Candidate Q&A: Tess Arthur for Carmel Unified School District.

As part of the 2022 election season, the Weekly asked candidates for several offices to answer questions about some of the issues by email. For the Carmel Unified School District, there are two seats up for election this year, with four candidates: incumbents Sara Hinds and Tess Arthur, and challengers Drew Lander and Lawrence Samuels. Arthur's responses are below.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Carmel Unified School District in the next four years, and why are you the best candidate to address them?

What qualifications do you bring to this position?

I bring trust, leadership, collaboration, and stability that our district desperately needs. I have led many volunteer and fundraising efforts, especially for fire victims and community members living in our outlying populations. I started our Cachagua summer program, and helped raise funds to build a soccer field. I raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the high school multi-sports field project, and have lead many efforts to improve the lives of members in our community.

I have also worked in education both in and out of our district, including 12 years at Tularcitos, in many different capacities. While my children were students at Tularcitos, I was president of the PTO and chaired many fundraisers, including our annual Spring Fling. I also started Bucks for Bobcats, an ongoing, annual fundraising event. While my kids were at CMS, I started the Teacher Appreciation lunches, which still exist today.

I have a proven track record of respect and leadership, with an ever present desire to continue to meet the needs of all students and families in our district. I currently serve on the board of the Community Fund for Carmel Valley and Community Human Services, both of which serve our community in a variety of different ways. I recently was awarded the Carmel Valley Good Egg Award for my level of service to our community. I am passionate about giving back and being on the Board of Education is at the forefront of this role.

How often do you currently attend CUSD board meetings, and how would you rate the current board’s performance? 

I am a current board member and in my fourth year of service to the district. I have attended every board meeting, and have been a solid supporter of the district. Along with Sara Hinds, I helped lead the charge of hiring a new superintendent during an extremely tumultuous time in our district. With resolve, conviction and determination, we were able to persevere with full transparency every step of the way.

What is your vision to help students make up for learning loss after pandemic closures?

Our district has done an incredible job of making sure that every one of our students’ needs are met. We have created many new positions to make sure we can and will continue to address learning loss and provide social, emotional support where needed. During the pandemic, we were able to pivot and open wellness centers at both CMS and CHS. We hired an effective counseling team, at every level, to meet the growing needs of our student population. We’ve been implementing solid systems for catching our struggling students and not letting them slip through the cracks. We’ve tightened up our matriculation efforts from class to class, school to school, in order to track our students and give them the support they need. This year, we also added an SDC program at both CMS and Tularcitos to provide more support services for some of our students with greater needs.

In addition to tightening up all systems and creating a continuity that our students need, we’ve also been able to keep our schools open at all costs, battling an ever present Covid unpredictability. We’re also adding Career/Tech Education (CTE) opportunities and working towards helping our students find their passions, which is something I care deeply about.

What will you do to support public engagement in school district governance and ensure all voices are heard?

It is critical to make sure that our stakeholders' voices are being heard. In collaboration with our superintendent and communications director, the district has done an outstanding job of creating a platform for community members to be heard, on many levels. The superintendent has held many town halls and has an incredibly collaborative approach to making sure that staff, parents, and community members are being heard. This is a critical component to the district’s success.

CUSD has taken steps to create a portal for public information and to receive and respond to rumors (“word on the street”). Do you think this is needed? Is it working? What would you do, if elected, to improve the relationship between the district and the community?

Our superintendent and communications director have gone above and beyond to make sure that community voices are heard and that the district dispels any rumors or misinformation. It is incredibly important to continue to dispel those rumors and make sure the right information is being made public. We’ve created many different platforms to ensure that all critical information is shared and transparent.

What is your view on the process for the stadium lights project, and the project itself? Will you support it?

The stadium lights project is in the middle of an EIR process, which is critical to gathering information before making any informed decisions. I have carefully read through the EIR documents and will continue to keep a close eye on mitigation strategies and how we can improve on current practices and strategies. I am most interested in putting the needs of our students at the forefront of each and every decision I make.

The district is facing significant legal expenses. Do you think the change of law firm was a good idea? Is there anything else the district can/should do to reduce exposure to litigation? 

The district recently made a change in law firm leadership to take us through the many challenges we continue to face. The board voted on this change and we were unanimous in our decision. There are many areas that require legal representation, and this firm provided a one stop shop for all of our district needs!

The district has had a lot of turnover in superintendents in recent memory. How is the current superintendent, Ted Knight doing—please grade him, A to F. What will you do to ensure continuity of leadership? 

I strongly support our superintendent and know he is the right person for the job. I support his collaborative approach, and especially respect the fact that he is always putting student needs above anything else. He is all about the team and is incredibly collaborative with both our classified and certificated bargaining units, in addition to our administration and non-represented employees. What our district needs more than anything is stability, and I am here to help provide that continuity and continued collaboration.

Who is your proudest endorsement?

My proudest endorsement is from our teachers Union. They have supported Sara [Hinds] and I throughout our journey and one thing I’ve realized time and time again, we are stronger together and need to continue to support each other. Our teachers and staff are the front line workers who are impacting the needs of our students on a daily basis. How we continue to partner with them, show support, and collaborate matters a great deal to me.

Who are you supporting for the other open seat?

I strongly support Sara Hinds, and know that together we will help to provide stability and trust within our district. She has been a stellar board president, bringing much order and incredibly strong leadership to the chaos.