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Union plays role in District 2 race: Fresno Unified challenger questions school chief's raise.
(Fresno Bee (CA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sep. 30--Janet Ryan is clear about the importance of her re-election bid to the Fresno Unified School District's board of trustees.
The future of Fresno's children is at stake, she said.
Ryan, 69, said she has a right to be concerned -- her opponent, Virginia Hermosillo, 46, has the backing of the nearly 4,000-member Fresno Teachers Association.
The teachers union's clout was evident in 2006, when it pumped more than $164,000 into the school board race -- an effort that helped oust trustees Luisa Medina and Pat Barr, two incumbents who were staunch supporters of Superintendent Michael Hanson.
Now, the FTA has targeted Ryan because of her unwavering support of Hanson -- including giving him a big pay increase while approving smaller raises for teachers and other employees.
Ryan, first elected in 2004, said she voted to give Hanson the raise because the district is on the right course: Student test scores are rising, the district has money in the bank, and no teachers have been laid off. She also feared that Hanson, if not fairly compensated, would leave because other school districts were inquiring about his services.
"I did what I thought was right," Ryan said.
On Nov. 4 , Ryan will learn whether her actions as a trustee will lead to another four-year term or give voters a reason to hand the job to Hermosillo, a PTA vice president/treasurer at McCardle Elementary School and a classroom volunteer.
The job pays $1,500 a month, plus benefits.
The school board's duties include approving curriculum and setting policies for the district's 76,460 students -- most of whom live in poverty. The trustee seat up for grabs represents the Hoover High School area in northeast Fresno. The voting is districtwide, and there are 145,083 voters.
Ryan, a former Chicago schoolteacher, said she is best equipped for the job. She has a bachelor's degree in organizational behavior from the University of San Francisco and a paralegal certificate from the San Joaquin College of Law in Clovis. She also is a regional director for the Concord Coalition, a national group that monitors federal budget issues.
Her campaign has the support of several community leaders, including U.S. Rep. George Radanovich, Assembly Member Mike Villines, Fresno County Schools Superintendent Larry Powell and former Fresno Unified trustees Dick Johanson and Nancy Richardson.
Ryan also has the endorsements of the Fresno Citizens for Good Government, the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce and the California School Employees Association, which represents 2,500 food-service workers, classroom aides and other classified employees in Fresno Unified.
Hermosillo said Ryan's endorsements don't concern her. She said she has parents and teachers helping with her campaign, as well as Fresno City Council member and mayoral candidate Henry T. Perea, and the Central Valley Progressive PAC, a local civil rights group.
"I want to help children and give parents and teachers a voice," Hermosillo said.
Hermosillo, a graphic designer, has two children in Baird Middle School, but she spends more time at the school her children used to attend -- McCardle Elementary.
"I didn't want to leave them," Hermosillo said of the McCardle students.
If elected, Hermosillo said, she will work with Hanson, but she won't rely exclusively on Hanson or his administrators to give her answers on district issues.
"I am already in the classrooms. I see what's going on," Hermosillo said. "If I want answers, I will work hard to get the right information."
Hermosillo said Ryan showed poor judgment in giving Hanson a raise in January, from $205,00 to $277,000 annually. With benefits, Hanson's total package was $336,700 a year. It was Hanson's first raise since being hired in 2005.
"That seemed pretty excessive, especially since the state is in a financial crisis," Hermosillo said.
She also said Hanson has hired too many consultants to do such things as give leadership training to administrators and principals -- money that should have been spent in the classrooms.
Fresno Unified schools are so short-staffed, Hermosillo said, more parents should step up and take an active role in their children's education. "Being involved will keep our children safe and away from crime," she said.
Hermosillo said her biggest asset is that she is open-minded. "I don't have all the answers. I will listen and learn and do what's right.
"I like to see people succeed," she said.
Ryan said Hermosillo is a wonderful school volunteer. But Ryan said being the incumbent the past four years has given her a better understanding of the district's mission of making sure every child is prepared for college or the work force
"I am the best candidate," said Ryan, who was instrumental in hiring Hanson in 2005, when the state was poised to take over Fresno Unified because the district was in a financial mess. "I understood and worked for the fiscal reform efforts that led to the strong financial position we enjoy today."
In June this year, the school board adopted a nearly $702 million budget that protects student academic programs, maintains about $30 million in reserve and emphasizes campus safety.
Hanson has a saying that Ryan likes: "We are now at base camp. We can see the summit, but we aren't there yet."
Ryan said, "I owe it to my supporters to see it through."
The reporter can be reached at plopez@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6434.
To see more of The Fresno Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fresnobee.com
Copyright (c) 2008, The Fresno Bee, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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