Ina K. Bendis
Ina K. Bendis was the Trustee Area 2 member of the Santa Clara Unified Board of Education in California. She ran for re-election and was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014.[1]
Biography
Bendis earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and ecology/evolution at Cornell University, a Ph.D. in molecular biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, an M.D. at UCSF Medical School, board certifications in internal medicine and pulmonary diseases at Stanford University Medical Center, a master's degree in management from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and a J.D. from Concord Law School. She is licensed in California as a physician, attorney, real estate broker and substitute teacher.[2]
Elections
2014
The election in Santa Clara Unified featured four seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. One incumbent from Trustee Area 1, two from Trustee Area 2 and one from Trustee Area 3 were up for re-election. There was no primary election.
Trustee Area 1 incumbent Jim Canova ran unopposed and won re-election. In the Trustee Area 2 race, incumbents Christine Koltermann and Ina K. Bendis ran against challengers Ashish Mangla, Noelani Sallings, Jodi Muirhead and Steve Kelly. Incumbent Andrew Ratermann faced challenger Michael Helms in Trustee Area 3. Although challengers Jodi Muirhead and Noelani Sallings defeated both incumbents for the Trustee Area 2 seats, Trustee Area 3 board member Andrew Ratermann retained his seat against challenger Michael Helms.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Jodi Muirhead |
32.3% | 13,336 | |
| Nonpartisan | Noelani Sallings |
26.3% | 10,885 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christine Koltermann Incumbent | 14.9% | 6,143 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ina K. Bendis Incumbent | 11.5% | 4,735 | |
| Nonpartisan | Steve Kelly | 8.1% | 3,349 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ashish Mangla | 6.9% | 2,864 | |
| Total Votes | 41,312 | |||
| Source: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Official Final Results," accessed January 2, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Bendis reported $10,487.47 in contributions and $8,159.15 in expenditures to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, leaving her with a cash balance of $7,576.64 as of October 18, 2014.[3]
What was at stake?
2014
Issues in the election
Ballot statement challenged
Ina K. Bendis, the Trustee Area 2 incumbent in the 2014 election, charged that the ballot statement of her challenger, Jodi Muirhead, was "misleading and otherwise illegal" and served her with a lawsuit and a summons to appear in court. The Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge had Muirhead change one sentence of her ballot statement, but otherwise let it stand. The parties agreed on the change in a private conference and also agreed not to sue each other for legal fees.[4]
The change in the ballot statement revolved around Muirhead's involvement in the district's science fair. In her original statement, Muirhead said she had "resurrected" the science fair after it had been "closed it down" for budgetary reasons. Bendis believed that the statement was misleading, as the science fair had never closed down but continued uninterrupted due to the volunteer work of many individuals, not just Muirhead. Muirhead's revised statement read: "I also revived and was the volunteer chair of the District Science Fair after budgetary issues suspended it.”[4]
Bendis said she was gratified by the result of her lawsuit, but Muirhead said the outcome proved it had been frivolous. Bendis represented herself, but Muirhead paid $9,000 in legal fees to combat the lawsuit.[4] Muirhead went on to defeat Bendis in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Issues in the district
'No confidence' in board or administration
At the end of the 2013-2014 school year, the United Teachers of Santa Clara held a public rally to declare a vote of "no confidence" in the Santa Clara Unified Board of Education and in Superintendent Stan Rose III. They also demanded the resignation of Ina K. Bendis, a member of the board who ran unsuccessfully for re-election on November 4, 2014. The rally addressed specific complaints regarding what teachers called "antagonistic" contract negotiations, soaring class sizes, getting cut out of educational program decisions, inappropriate micromanagement from the board and a perceived lack of respect from both the board and the administration. Bendis was cited by name in complaints about micromanaging and lack of respect.[5] She went on to lose her seat in the general election on November 4, 2014, as did her fellow former incumbent Christine Koltermann.
Complaints about the district's administration had been circulating for some time before the rally. After the 2012-2013 school year, parents submitted a petition with over 1,500 signatures that addressed similar concerns, and the superintendent, two assistant superintendents, 15 principals and over 30 teachers left the district. At the time, critics blamed the large departure on the board's over involvement in operations and alleged harassment of teachers and parents around the district.[5][6]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Ina + Bendis + Santa + Clara + Unified + School + District"
See also
- Santa Clara Unified School District, California
- Santa Clara Unified School District elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Unofficial Semi-Final Results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Bendis for Board, "Ina is the best-qualified Candidate," accessed October 16, 2014
- ↑ Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, "Bendis for School Board 2014-FPPC 460," October 10, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Santa Clara Weekly, "SCUSD Incumbent’s Lawsuit Against Opponent’s Ballot Statement Fizzles," September 4, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Santa Clara Weekly, "Teachers Declare “No Confidence” in SCUSD Administration and Board, and Demand Bendis Resign," May 28, 2014
- ↑ Mercury News, "Santa Clara Unified: Administrators, principals flee turbulent school district," June 6, 2013
