Kristi Rutz-Robbins
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Kristi Rutz-Robbins is the Trustee Area 5 representative on the Temecula Valley Unified Board of Education in California. She first joined the board in 2008.[1] Rutz-Robbins won re-election in the general election on November 8, 2016.[2]
Rutz-Robbins participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 school board candidate survey. Click here to read her responses.
Elections
2016
Two of the five seats on the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Education were up for by-district general election on November 8, 2016. Trustee Area 1 incumbent David Allen Pulsipher did not file to run for re-election, leaving the seat open for a newcomer. Lee Darling ran unopposed and won that seat. In her bid for re-election to Trustee Area 5, incumbent Kristi Rutz-Robbins defeated challenger Ronald Prentice.[2][3]
Results
| Temecula Valley Unified School District, Trustee Area 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kristi Rutz-Robbins Incumbent |
64.33% | 6,531 |
| Ronald Prentice | 35.67% | 3,621 |
| Total Votes | 10,152 | |
| Source: Riverside County Registrar of Voters, "Consolidated Presidential Election Official Results," accessed December 2, 2016 | ||
Funding
Rutz-Robbins reported $1,305.01 in contributions and $1,305.01 in expenditures to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, which left her campaign with a $0.00 balance on hand in the election.[4]
Endorsements
Rutz-Robbins was endorsed by the Riverside County Democratic Party.[5]
2012
This election was canceled due to lack of opposition. Incumbents Allen Pulsipher and Kristi Rutz-Robbins were re-elected by default.[6]
Campaign themes
2016
Ballotpedia survey responses
Kristi Rutz-Robbins 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 August 27, 2016:
| “ | As a school board member I bring experience to this position. I teach at the college level and understand what students need to be successful there. As a parent of students in this district I experience our schools first hand. We must provide the next generation with a quality education. I advocated for the expansion of arts into elementary school and the hiring of PE teachers. I created a parent advisory committee to promote greater family engagement and better communication. I supported the upgrading of our technology resources. Teacher collaboration, data driven decision making and early academic intervention for struggling students has ensured greater student success. We have the highest graduation rate in Riverside County. Our high schools are ranked among the best in the country and they will stay that way. I advocate for college and career readiness. We increased the number of students who could apply to college and the number that improved their competitiveness by taking APs. We are expanding our career readiness programs. I strive to make sure all students are college and work ready. “What is best for students” guides my data driven decision making as does my belief that education should inspire students.[7][8] | ” |
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 |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | High quality teaching and learning is the number one priority. I advocated for the expansion of arts into elementary school and the hiring of PE teachers. I created a parent advisory committee to promote greater family engagement and better communication. I supported the upgrading of our technology resources. Teacher collaboration, data driven decision making and early academic intervention for struggling students has ensured greater student success. We have the highest graduation rate in Riverside County. Our high schools are ranked among the best in the country and they will stay that way. I advocate for college and career readiness. We increased the number of students who could apply to college and the number that improved their competitiveness by taking APs. We are expanding our career readiness programs. I strive to make sure all students are college and work ready. “What is best for students” guides my data driven decision making as does my belief that education should inspire students.[8] | ” |
| —Kristi Rutz-Robbins (August 27, 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. In California, school boards approve a charter if the charter meets fiscal and educational standards and if the charter includes a unique service not offered in the district. Therefore, as required, I have voted to approve charters. I have also voted to deny charters that do not meet criteria. My job as a school board member is to be thorough in review and vote according to law. |
| 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. This is outside the realm of boardmanship and in the hands of senators. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. They are one of many useful tools to assess student achievement. No one measure is accurate alone in education. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| Our district has done a great job in creating a high quality curriculum that meets California standards, Common Core standards and local standards. We are proud of the work our teachers have done and are seeing evidence of increased student achievement daily. |
| 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? |
| 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. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. Each situation is unique and teacher tenure and termination is governed by state law and the teacher's union contract. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. Teachers who provide extra service to students should be compensated. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. A strong public school system which follows best practice standards is a cornerstone of our democracy. The public school system should be fully funded. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Only to ensure the safety of other students. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers Our district's number one priority is high quality teaching and learning. Without engaged high quality teachers this would not be possible. |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Kristi Rutz-Robbins' 'Temecula Valley Unified School District'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Temecula Valley Unified School District, California
- Temecula Valley Unified School District elections (2016)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Temecula Valley Unified School District, "Board Members," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Riverside County Registrar of Voters, "Contest/Candidate Proof List," accessed August 19, 2016
- ↑ Riverside County, "Consolidated Presidential Election," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Riverside County Registrar of Voters, "County of Riverside Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed February 6, 2017
- ↑ Riverside County Democratic Party, "2016 Endorsed Non-Partisan Candidates," accessed October 14, 2016
- ↑ Patch, "Temecula School Board Incumbents to Serve Another Term," September 28, 2012
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "Kristi Rutz-Robbins's responses," August 27, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2016 Temecula Valley Unified School District Elections | |
| Riverside County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | Trustee Area 1: • Lee Darling Trustee Area 5: • Incumbent, Kristi Rutz-Robbins • Ronald Prentice |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
