Gavin McKiernan: New bonds to neighbors

THE RACE FOR OCEAN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT

Name: Gavin Mc Kiernan

Age: 28

Occupation: Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington

Valley -- Huntington Beach Branch

Family: Married to Theresa; brother Scott.

Community activities: Surfrider Foundation member since 1994;

Huntington Beach Dog Beach Preservation Society member since 1998;

Assn. of Boys & Girls Club Professionals member since 1999;

Georgetown University Alumni Interviewer since 2000; Certified CIF

Basketball Official since 2001; Georgetown University Alumni Club of

Orange County Board of Directors since 2002; Georgetown University

director of college nights for Orange County.

Education: Bachelor’s from Georgetown University.

Favorite leader: Harry Truman.

Contact information: Web site www.vote4gavin.com, e-mail

[email protected], 16602 Sell Circle, Huntington Beach, CA 92649

MCKIERNAN ON:

* STUDENT SAFETY:

Schools must be able to protect our children from threats to their

safety. One concern is threats that originate within the school

itself -- bullying is a common problem that not only endangers those

students who are victimized, but also could potentially lead to even

greater violence if these victims were to attempt reprisals. It is

absolutely essential for school faculty, counselors, administrators

and parents to work together to create a school climate that strongly

discourages bullying, and to maintain clear lines of communications

so that any potential problems are addressed and resolved before they

escalate.

Outside threats to students’ safety are also of paramount concern.

Again, lines of communication must be clearly established so that

emergency situations are dealt with in a prompt and appropriate

manner. Drills should be conducted on a regular basis so that all

members of the community are aware of how they should react and to

whom they should turn for information and directions in the case of

an emergency.

* RAISING STUDENT TEST SCORES:

We should focus on the basics and make sure our resources go to

the classroom, not big projects that drain resources. Students should

learn to read, write and speak English before anything else.

* FISCAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DISTRICT:

More transparency. The public needs to be made more aware of the

finances of the district. This can be achieved by, among other

things, more frequent community meetings, especially in areas

surrounding schools. Money should go to school up-keep, classroom

improvements and teacher recruitment before they go to purely

aesthetic projects.

* BIGGEST ISSUE FACING THE DISTRICT:

Communities feeling that they are not consulted by the district on

major issues. We have neighborhoods that now distrust and resent the

schools; this can not continue. The neighbors of the schools, whether

they have children or not, need to feel that the schools are a part

of their community. Right now, many residents feel disconnected from

the schools in their community, as their concerns are not adequately

addressed. I will work to ensure that we won’t need any new bonds.