Trustee Area 2: Mark Good

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By Mark Good

Mark Good

I am currently the Board President of the Gilroy Unified School District and have been honored to serve in this role twice.

During my time on the board we have significantly reduced the dropout rate and have been the recipient of numerous awards for our educational programs, including but not limited to the Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL), the Dual Immersion program, GATE program, Biomedical Science Academy, Computer Science Academy, Future Farmers of America, and the Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy.

Upon my election in 2008, the district had a dropout rate in the double digits which was a huge problem, leaving many of our students behind and unable to compete in the workplace. Subsequent to my election to the board, the dropout rate (for 2017-18) has been reduced to 4.5 percent, in comparison to the statewide rate of 6.7 percent, and 5.7 percent in Santa Clara County for the same time period.

Similarly, the graduation rate also improved significantly, and for the 2017-18 school year was 89.5 percent, as compared to the statewide rate of 87.3 percent, an increase of more than five percentage points in a five-year period. This demonstrates that our efforts to ensure that students are engaged and actively participating in school have been successful and have resulted in both positive gains in our graduation rates and a significant decline in dropout rates.

I believe that it is critically important to keep strong leadership on the board and ensure that the educational progress in our district continues moving forward. The district faces unprecedented challenges in terms of continuing to provide an excellent education for our students while keeping both our student population and staff safe amid the COVID-19 crisis, implementation of distance learning and the (hopefully soon) safe transition back to in-person learning.

My main priorities are to provide excellent educational opportunities for all students, to ensure the safety of students and staff, and to maintain good fiscal practices.

My background is in law, both as a retired police officer and practicing attorney. I humbly request your consideration for re-election Nov. 3.