Five Poway Unified school board candidates vying for two open seats
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Poway Unified School District trustees on voted unanimously to select new trustee boundaries changed after the 2020 census and further adjusted after a public meeting on Jan. 6 2022. |
Five Poway Unified school board candidates vying for two open seats – San Diego Union-Tribune
Five candidates are running for two open seats on the Poway Unified School District school board in the Nov. 5 election. [This will be the first time voting on trustees representing new seat boundaries adjusted in 2022 to reduce population variance among seats to 4.5%.]
The district’s five trustees serve four-year terms with elections staggered for half the board members every two years.
Voters will be choosing new trustees for Trustee Area A and Trustee Area E. [see interactive map of district schools, and trustee areas represented]
Trustee
Area A
Trustee Area A covers parts of 4S Ranch, Del Sur, Torrey Highlands and Rancho Penasquitos and is represented by Trustee Darshana Patel, who has declared her candidacy for state Assembly District 76.
The two candidates are educator and engineer Tim Dougherty and family physician Devesh Vashishtha.
Tim Dougherty Ballotpedia
Dougherty, 50, has been a San Diego resident for more than 20 years and has two children who attend district schools. He is a supply chain executive and engineer with more than 25 years of experience managing teams and budgets.
Dougherty also taught at the middle school, high school and college levels and currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board at University of San Diego’s School of Engineering.
Courtesy Tim Dougherty
Trustee Area A Candidate Tim Dougherty (Courtesy Tim Dougherty)In the past seven years, Dougherty has served as chairperson of a School Site Council and president of the PTA. He is also a member of the Rancho Penasquitos Town Council, where he said he has worked to connect the community and the school district.
“I’m focused on the fundamentals -– a refocus on academics in the classroom, the safety and wellness of teachers and students and fiscal responsibility,” Dougherty said in a statement. “These priorities are key to making our schools stronger and ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive. I’m committed to bringing this focus and dedication to everything I do within the district.”
Dougherty said Poway Unified’s biggest challenge is a significant budget shortfall and his priority will be addressing this and the financial strain it causes for staff and students.
“I believe in being strategic with our budget, exploring cost-saving measures, and finding additional funding sources where we can,” he said. “We need to make sure every dollar spent is directly benefiting our students, while also being transparent with the community about how we’re managing these challenges.”
Devesh Vashishtha Linkedin Ballotopedia
Vashishtha, 32, lives in Rancho Penasquitos with his wife and two young children. He earned three degrees from UC San Diego in political science, clinical research and medicine. As a community health center physician and medical director serving on two statewide policy committees, Vashishtha said he is comfortable navigating complex state and local systems to serve his patients.
“My highest priority for the campaign is addressing the budget shortfall, which will persist for the next several years,” Vashishtha wrote in a statement. “My experience as a medical director of a large clinic with approximately 35,000 visits per year gives me the financial understanding to help achieve this goal.”
Courtesy Devesh Vashishtha
Trustee Area A Candidate Devesh Vashishtha (Courtesy Devesh Vashishtha)Vashishtha said his ideas for addressing budget issues are to maintain adequate reserves and continuously look five years ahead to anticipate future challenges. He said he supports the way the school board has demonstrated fiscal responsibility by taking actions to refinance bonds to secure more favorable interest rates, sell unused parcels of land to generate revenue, and keep cuts away from the classroom when possible.
“At Poway Unified, we are facing challenges including a budget shortfall, the recent firing of our superintendent, and mental health struggles among our youth,” he said. “We require ethical leadership and policy expertise. We need somebody who will incorporate community input and maintain PUSD’s standing as a highly sought-after school district.”
Trustee Area E
Trustee Area E, which covers parts of Poway and Sabre Springs, is currently represented by Cindy Sytsma, who is the incumbent seeking re-election. Her challengers are consumer advocate attorney David Cheng and engineer Craig Pond.
David Cheng Ballotpedia
Cheng, 48, is a 14-year resident of Sabre Springs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from University of California, Irvine; an MBA from Yale University and a juris doctor degree from the University of San Diego.
Courtesy David Cheng
Trustee Area E Candidate David Cheng (Courtesy David Cheng)As a parent of children in the Poway district, Cheng said he is “concerned and disappointed” that Poway Unified experienced another scandal on top of a continuing budget crisis.
“With a shortfall of $28 million, the PUSD Board needs more than good educators,” Cheng wrote in a candidate statement. “We also need experienced leaders with financial and legal expertise to guide PUSD through these challenging times.”
Cheng said he has held finance-related leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies and for the past nine years has provided financial and legal leadership to the Sabre Springs South Homeowners Association, which represents more than 1,300 homes.
“A top-tier school district benefits our children’s future, boosts the local economy and enhances property values,” Cheng said. “But this is only possible if we have effective leadership at the board level.”
Craig Pond
Pond, 64, has been a Poway resident for 33 years and has seven children who have attended Poway Unified schools.
The software engineer of 40 years who has a bachelor’s degree in computer science said he has volunteered for many years with children and youth in athletics, scouting, performing arts and church.
Courtesy Craig Pond
Trustee Area E Candidate Craig Pond (Courtesy Craig Pond)Pond said he is concerned about the school district’s responsibility to the community and parents. He said he has seen parents and students present issues to the Poway Unified school board without action being taken.
“PUSD is an award-winning district that needs a board with strength and discipline to maintain its stellar reputation,” Pond wrote in a candidate statement.
Cindy Sytsma Ballotpedia
Sytsma, 49, has been a resident of the Garden Road neighborhood of Poway for 22 years.
Sytsma said she attended Poway Unified schools from kindergarten through grade 12. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology, two teaching credentials, a master’s degree in education, and a Ph.D. in human services.
Courtesy Cindy Sytsma
Trustee Area E Incumbent Cindy Sytsma (Courtesy Cindy Sytsma)The incumbent currently teaches for the University of Massachusetts Global in the Department of Special Education.
Previously, Sytsma served as a San Diego County correctional deputy, taught students in general/special education, designed a learning center for struggling readers, worked in case management and opened an alternative high school. The National University professor has taught credentialing and juvenile/criminal justice courses.
Additionally, she has been a PTA and school library volunteer, served as a room parent for 10 years, been a running club coordinator for eight years, and currently serves as second vice president of programs at Poway High School.
“I have proven to be committed to building relationships across all campuses,” said Sytsma, who has also volunteered with Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Little League. “The countless hours spent on campuses have allowed me to see the disrepair, limited availability of resources and challenges staff face. However, I have seen how amazing things happen when the community works together to bridge the gaps.”
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