CFTA Council Endorses Breanna Lafontaine and Pete Cerneka for the CUSD School Board
As we approach the upcoming school board election with all of our community’s kids’ best interests at heart, it is crucial that we carefully consider the general performance of the school district and its board of trustees over the past few years, and identify the support for and retention of teachers on the Coastside as the defining issue of the present moment. It is evident that there is a lack of trust in the current school board, not only from the teachers, but also from the community at large. After thorough evaluation of the candidates by the Education Subcommittee, the CFTA Council endorses Breanna Lafontaine for Area B and Pete Cerneka for Area D.
Read the full endorsement statement below, or in this PDF document. You can find out more about 2024 CUSD School Board candidates Pete Cerneka and Breanna Lafontaine at their campaign websites:
Area B: Breanna Lafontaine
In a time when CUSD faces both unprecedented challenges and potential for opportunity, Breanna Lafontaine stands out as a leader committed to building the trust and fostering an enriching and equitable learning environment for all students.
Proven Track Record of Involvement
Breanna's commitment to our schools is evident through her active participation in multiple district committees, including the Bond and Parcel Tax Oversight Committee and School Site Council. Breanna was also the PTO president of El Granada Elementary for 4 years. This hands-on involvement has given her invaluable insights into the workings of our district and the needs of our school community.
Fiscal Responsibility and Fundraising Success
In these challenging times, Breanna's focus on maintaining a budget that prioritizes student outcomes and educators while adhering to County fiscal recommendations is crucial. Her experience is not just theoretical – Breanna has demonstrated her financial acumen by:
• Co-leading the successful Measure I parcel tax campaign
• Securing $1.6 million in funding for our district and educators
This achievement showcases her ability to rally community support and secure vital resources for our schools.
Addressing Key Challenges
Breanna recognizes the pressing issues facing our district, including:
1. Lack of trust in the school board
2. Budget mismanagement
3. Teacher retention
Her background in oversight committees and successful fundraising campaigns positions her uniquely to tackle these challenges head-on. Breanna's approach combines fiscal responsibility with a deep understanding of educator needs, which is essential for rebuilding trust and improving teacher retention.
Conclusion
Breanna Lafontaine's blend of experience, fiscal responsibility, and commitment to our schools makes her the right candidate for the school board. Her election would bring a much-needed perspective to address our district's challenges and ensure a brighter future for our students and educators. Her leadership will be instrumental in steering our district towards success and stability.
Area D: Pete Cerneka
Pete Cerneka would be a newcomer to the school board but he is not new to Education and is currently employed as the Program Director at Haas Center for Public Service. We were heartened by his desire to serve our school district and by his commitment to help improve teacher compensation, financial integrity and outcomes for all our students. We also appreciate his open-ness to learning this role and his willingness to take in the perspectives of a variety of stakeholders. While he is at the beginning of his school board learning curve, we were invigorated by the fact that he fully recognizes the crisis that the school district is in, and represents the infusion of fresh ideas that this school board so desperately needs.
Public Service
Pete brings with him a career dedicated to public service. With over 20 years immersed in education, he is currently working with Stanford students to meet principles of ethical and effective service through his work at the Haas Center for Public Service. This life-long commitment to civic engagement and desire to bring our community together after unprecedented divisiveness aligns with our aspirations of making the San Mateo Coast a more welcoming, supportive, active, and empowering place for children and families.
Prioritization of Focus
Pete’s priorities reflect the pressing issues as we see them:
Invest in teachers - address teacher compensation and retention
Improve the board’s financial integrity and transparency
Address below-average learning outcomes for all students, but especially for students of color and English learners.
He acknowledges the interconnectivity of these. That the first will take more than just what will be found by the second. And the third is even more challenging without the first two.
And Pete knows that his vision (of a vibrant, effective, and equitable school district, doing an excellent job educating its students, giving them the knowledge and skills needed to develop careers and be good and engaged community members and citizens) can not be achieved without also addressing inequities in funding at the state and county levels, as well as acknowledging all the community does to raise funds to fill in gaps via parents and partners.
Conclusion
Peter Cerneka’s blend of public service, focus on civic engagement, and commitment to important priorities makes him the right candidate for the Cabrillo Unified School board in 2024. His election would bring a much-needed fresh perspective to address our district's challenges and ensure a brighter future for our students and educators. His leadership will help in steering our district towards success and stability.
After building trust of fiduciary responsibility, there will be more work to do, for example getting the district’s parcel tax right. We hear Pete’s understanding of complexity and recognize it will take energy from all of us and our elected officials to address the various issues.
We believe him to be fully capable of growing into the role of school board trustee, rolling up his sleeves, partnering and digging into the important opportunities ahead for our community schools. CFTA endorses Pete Cerneka’s candidacy for Area D.
