Poppenga brings informed perspectives
By Brandon Bridges
I am supporting Bob Poppenga for DJUSD trustee.
As a teacher in a neighboring district, I have worked with many school administrators and school board members.
Bob Poppenga has impressed me with his knowledge about educational issues, and ability to listen carefully and think both critically and creatively. Add to this his ability to follow through and get things done.
Importantly, too, I’ve observed that his interest in serving has nothing to do with ambitions for himself, but rather is grounded in his sincere commitment to improving our schools for the next generation. He is a supremely well-qualified candidate for this role, and I believe we are lucky that he is willing to serve.
As a teacher, and a parent of two children in this district, I wholeheartedly support Bob Poppenga for DJUSD board member.
New ideas for Davis schools
By Sarah Zhu and David Tang
One of the main reasons we moved to Davis in 2005 is the reputation of its public schools. We like that there are a variety of programs to meet individual student needs and the overall emphasis on providing a quality education.
In the time that we’ve been here, we’ve observed that while there are many strong points to our schools, there are also many significant issues that will require thoughtful analysis, genuine community engagement and a collaborative approach to finding the best solutions.
Some of these issues include being able to attract and retain high-quality teachers and staff, having stronger career-technical and STEAM programs, and ensuring that all children are sufficiently challenged and supported to achieve their highest potentials.
Upon meeting and getting to know Bob Poppenga, we are impressed by his thoughtfulness and willingness to consider new ideas and perspectives, and are confident that he truly understands the complexities and challenges facing the Davis school district in the years ahead.
We need more trustees like Bob Poppenga on the Davis school board. Please join us in voting for Bob Poppenga!
He has innovative, inclusive vision
By Jessica Chabot
In Bob Poppenga, we Davis residents have an important opportunity to have a school board member who is not only a university scientist and a teaching faculty member, but also a Davis parent actively committed, for years, to the education of Davis students.
Voters should support Poppenga both because of his vision and because of his proven ability to act on that vision.
His vision is long-term and inclusive: Bob supported the Yolo County initiative for universal preschool, and hopes to see it revived soon. He supports the important goal of having all third-grade kids reading at grade level. He points out that reading well by third grade is a determinant of academic success at every other stage.
His vision is innovative: As a member of the executive board of Explorit, he proposes partnering with Explorit to bring its excellent, engaging science programs to the Davis schools.
He supports developing coherent advancing subject pathways, such as in animal science, beginning early and resulting in internships for juniors and seniors in our schools.
He takes action on advancing the educational goals of students: He is working now toward developing one of the few paid science internships for our high school students. Imagine the excitement of these first interns in vet medicine at UC Davis!
His real-world teaching and leadership experience, as well as long-standing commitment to education in Davis, will enhance his work with other board members, staff and community.
A vote for Bob Poppenga is a vote for a brighter future for our students.
Better schools with Bob Poppenga
By Walter Fulde
I have got to know Bob Poppenga over the past year and am consistently impressed by his commitment to our schools and our community. Bob is thoughtful and considers the long view when making decisions.
His background in science and education will make him a unique and exceptionally well qualified board member. I believe he would bring new ideas and a fresh voice to the Davis school board.
As a parent of a 6-year-old, I am very interested in the future of the Davis school system and want our tradition of excellence in education to continue. Please join me in voting for Bob Poppenga for Davis school board.
Poppenga brings STEM expertise
By Alicia Sullivan
Having become acquainted with Bob Poppenga over the course of his school board campaign, I am confident he will bring an inclusive and evidenced-based approach to program reviews and in making decisions that affect the lives of many children and parents in our school district.
Monitoring the real-life outcomes of those decisions and a willingness to follow up with positive adjustments are other qualities he would bring to the table.
As the only scientist on the board, I think he would be bring some much-needed perspectives for improving the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula that need to be strengthened if we are to help our students become more competitive in a global economy. He clearly sees the potential for building a formal career-technical program to help those students who are not college-bound.
And by his own initiative, Bob has worked to create new partnerships with the world-class university in our midst and numerous other community resources to provide further learning opportunities for our students.
Making these and other improvements to our schools for long-term success requires a collaborative approach and genuine community engagement. I believe Bob would be fair-minded and balanced in how he works with others to tackle the challenges ahead and in identifying key opportunities for improvement. Please join me in supporting Bob Poppenga for school board!
