Herbert Lee (California school board candidate)
Herbert Lee was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Mount Diablo Unified School District school board in California. Lee was defeated in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.[1]
Lee participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
Lee previously ran for a seat on the board. He was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Elections
2016
Two of the five seats on the Mount Diablo Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. In his bid for re-election, incumbent Brian Lawrence ran against challengers Joanne Durkee, Cherise Khaund, and Herbert Lee.[2] Lawrence won re-election, and Durkee won the other seat on the ballot.[3]
Results
| Mount Diablo Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Joanne Durkee |
30.64% | 41,128 |
| Brian Lawrence Incumbent |
26.75% | 35,901 |
| Cherise Khaund | 25.08% | 33,660 |
| Herbert Lee | 16.94% | 22,735 |
| Write-in votes | 0.6% | 809 |
| Total Votes | 134,233 | |
| Source: Contra Costa County , "Presidential General Election Official Results - Final," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Funding
Lee reported no contributions or expenditures to the Contra Costa County Elections Division in the election.[4]
Endorsements
Lee was endorsed by the community organization Evolve and CCSA Advocates.[5][6]
2014
The election in Mount Diablo Unified featured three seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. There was no primary election.
Two incumbents, Cheryl Hansen and Linda Mayo, ran for re-election. They faced challengers Michael Langley, James Ryan, Debra Mason and Herbert Lee. Hansen, Mayo and Mason won the three seats.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Cheryl Hansen Incumbent |
23.3% | 28,138 | |
| Nonpartisan | Debra Mason |
19.7% | 23,719 | |
| Nonpartisan | Linda Mayo Incumbent |
19.1% | 23,040 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Langley | 18.7% | 22,510 | |
| Nonpartisan | Herbert Lee | 9.8% | 11,838 | |
| Nonpartisan | James Ryan | 8.9% | 10,699 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.5% | 570 | |
| Total Votes | 120,514 | |||
| Source: Contra Costa Elections Division, "FINAL OFFICIAL RESULTS: November 4, 2014," accessed December 23, 2014 | ||||
Endorsements
Lee was endorsed by the Contra Costa Times/Oakland Tribune.[7]
Ballotpedia survey responses
HERBERT LEE 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 25, 2016:
| “ | Please look at my website under political beliefs. I have written my goals and measurable tactics to deliver the goals. https://goo.gl/33a5jq[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 |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| “ | I have 3 top prioirities: 1) Improve test scores district wide (compared to the state average of improvement.) 2) Increase communication and transparency. 3) Improve Fiscal Responsibility[9] | ” |
| —HERBERT LEE (October 25, 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.) |
|---|
| Yes. Charter schools offer an additional option for parents who are frustrated and feel "stuck" with their current options. If the charter schools do not deliver results, or are not desired by the community, then their contracts should not be renewed. |
| 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 defer to school board decisions in most cases. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Standardized tests measure one of many components to a student's learning. It measures mainly English Language Arts and Mathematics. However, it is one way of measuring achievement that is comparable from school to school because students take the same exam. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| I support Common Core State Standards Initiative. Learning how to solve problems with different approaches enables students to develop different problem solving tools. I wasn't thought via Common Core methods and sometimes, do not understand it, but it's the better than rote memorization method only. |
| 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? |
| Offer additional training options. Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. Teachers are preparing the future generation of citizens for our communities, economies and society in general. It's a big responsibility and they should be afforded the right tools and time to integrate those tools to become successful. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. I believe it counts to be the best and the best should receive more compensation. The challenge is how to define "better" or "best". One possible component could be standardized tests scores, where students take the test at the beginning of the year to develop a baseline and then again at the end of the year to see where improvements were made. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. Parents have their right to choose the best education that meets the needs of their children. However, that is their choice and I do not support vouchers or scholarship programs. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Expulsion should be a last resort. Except in cases where there is immediate life threatening danger to others or bodily harm done to others, it should be handled on a case-by-case basis. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Parent involvement I wish "other", or "more than one choice" was an option. I believe for schools to have success, a combination of Parent, Teacher, and Administration involvement and cooperation is needed. Think of a three legged stool that would tip over if one of the "legs" was missing. |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Herbert Lee' 'Mount Diablo Unified School District'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Mount Diablo Unified School District, California
- Mount Diablo Unified School District elections (2016)
- Mount Diablo Unified School District elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Contra Costa County, California, "Contest/Candidate Proof List Presidential General Election," accessed August 23, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa County, California, "Contest/Candidate Proof List Presidential General Election," accessed August 23, 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 March 7, 2017
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ CCSA Advocates, "Our Endorsements: November 2016 Elections," accessed October 27, 2016
- ↑ Contra Costa Times, "November 2014 election recommendations from the Contra Costa Times/Oakland Tribune editorial board," accessed October 21, 2014
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "HERBERT LEE's responses," October 25, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2016 Mount Diablo Unified School District Elections | |
| Contra Costa County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Brian Lawrence • Joanne Durkee • Cherise Khaund • Herbert Lee |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
| 2014 Mount Diablo Unified School District Elections | |
| Contra Costa County, California | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Cheryl Hansen • Incumbent, Linda Mayo • Michael Langley • James Ryan • Debra Mason • Herbert Lee |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
