Jacob Thiel

Jacob Thiel

Contact

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Jacob Thiel was a candidate for at-large representative on the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District school board in California. Thiel was defeated in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.

Elections

2017

See also: San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District elections (2017)

Three of the five seats on the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District board of trustees in California were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. No incumbents filed to run in this race, which guaranteed three new members were elected to the board. Noelia Corzo, Alexander Haislip, Rebecca Hitchcock, Shiraz Zack Kanga, Thomas Morgan, Jacob Thiel, and Shara Watkins ran for the open seats. Corzo, Hitchcock, and Watkins won the election.

Results

San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Shara Watkins	25.35%	7,201
Noelia Corzo	21.46%	6,095
Rebecca Hitchcock	15.83%	4,497
Shiraz Zack Kanga	12.12%	3,441
Thomas Morgan	11.36%	3,225
Alexander Haislip	6.96%	1,977
Jacob Thiel	6.92%	1,965
Total Votes		28,401
Source: San Mateo County Elections, "My Results: SAN MATEO-FOSTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT MEMBERS, GOVERNING BOARD," accessed November 8, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District elections

Thiel filed an exemption form detailing he would not spend or receive more than $2,000 for this campaign. Because of this, he did not have to file additional campaign finance reports.

Endorsements

Thiel was endorsed by The San Mateo Daily Journal.

Campaign themes

2017

Thiel highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:

