Democratic candidate for St. Mary’s County School Board for District One, James Tomasic stopped by Baynet Radio and TheBAYNET.com to speak about the issues he feels strongly about when dealing with the educational needs of area students.

“First, as a parent, I am proud of the teachers and staff of St. Mary’s County Public Schools. These are the folks that make a daily difference in our children’s education,” said Tomasic. He feels that teachers, teaching assistants, administrators and everyone that works in any capacity for the school system are dedicated professionals who influence children’s lives on a daily basis and should be congratulated for their efforts.

When asked why he was running at this time against incumbent, Dr. Raspa, Tomasic stated, “I want to make our good schools even better. The role of the school board is not to run the schools but to ensure that schools are well run. We need to make sure our schools and our children are given the best opportunity to succeed. I believe that parent input and perspective is a critical component to the overall success of our schools, at all levels, from the bottom, to the top.”

The candidate and father of five said that there are no parents represented on the Board of Education and that parental oversight should be part of the process. “There are no parents on the board and I feel that because of the fiscal position we are in, a parental advocate would make a difference and make sure that what is needed is being done,” said Tomasic.

When discussing fiscal responsibility, Tomasic stated that parents, school board members, and administrators should take a hard look at their local public school district’s budget to make sure that the maximum amount of public school funds are spent on classroom instruction instead of non-instructional overhead.  “Fiscal responsibility includes covering the existing programs and forward planning to ensure new programs can be implemented and have the financial resources needed to succeed.”

Tomasic also stated that the BOE needs to be more accountable and more accessible to parents than the current system allows. “Right now parents get a maximum of three minutes to speak at a board meeting and there is no interaction right then. The board members listen and then respond at a later time, if they respond at all.”

He continued, “Communication needs to be often, open and collaborative. A communicative atmosphere with parents is necessary for the success of SMCPS.”

The flight test engineer feels strongly about technology and the way it is utilized and taught in the schools. “We are living in a technological age that is advancing at a rapid pace, and I feel that parents, teachers, administrators and board members would be doing an injustice by not preparing our children for the future.”

Tomasic understands that not every student should be pushed into a career in science or engineering, but the need to teach every student to use and apply technology in their lives is important. “I support technology advancements and its use in the classroom while meeting state teaching standards and also living within our budget constraints,” said Tomasic.

To learn more about Tomasic and his stance on education and his five step program he calls FACTS (financial responsibility, accountability, communication, technology and safe learning environment) visit his information Web site, http://tomasicboe2010.info.