Second of two parts
Previously, “Will Karlo Silbiger Be a Successor to His Mother on the School Board?”
[img]493|left|Karol Silbiger||no_popup[/img] Energy and aggressiveness around the School Board will be punched up several levels if young Karlo Silbiger, the first candidate to declare himself, is elected next November.
Since returning to his native Southern California after spending seven years in the Boston area pursuing degrees, Mr. Silbiger, a teacher, has plunged into the Political Volunteer pool with vigor.
When he was not successful in convincing the City Council to appoint him to citizen commissions, he concentrated on the world of pure politics. In that area, he is known and he is comfortable, having been introduced to the culture through his candidate mother at the precocious age of 11.
Portraying himself primarily as a backstage political figure, a problem-solver, a theorizer, a Mr. Fixit-type more than a traditional candidate, he is an enthusiastic advocate of working closely, directly, with state officials to help cure what fiscally ails the School District.
“A lot can be achieved for our district at the state level,” Mr. Silbiger believes. “I am proud that one of the things I have been working on the last few years, I have been on (Speaker of the Assembly) Karen Bass’s Education Commission. I have been trying real hard to work with her and with people throughout the District to help. I also go up to Sacramento to do statewide stuff.
“But there are things that can be done locally, absolutely.
“The School Board needs to take a leadership role in setting priorities. When times are tough, that’s when you say, ‘What can we do without?’ And ‘what do we need?’
“ To be 100 percent frank, I am not sure the School Board did everything they needed to do this year in terms of making sure the priorities are set. I understand they were in a very difficult position, but it seems as if they cobbled together a lot of different things.
“I feel really strongly that in tough times, you have to sit down and think, ‘What can we do without?’”
Question: What would you have done differently, Mr. Silbiger?
“No. 1, we have to cut fairly from every segment of the school population. The way it was done was not fair, in my opinion. The teachers got cut — the number was somewhere in the 20s. Classified (workers), somewhere in the 20s, 30s. Administrators — like three. I mean such a ridiculously small number of administrative/management staff that got laid off. No one from the Superintendent’s office.”
The argument was made that if the entire management staff had been laid off, that would not have resolved the financial problem, not to mention the fact no one would have been left to run the District.
“Of course. You can’t cut from any one segment and expect to solve a bunch of problems this deep.
“But a lot of this, actually, in my opinion, even if it doesn’t help, it is fine. You are sending a message to the rest of the community that ‘I am going to take a cut, too.’”
Are you saying that cuts are as much psychological as fiscal?
“That’s right. But cuts are fiscal as well. If they would have cut, for example, one of the assistant superintendents. This District ran on one assistant superintendent for years. We now have three. If they had cut one, that would have benefitted the District, I think, somewhere near $200,000. That’s not nothing. That is a decent amount of money.”
Philosophically, is there any one of the five School Board members whom you resemble?
“That is a great question. I have attended almost every School Board meeting for the past two years. And there is something about all of them that is admirable.
“One thing about Steve Gourley I really like is the fact that when someone comes up to speak — and I speak at every meeting — his eyes are on them, and he is really listening. When the speaker is done, he brings up their issue, and he wants to get an answer. He is very much focused on trying to ensure that the public is heard and that the public’s questions are answered.
“Scott Zeidman is the closest we have now to what I call a community activist. He is trying to bring everyone into the process. He goes out and has meetings in the community. That is very admirable, and I think he is doing great work.
“Dana Russell asks the best questions. He comes to meetings completely prepared, and he asks questions that make all of us think.
“With Saundra Davis, what I like most is her giving spirit, her connection with people, especially kids. They just love her.
“And with Jessica Beagles-Roos, she is the one who is everywhere throughout the community. Whenever there is an event, she is there representing the District.
“So all of them have something to give. I would hope I can take from all of them.”
Do you think you will be running against any of the three incumbents whose (second) terms are up this year?
“No. It’s funny. We’ve never had term limits on the School Board. But I can only think of two Board members, for as long as I have been paying attention,who served more than two terms, Stew Bubar (3) and Bob Knouff (4). Most people choose to leave after eight years, if not four, and those who do run for a third term generally don’t win.
“Why? I think it’s a mixture of burnout and time to give everyone a chance.”
