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Chris Shilling
Chris Shilling was a candidate for the Trustee Area 3 seat on the Sweetwater Board of Education in the California general election on November 4, 2014. Chris Shilling lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Shilling has a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree in organizational leadership. A lifelong resident of Chula Vista and an alumnus of Sweetwater Schools, Shilling currently serves as area director for a nonprofit, college instructor and Varsity Basketball Coach at High Tech High Chula Vista. In 2007 he was appointed to the City of Chula Vista’s Board of Ethics.[1]
Elections
2014
The election in Sweetwater featured five seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. There was no primary election.
The only sitting incumbent at the time of the election, former board president John McCann, did not file to run for re-election, but former members Bertha J. Lopez and Jim Cartmill, both of whom pleaded guilty to misdemeanors of accepting gifts above the state limit while serving on the school board, ran to reclaim their seats. A total of 21 candidates ran for the five open seats.
In Trustee Area 1, Arturo Solis won the election. Kevin J. Pike defeated former member Lopez as well as three other challengers to win election to Trustee Area 2. Cartmill was also defeated. His former seat representing Trustee Area 3 was won by Frank A. Tarantino. Newcomers Nicholas Segura and Paula Hall won election to the Trustee Area 4 and 5 seats, respectively.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Frank A. Tarantino |
35.7% | 4,560 | |
| Nonpartisan | Richard F. Arroyo | 23.1% | 2,948 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jim Cartmill | 20.6% | 2,638 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chris Shilling | 20.6% | 2,631 | |
| Total Votes | 12,777 | |||
| Source: San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "Gubernatorial General Election Tuesday, November 4, 2014," accessed January 2, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Shilling reported $325.00 in contributions and $246.07 in expenditures to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, leaving him with a cash balance of $78.93 as of September 30, 2014.[2]
Campaign themes
2014
Shilling highlighted the following positions on his campaign website:
| “ | Hiring a Transformative Superintendent I will work with my new colleagues on the board to hire a superintendent that will help to positively transform the future of the school district. I understand that this is a pivotal moment for our district and we need a collaborative leader who is committed to service first, in order to fulfill the district’s mandate to our children. Our students cannot afford for us to get this wrong, and I will ensure that we don’t. Ensuring A Student Focused Budget I will scrutinize the district’s budget and ensure that we are directing our resources to the areas that will have the largest impact in aiding student achievement. We cannot afford to allow our resources to continue to be directed away from our classrooms. I will ensure that central administration is efficient and focused on providing support to local schools, and that the local schools have effective leadership and the resources they need to provide our students with the educational opportunities they deserve. Restoring Accountability I will hold all district stakeholders accountable for the success of our students. As a parent I understand that administrators, classified employees, teachers, board members, and parents all play a valuable role in the success of our students. These groups need to work collaboratively and hold accountability for making sure that all of our students receive the support that they deserve. I will always fight against corruption and on the side of our students. Advocating For Our Children As a parent I believe that every child deserves access to the highest quality public schools. I will not play politics with our children’s future. We know that a solid education is the foundation for our children’s future success. Every neighborhood should have access to an excellent public school. I will always tirelessly advocate for each and every one of our children. I will also advocate to ensure that our teachers and classified employees are rewarded for all of their hard work on behalf of our children. Bringing Stakeholders Together We all deserve a voice in our local school district. As the Chairman of the Chula Vista Board of Ethics I understand what it takes to get people to work together collaboratively. I also understand how to mediate disagreements and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be heard. We may not always agree, but we can always be respectful. I want to engage all community members in helping to develop meaningful solutions to the current and future issues the district faces. Achieving Results As an advocate for effective educational policies and opportunities that focus on student achievement, I understand that we will always be judged on our results. We must focus our resources in an effective manner that will promote student success without overburdening teachers. We can achieve this together. Our students do not need more talk, they need action.[3] |
” |
| —Chris Shilling's campaign website (2014)[4] | ||
In response to a survey published by La Prensa San Diego, Shilling answered several questions outlining his campaign themes and vision.
| “ | What do you believe is the number one issue with the district? The district has many issues; however, I believe the number one overarching issue is that the culture of the district is not learning and student focused. This has created distrust between the district and the community. … I want a district that is focused on the education, achievement, and opportunity of my children. Instead the district has been embroiled in politics focused on the personal agendas of adults. What qualities are will you looking for in hiring a superintendent? I am looking for someone who has not been involved in local politics and who will not be polarizing to any specific group. I want a serving leader, not a self-serving leader. I want a person who is committed to learning and students first, and not interested in positional power, authority, or self-gain. I want an honest person who is focused on building and leading strong teams; also a person who wants to listen to and engage the community. Board accountability has been lacking, how will you hold the board accountable? The board needs to be fully accountable for the district operations down to the individual student success level. The board needs to be accountable for decisions, transparency, following processes and procedures, following the Brown Act, etc. What do you believe is your role in interacting with teachers? I believe that my role in interacting with teachers is to listen and attempt to help them with their concerns as stakeholders in the district. I am supportive of teachers because a teacher’s performance and motivation directly impacts the education of the students. However, the bus driver who gets them to school, cafeteria worker who makes sure they are nourished, and nurse who makes sure they are healthy are all vitally important to the educational environment as well. So I believe it is the responsibility of the board to make sure that every group has a voice and that the district is one team, so that we all can move towards the common vision of educating and positively impacting the young minds who will inherit and change the world. What are your financial priorities? My financial priority is to ensure that funds and resources are going to the areas where they can do the most good for students. I want to see every financial decision be a student-based decision. However, before that vision can be achieved we need to get a handle of the mess that the district is currently in. To do this I want a complete independent forensic audit of all district operations and finances. This will provide the independent information that will allow for tough decision making and also collect evidence to hold people accountable if laws are found to have been broken. Our finances should be completely transparent.[3] |
” |
| —La Prensa San Diego survey (2014)[5] | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Chris + Shilling + Sweetwater + School + District"
See also
- Sweetwater Union High School District, California
- Sweetwater Union High School District elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Vote Shilling, "About Chris," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ San Diego County Registrar of Voters, "SHILLING FOR SCHOOL BOARD 2014-460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement," October 20, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Vote Shilling, "Positions," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ La Prensa San Diego, "Sweetwater board races provide an opportunity for a fresh start!" September 26, 2014
