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The Islands CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: Rand Wrobel

Age: 51

Occupation: Business Process Management (BPM) Consultant

Relevant experience: We have two teenagers who attend Alamedaschools, one of which has special needs, one at the ACLC charter school.I work as a Business Process Management (BPM) and Software consultant,bringing technology to government organizations and Fortune 500companies as clients over the last 29 years, to enhance not onlyefficiency, but also service and satisfaction. This role often involvesworking toward a consensus among disparate groups: management,

users and developers. I also develop curriculum and instruct on BPM, withtop-rated feedback. I am also founder and Executive Director of a non-profit special education foundation, LilliWorks Active Learning Foundation,(www.LilliWorks.org ). I was a co-Project Manager of a major communityservice project to build a community center in Watsonville following theLoma Prieta earthquake.

Why are you running for this office? Two issues compel me to step up: 1)the unfair nature and mishandling of Measure E, and, 2) the need to savemillions by restructuring AUSD to shift resources from red-tapeadministering to teaching. Both of these are evidence that the Board isnot involving the community, nor being as a creative as it needs to beconsidering the budget crisis.

Why should we vote for you? I offer a fresh perspective, as a parent anda businessperson, an innovative and critical thinker, and a consensusbuilder.

What do you feel are the roles and responsibilities of the office youreseeking? To provide creative vision and fiscal responsibility, and drive toconsensus. The Board establishes policy, and so is responsible to both

listen to all constituents of the community and provide leadership. Boardmembers are ultimately responsible for the administration of the districtand so are accountable for all aspects: fiscal and academic, and, in mybook, well-rounded education beyond core academics, including sports,arts and music.

What do you think is the most pressing issue you would face if elected andwhat would you do to address it? The budget crisis is obviously the most

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pressing issue, triggered not only by economic pressures, but a lack oflistening and original thinking on the part of the board resulting in a loss oftrust among segments of the community.

What I would do, is relevant to the two following questions, so I will answer

them all together.

What steps do you think the school board should take to addressanticipated, multi-million dollar budget deficits?

Do you think the board should put a parcel tax in the ballot? If so, how doyou think it should be structured?

The current short-term proposal that I have to resolve the financial crisis isthe following (subject to further research):

- Offer voters more than one taxation level: three levels (High,Medium and Low) if the cost of the election from the county canbe reduced, or at least two levels, otherwise. This provides agreater chance that the minimum needed will pass and still enablesAlamedans to step up for more, if they are willing to dig deeper.

- I suggest targeting $7, $9 and $11 million annually (or $8 and $10million, if two levels). The attached spreadsheet models this.

- I favor a blended lot + building square footage tax base, as bothare resources that provide value. 2 cents a sqft for lots generates $3M. I'm a bit reluctant to go higher on that.

- Another approach worthy of research is to index/tie the taxationrate to the level of funding from the state: As the state funding goesup or down, so does the parcel tax rate move inversely so that theDistrict funding is level. This saves the cost and distraction ofsubsequent tax measures, and provides financial stability.

My long-term proposal is to transition most of the island schools tocharters, to reduce District staff overhead. Alameda needs to save millionsof dollars while maintaining educational standards. Transitioning to apublic charter school model accomplishes that by eliminating the red-tape administrative load (charter schools are exempt from many rules

and regulations for districts). I am a strong advocate of charterization thatsaves millions and provides diversity, choice and competition, which favor best-of-breed. Slash red-tape, not teachers, programs and schools.

What changes, if any, would you make to the way educational servicesare delivered to Alamedas students?

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In these challenging times, charter schools offer a cost-effective qualityeducation reform whose time has come. In line with President Obamascall for expanding innovative charter schools, there is no better place tobe implemented than on the island of Alameda, with its award-winningcharter school: Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC), and a

critical fiscal crisis.

However, my take is that incremental charterization places the districtunder great fiscal stress (contrary to the AUSD Charterization workshopconclusions), maintaining its full overhead with diminishing revenue. I think the transition should be made as a whole to a nearly all-charter district,allowing district functions to be contracted out and admin staff reduced,and in a manner maximizing s tate funding (conversion vs. startup).Significant research and dialog are needed in designing and gainingconsensus for the best transition plan.

Charter schools, esp. the ACLC model, besides paying teachers more,empower teachers and give them control of their curriculum. It puts themin closer contact with parents and the community, encourages directdonations, and generally improves teacher satisfaction. Competitionand choice supports best-of-breed.

In this scenario, AUSD would serve as an educational managementorganization, and I would want it to support an inter-charter alliance for educational enhancement and economy-of-scale benefits to its chartersfor purchasing, IT, and other common functions, possibly including specialeducation. I believe this community, should it choose to, can take moredirect control of its schools in a harmonious manner, and be the firstCalifornian urban (nearly) all charter district.

My proposal is to thoroughly research and plan a charterization strategy,and then offer the community the choice of whether to reform or not.