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Two Vie for Schools Chief Job: Auburn Consultant Faces Colfax Superintendent in the June 6 Election.

Posted on: Thursday, 23 March 2006, 12:00 CST

By Kim Minugh, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Mar. 23--Two local educators are vying to be Placer County's next schools chief. Gayle Garbolino-Mojica and David Swart are running for the post of county superintendent of schools. The race will be decided in the June 6 primary. Alfred "Bud" Nobili, who has held the position for the past eight years, will retire after his second term runs out at year's end. The county superintendent oversees the education of 62,000 students in more than 100 schools throughout the county. Through the Placer County Office of Education, the superintendent also is responsible for educating more than 3,000 children and adults in Regional Occupation, special education, independent home study and alternative education programs. According to the office's Web site, the superintendent provides "fiscal oversight and financial advice, technical assistance, curriculum and instruction support, staff development and legal assistance." Following is an introduction to the candidates and their philosophies. Gayle Garbolino-Mojica Gayle Garbolino-Mojica remembers working as a child on her father's campaign for municipal court judge. Four years ago, she helped her mother campaign for a spot on the Roseville City Council. Now, the 36-year-old Roseville resident is heading up her own campaign, putting into practice the lessons learned from her parents. "Being an elected official is the highest form of public service," Garbolino-Mojica said. Citing her family's legacy as public servants, she added, "I'm setting a model for my children." Garbolino-Mojica currently serves as superintendent of the Colfax Elementary School District, which serves about 560 students at Colfax Elementary and three students in the one-room Iowa Hill School. She said her experience managing the district for the past four years will enable her to fulfill what she sees as the county superintendent's two main roles: holding school districts accountable, particularly in regard to finances, and providing individual districts with program support, such as special education and staff development. She also plans to be an advocate for and "champion of" education in Placer County. Her platform consists of supporting "innovative education," promoting school safety and making sure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively. Garbolino-Mojica began her educational career as an elementary school teacher in Santa Barbara. She later worked as a teacher, assistant principal and program support specialist for the Western Placer Unified School District in Lincoln. She then served as principal of Colfax Elementary before being tapped as district superintendent. The county superintendent's position, she said, blends her passion for education with her desire to serve the community as an elected official. "For me, it was a very nice, complementary, logical next step," she said. Garbolino-Mojica lives in Roseville with her husband, Ed Mojica, and sons Jack, 10, and Max, 5. She enjoys traveling, cooking, entertaining and the theater. She shares Sunday night dinners with her parents, Gina Garbolino and retired Superior Court Judge James Garbolino, and her sister. She joked that instead of chatting about the latest episode of "Survivor," the family discusses the Brown Act and Robert's Rules of Order. David Swart Of all the jobs he has held in education, David Swart said he most enjoyed being a principal. The post allowed him to serve as a leader while working closely with children. His favorite moments were those spent in the classroom among adoring children all clamoring for Mr. Swart's attention. Becoming superintendent of schools would take him further from the classroom, but there's a plus side: "You can have a greater impact on kids," said Swart, a 54-year-old Auburn resident. "I feel the work I (would) do has a tremendous impact on kids' lives." As a consultant with the nonprofit Educational Testing Services, Swart travels across the country to help school districts improve students' test performance. Previously, Swart spent 14 years as an elementary, middle and high school teacher. He then served as a principal in Susanville and later at Auburn's Rock Creek Elementary School, which had more than 900 students. Swart served six years as assistant superintendent of instructional services for the Auburn Union Elementary School District, which then had 2,800 students. He also spent two years as a consultant for two major educational textbook companies. With that background, Swart said he would bring an emphasis on teaching and learning to the superintendent's role, beyond the job's financial duties. The position, he said, will require courage and conviction, both of which he can offer. "It's so important for the future of Placer County to have the right person in this position," he said. "It's going to be crucial that someone has vision." Swart also said the next county superintendent must be willing to take risks - such as being an advocate for education on the state level. For example, he said he would push for more equitable funding among schools with growing and declining enrollments - both of which exist within the county. Though shrinking districts must be fiscally responsible, Swart said, they often must cut programs to stay afloat, forcing them to provide a lesser educational opportunity. That can drive families away from public education, which has dire consequences, he said. "I think when public schools fail, democracy fails," he said. Swart lives in Auburn with his wife, Edna, and sons Brian, 16, and Chris, 14. He enjoys sharing time with family and playing tennis. An avid pianist, Swart plays in a seven-piece country band and does solo gigs at community events and on a volunteer basis in retirement homes. ------------ MORE INFORMATION To learn more about the candidates, visit: www.voteforgayle.com or www.davidswart.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

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Source: The Sacramento Bee

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