“	Budget and Taxes Budget bottom line – we can’t operate with a structural deficit and need to be better at communicating how the budget works. We need to solve for the underlying issues now and not wait and hope things will be better in 2 years when we've run out of money. The fact that we’re in this situation after years of a booming local economy is unbelievable and unacceptable. Taxes bottom line - I support an increase in taxes if we can clearly communicate that we're underfunded and why a tax increase is the best option to close the gap between the current situation and what our community wants for our students. We need more transparency into the budget. While it may be inherently complex due to regulation, the way it is currently presented needs to be improved so that more people can easily understand it. The new OpenGov system is helpful in that it provides more direct access to the data in a more visual way, but more work still needs to be done to turn that data into a story people can understand. We can't expect individuals to figure it out on their own, We need a narrative that uses the data and charts to support the story. We need to be able to improve without relying solely on tax increases. This means finding low and no-cost solutions to solve our problems and improve the district. Hiring more people or spending more money isn’t the only answer. The worst thing we can do is increase taxes and yet see no improvements. While more money may help is some cases, the greatest impact and benefits can come from changes in curriculum and delivery style. As a parent and individual, it's easy to say I support a parcel tax. It's a lot harder to ask other people for their money. Before presuming we need a new tax, we need to clearly show that the current budget is well managed, more money is still needed, and we have a plan for how it will be used. There are already too many taxes and adding another one can put an unfair burden on senior citizens, others living on a fixed income, and low income families. Other income sources and cost saving measures should be explored and evaluated for their sustainability and ability to meet our needs. If other avenues are exhausted then a compelling case needs to be made with clear expectations for how additional taxes will be used. A few examples that, if true, may help make the case for more taxes might include: Signs we need more money Our per student spend is less than the national average (or other meaningful benchmarks - for example, other districts we want to emulate) Our per student spend as a percentage of mean or median income is less than desired Local high schools spend nearly twice as much per student than our district Neighboring districts spend anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 times per student than we do Neighboring districts have a parcel tax that is greater than ours Our teachers’ total compensation is significantly less what neighboring districts are offering Our administrators’ and district employees’ total compensations are significantly less what neighboring districts are offering We have higher teacher turnover than our neighbors and see our teachers leaving to work close by We’re unable to fill vacant positions or do not have a sufficient pipeline of qualified candidates We’re not offering the programs our community desires and our children need to succeed in the future Signs we’ve already done a lot to find non-tax income Our relative income from grants is higher than neighboring districts Our relative income from donations from charities and corporations is higher than neighboring districts Our relative income from parent donations is higher than neighboring districts Signs we’re already doing more with less Our students are doing better (multitude of metrics) Our student to teacher ratio is one of the highest in the area Our school administrator to teacher ratio is one of the lowest in the area Our district staff to school administrator and teacher ratios are some of the lowest in the area We’re offering programs other districts aren’t We have the latest and greatest technology We have better parent engagement and are enabling parents to achieve their personal and professional goals We’re providing more free or discounted services to students from low income families than schools in neighboring districts Communicate the benefits of better schools to taxpayers without children in the district. It needs to be real and immediate – not just say 'children are our future…' Increased property value – neighborhoods with better schools are more desirable Reduced crime – engaged students are less likely to be involved in criminal behavior Improved labor pool – over time, children from our district will look for jobs and be better enabled to support the local economy If we can make a compelling case for an increase in taxes, then community support should be relatively easy if we have a good marketing and communication plan to support it. Polling should be used to test the messaging, but the right questions need to be asked. We shouldn't start by asking how much they're willing to pay, but instead ask for feedback on the priorities we outline and then tell people how much that will cost and continue to refine the priorities from there. We should then consider all options and find the best way to increase taxes. A few ideas to explore include: percentage based parcel tax, not a fixed amount - this will allow the amount the district gets to more easily adjust to inflation and it keeps it more fair by aligning what people pay to what they can afford (for example, if it stays fixed and everyone pays $300, that amount is a much greater percentage for someone that bought their home for $200k than it is for someone that paid $2m) permanent tax - taxes for a specified duration make sense if we have a one time need, but the case that will be made for increasing taxes will likely be to fund ongoing operations that do not have an end date, so why should the tax senior citizen exemption (if possible) higher commercial rate - reduce some of the burden on residents by having a higher rate for commercial properties sales tax increase - instead of or in addition to parcel taxes to help reduce the burden on residents new development tax - reduce some of the burden on residents by increasing permit or other fees associated with large multi-family or commercial developments We also need to be creative in how we solve for this and all options need to be on the table. This includes both finding ways to increase income and reduce expenses. Raising taxes is one way to increase income, but there are others. For example: Greater share of existing taxes. Work with the cities, county, and state to make significant changes Make it easier to receive donations (online, recurring payments) More assertive in seeking grants (this could mean not relying on volunteers but actually have someone at the district dedicated to finding money) More assertive in seeking donations from charities, foundations, local business, and corporations (both monetary and non-monetary – including classroom material, technology, etc) Establish matching funds programs More assertive in asking parents for money – almost any significant donation amount would still be less expensive than what they may have paid for day care or would pay for at a private school Encourage and enable parents and the community to donate through their employer where they may be able to obtain a matching amount and essentially double the donation More creative in partnering with organizations. For example, Code.org or Junior Achievement More creative in creating learning opportunities for students that also benefit the school or district. For example, instead or in addition to OpenGov, create a project for students to build similar or better functionality with tools like Tableau Learn from other efforts to provide a great education at