by Kali Kim
OCT 9, 2018
Kali Kim, Candidate for the R. Roger Rowe School Board.
I grew up in Montana. After college, I moved to California and obtained my CPA license. My last professional position was with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Los Angeles office. In 2011, when our oldest child was getting close to school age, we decided to move to Rancho Santa Fe because of the school. I have a fifth grader, second grader and kindergartener currently at Roger Rowe.
Over the last seven years in Rancho Santa Fe, I served on the Village Church Children’s Ministry Commission and the DreamKeepers Project, Inc. Board. As my kids started attending Roger Rowe, I focused my time and energy volunteering at the school in the classroom and in various enrichment programs. I have actively supported the Rancho Santa Fe Education Foundation since our first child was in kindergarten, and I became a member of Scholar Circle three years ago.
I want to preserve the unique learning environment for all children in our District. This District is one of the few remaining pockets in California where children can attend a top-performing public school. I have been increasingly involved in the school over the five years we have been at Roger Rowe. I am the only candidate who has attended 16 of the last 21 Board meetings. I started attending the school Board meetings over a year ago to understand the issues. By attending these meetings, I learned about the challenges facing the Board, operations of the school, and financial health.
Because of this involvement, I am uniquely aware of the fiscal and administrative challenges facing the school. There are decisions being made that are negatively impacting the financial health of the school. After the former superintendent resigned, an interim superintendent was quickly appointed. Other than immediate promotions to fill in gaps on vacant administrative positions and hiring consultants, there is still little color given for these decisions or plan of action. I will make the tough choices to be fiscally responsible and put the dollars to work where it is most impactful: in the classroom.
A safe school is a place where learning can occur in a welcoming environment free of intimidation, violence, and fear. I will advocate to build an inclusive school community that is global in perspective, embracing transparency with impactful parent involvement. We are one community composed of many families representing a broad range of viewpoints, cultures and backgrounds. Every student should feel valued, included and respected.