Heather Plotzke
From Ballotpedia
This page was last updated during the official's most recent election or appointment. Please contact us with any updates.
Tenure
2022 - Present
Term ends
2026
Years in position
2
Predecessor
Heather Plotzke is a member of the Poway Unified Board of Education in California, representing Trustee Area C. She assumed office on December 9, 2022. Her current term ends on December 11, 2026.
Plotzke ran for election to the Poway Unified Board of Education to represent Trustee Area C in California. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Plotzke completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Heather Plotzke was born in Port Huron, Michigan. Plotzke earned an associate degree from St. Clair County Community College in 1995. Her career experience includes working as an education advocate. Plotzke has been a Girl Scouts USA troop leader and 4-H Volunteer and has been affiliated with the PTA and Enlisted Wives Club.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Poway Unified School District, California, elections (2022)
General election
General election for Poway Unified Board of Education Trustee Area C
Heather Plotzke defeated Patrick Batten and Jason Bennett in the general election for Poway Unified Board of Education Trustee Area C on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Heather Plotzke (Nonpartisan)  | 48.0 | 6,120 |
 | Patrick Batten (Nonpartisan) | 46.5 | 5,921 | |
| Jason Bennett (Nonpartisan) | 5.5 | 703 | ||
| Total votes: 12,744 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
To view Plotzke's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Heather Plotzke completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Plotzke's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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After my husband retired from a 25+ year career in the Marine Corps our family decided California, Poway Unified Boundaries specifically was were we wanted our “forever home” to be so our children to have the best educational opportunities available. As a parent of students with disabilities, I have been advocating for my children and others in our community. I have been a member of the Board of Education’s CAC (Community Advisory Committee) for going on six years now, three of which holding an executive office. I am a regular proponent of pushing the boundaries for parents partnering with the District on projects, and for parents to have a seat a the table when it comes to input for new programs and the future trajectory of the District.
I have two Associate degrees, one in General Education, the other in Business. I have over 30 years work experience in the area of bookkeeping, 16 of it right here in San Diego County, while at the same time running an at-home business. My business and bookkeeping background will come in extremely useful as I am reading through all the financial, union and property contracts, as well as educational proposals for the Board.
- Finding a way for PUSD to overcome the current hiring staff crisis without outsourcing temporary positions. Outsourcing is not only bleeding our budget it's draining the morale off our employees.
- Making sure that mental health professionals hired in with covid funding and being maintaining through the covid grants and the one-time California budget package, are continually funded for years to come for both mainstream and special education students at every grade level.
- Let teachers teach, and getting all staff, classified and certified alike, the training they request and need, to ensure the future success of Inclusive Practices.
Fiscal responsibility and oversight;, as well as trying to find every last way to make current money go farther, going after more funding in the forms of new legislation, grants, savings, state and federal programs not being tapped into.
I am also extremely passionate about the Special Needs community in our school district. Currently students with disabilities make up 14.5% of the entire population of the district. I want to make sure they are getting equity and inclusion; because there is a difference in calling something inclusive and it being inclusionary.
I am also extremely passionate about the Special Needs community in our school district. Currently students with disabilities make up 14.5% of the entire population of the district. I want to make sure they are getting equity and inclusion; because there is a difference in calling something inclusive and it being inclusionary.
The American President
Ethics, Honesty, and follow through. I believe my track record shows I have all three, both within the District and in my personal life experiences.
To try to do the best you can, for as many stakeholders as you can, while being transparent, honest, and ethical.
I would like my five children to not only be happy, but to be more. We have tried to give them access to more of the world, more educational experience, and more generally open and rounded ideas than as a child from the 1970's was available. I want them 'to be be the change they want to see in the world!' (To paraphrase Gahndi). They are my legacy.
I remember the waiting excitedly along with all my other 8th grade friends and teachers, about Christa McAuliffe, the teacher going to space. We had been studying it weeks in science....and then I remember clearly that day in January watching it on live TV. That was a HUGE DEAL, it was not like now a days when you got to do things like that regularly. We did the countdown it took off, and I remember the screams and crying, I teared up now thinking about it; the day the Challenger exploded. I would have just turned 14 years old.
My first job besides babysitting as a teenager, was working full-time the summer I before my Jr. year of High School to help pay for a car, at the Acorn Press. Acorn-press was a local print shop about 5 miles from my house where I rode my bike to daily, in Port Huron, MI, both are gone now. They would let teenagers and college students work in the summer, as a way to save, but the owner, Mr. Weed felt school came first, and we weren't allowed to work in through-out the school-year.
Our High School Librarian, would later that school year help me get a job at the County Library as a Page that I would stay at through my first few years of college, because I found that I could stay and study on night shifts, and loved working in the children's library doing reading hours. At the time I was earning my 1st degree in General Education considering Teaching.
Our High School Librarian, would later that school year help me get a job at the County Library as a Page that I would stay at through my first few years of college, because I found that I could stay and study on night shifts, and loved working in the children's library doing reading hours. At the time I was earning my 1st degree in General Education considering Teaching.
"One More Day" from Les Misarbles, you there is always one of more thing to accomplish, one more moment you wished you spent time with a loved one. It's been in my head for weeks lately.
To serve the needs of the stakeholders within the District by making sure I am helping provide the best educational experience for all children, in the best working environment for all involded.
The voter's of Area C will put new on the Board. After that I will work fork all students, parents, teachers, classified staff across the District. If we don't work as a complete community team, the system becomes more and more fractured
By listening! The student's, teachers, classified workers, and families are all there; they all are already telling their stories, we just need to listen. We next need the facilitate a way for the groups to listen to each untol it's a connected circle of input, feedback, next steps!
I have been building relationships in the district for years, which is why I'm so confident in doing this job. I want to meet regularly with teachers, and on sites to see what is happening for myself by asking by questions,. I want to talk to classified staff, to hear what they see working and what's not. I want to listen to Parent groups, both those I aline with ine thinking and those I don't. I have found often when asking questions, the real root of disconnect isn't the reason we initially thought, it a history of lack of information and correction of information.
I do believe having a diverse faculty is important n we have a large diverse population. I also feel it's important to have have a filled staff roll call. So it's not equitable to not fill positions if we are waiting for a specific type of person during a hiring crisis and immense staff shortage. That being said again yes children should see staff members that represent images of themselves.for the best learning environment.
Communication and allowing input and feedback from our staff, who are seeing how day to day decisions are working honestly in real time. As, well as including input and feedback from you other stakeholders, like you students and parents. We often see roadblocks that staff don't feel freedom to say.
A good teacher, is a teacher that can connect with their kids and keep their interest , but is also good at observing and knows when to listen.
Technology training, digital arts, etc. We have some programs for these but there need to be more an a bigger CTE scale, and getting outside Partnerships with companies like App movie to the？
Technology is driving the workforce. 2020 changed the rules for a lot companies forever. There is less overhead to have staff working at least part of their time remotely. Zoom Meetings saves countless travel time and our kids learning stragied pioneered. Online college used to be emailed assignments, etc. Now it's full lectures, etc like a normal in-person class.
I believe we need to follow the directions from the county and state health guidelines, which are then presented to us in educational directives and mandates from the State of California Education Department and Governor.
Again as I said talking to and reaching out to meet with parent groups and hearing what they have to say. Everyone deserves to be heard, and you learn something new from every interaction.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 20, 2022