a lower cost. For example, this IDEO project Teacher Support We should hire the best teachers possible and work to retain the good ones through recognition and rewards. Children will learn more when teachers are happy. Teachers are happy when their personal needs are met, work in a positive environment, and have the support they need from the administration and the district. Teacher compensation and affordable housing are critical issues that need to be addressed. The fact that teachers are working without a contract or current collective bargaining agreement is unacceptable. All options need to be on the table to come up with a long-term sustainable solution. The district should continue to explore and quickly come to a resolution on how to provide affordable housing on district property and shared locations with other government agencies. The district should also work to understand what teachers need beyond compensation and housing, because once those financial needs are met, the argument won’t go away, it will just shift. For example, teachers may need more frequent and better training or greater flexibility. Trust between teachers and the district needs to be rebuilt. Teachers need to feel like their concerns are heard and are being addressed, not dismissed. A better explanation of the budget and discussion of the priorities within that budget might help. It could also help to re-set expectations; a misalignment of what the district and teachers expect from each other may be at the root of the current issues. If it has been left undocumented or unsaid then each side may be making assumptions based on some sense of a perceived social contract. At a minimum, teachers need a seat at the table to discuss critical issues and be a part of developing the solution. Special Needs The district needs to improve how we support children with special needs. That starts with identification and early intervention. Our district has a significantly lower than average identification rate. This means that students are not only lacking the support they need, they nor their parents even know that they need help. Left unidentified and unassisted, these students will struggle, not know why, and will be more likely to give up and start acting out. Early intervention can help these students overcome their challenges and in some cases enable them to outperform their peers in the same subjects they struggled with early on. So much of our education system is based on building upon what was previously learned. If children don't have a solid foundation and begin to fall behind it becomes harder and harder to recover as they progress. One simple answer to help overcome this challenge is more training. All teachers should be trained to identify and support children with special needs. Children with more extreme cases are in the minority and are likely identified and get support from a specialist. The majority of students with special needs may be harder to identify, so we need to cast a wider net and enable our teachers to detect the signals and consult with specialists and parents to determine the best course of action. Having all our teachers trained to support children with special needs will also enable a more inclusive environment. Students requiring less support may never need to leave the classroom. Students requiring more support will be more successful if they are in the same classroom as other children their age and have the general education teacher more aware of their needs and more able to adjust their style to help support. Techniques used to help children with special needs can benefit all students. Many of the techniques are just good training for active listening, self-awareness, and social skills; all relevant to all students and critical for being successful in the workplace of the future. Unfortunately, with a heavy emphasis on academic success, soft skills are often sacrificed and underdeveloped. If we can train all our teachers, we change that for all students, and give our children an advantage. In addition to more training, we also need to find other low or no-cost ways to enable children with special needs. Minor modifications to classrooms can enable more inclusive environments which reduce the overall cost of supporting children with special needs. Achievement Gap and Parental Support The achievement gap will never close unless we do something fundamentally different. More homework, teaching to the test, or just raising our expectations will not work. The current approach appears to be a patch work of band-aid like programs that treat the symptoms. We need to look for and treat the underlying causes, including: relying too much on parents and teaching our students based on what and how we want to teach, not based on what and how they want to learn. In short, we need to teach children at school while parents are working and allow them to just go home and be kids. It's no surprise school districts from wealthy areas perform better on tests. It's not about the school, it's about the parents. Parents in wealthy areas aren't better people or love their children more, it's just that they have the time, resources, and experience to help their children. They have the means to find a way to get their kids the support they need. The fact that their schools also have more money is a bonus that gives them even more of an advantage and compounds the problem. Our system currently caters to those parents and even worse expects all parents by default to act in that way. We have one-off programs to support those in need. We need to flip our mindset and assume that parents that don't have the time, money, or experience to help their children in school. Then by exception work with the parents that do and help make our schools even better. All children will benefit, not just the ones we are trying to close the gap for. As we explore ideas on how to do this, we should look to other districts in our area, around the country, and around the world that have been successful. We can then take what we like from each and apply what makes sense for our district and schools. Some may not be practical or desired, but we should at least discuss the following ideas: Changing the calendar to support working parents (fewer mid-semester breaks, summer school by default, etc) Changing the daily schedule to support working parents (extended days with nap times, more play integrated, etc) Automatic enrollment in after school programs (you'd have to opt out to take your child home at the end of the day) Better communication including a centralized system that can push information via email, text message, phone, social media, etc (with the default set to receive all and allow parents to remove what they don't want) Weekly status update email – general recap of week, plan for next week, announcements, individual performance on assignments, and individual issues or accomplishments Language preferences for parents (contact parents using their preferred language) Early communication and outreach to parents so they are aware of the district programs and school choices (including magnet schools) Early identification of students with special needs More teachers trained for special education More counseling to help with children address challenges at school and home Fresh, healthy, and good tasting meals provided by default to everyone Enhanced curriculum that motivates students to want to learn (see What and how we should teach)	”
—Jacob Thiel (2017)

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Jacob Thiel San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Jacob Thiel - Google News

See also

• San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, California
• San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District elections (2017)

External links

Suggest a link

• San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District
• Campaign website