project and can only be separated for analytical purposes.[9] | ” |
| —Carlos Taboada (October 13, 2016) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer nine questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. Charter schools are corporate enterprises (Aspire, Caliber, etc.) under contract with the state. The fact that they receive public funds does not make them public schools. They are parasitic organizations advancing a corporate agenda by taking advantage of lax tax laws such as the New Markets 39% Fed. Income Tax Credit. In the case of California, charters do not come near meeting the legislative intent of the 1992 Ca. Charter Schools Act. That is, they have not improved pupil learning, have not used innovative teaching methods, nor have they created new professional opportunities for teachers or given teachers the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at their sites. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. The state shouold allow districts the freedom to design instruction to meet the specific needs of its students. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Test and push out tests are anti-pedagogical and over reliance on standardized tests only perverts the teaching process making teachers (particularly in under-performing schools) teach (with the test) to the test. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| each district must make appropriate modifications before implementing CCS. Teachers should play a key role in the process. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. Teachers are not in CONTROL of instructional objectives, curricula, text book and technology choices, etc. so it is absurd to punish only teachers for students under-performance. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. How if MERIT measured? That is the question. If merit is measured by publications, degrees, or similar accomplishments then teachers shouold be rewarded. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. I am opposed to the transfer of tax-generated revenues to subsidize corporate education. Public schools are public because they are democratically run through elected school boards, guarantees for collective bargaining and parent-teacher participation in school governance.. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Should be handled case by case, after consulting with school psychologists and other service providers. Zero-tolerance policies breed intolerant people. Janitorial chores (such as picking up trash) should NEVER be used as disciplinary measures. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Student-teacher ratio Overcrowded classrooms give rise to discipline problems, make it difficult for teachers to provide individual attention, and student learning does not im prove. |
Priorities
Taboada listed the following as his top three priorities, according to Voter's Edge California.
| “ |
|
” |
| —Carlos Taboada (2016)[10] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Carlos Taboada West Contra Costa Unified School District. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- West Contra Costa Unified School District, California
- West Contra Costa Unified School District elections (2016)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ School Politics and Society, "Carlos Taboada for School Board 2016," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa County, California, "Contest/Candidate Proof List Presidential General Election," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa County, "Unofficial Results - Election Night Final," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa County Elections Division, "Contra Costa County Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed November 1, 2016
- ↑ United Teachers of Richmond CTA/NEA, "Phone Banking and Canvassing for 55,58, T, and School Board," September 18, 2016
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ Richmond Progressive Alliance, "Support Measure T and school board candidates who will strengthen our neighborhood schools," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "Carlos Taboada's responses," October 13, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Voter's Edge California, "Carlos Taboada," accessed October 13, 2016
| 2016 West Contra Costa Unified School District Elections | |
| Contra Costa County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Don Gosney • Antonio Álvarez Medrano • Tom Panas • Mister Phillips • Miriam "Stephanie" Sequeira • Carlos Taboada • Ayana Kirkland Young |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
