Why GRCAR for Trustee?
Dr. Grcar will bring unique experience and perspective to the Board of Trustees. A Mathematics Ph.D. with a career in high-tech, he understands the tech industries where many students find jobs here, and he also knows the universities where many students complete four-year degrees. All current Trustees have experience only in classroom education. As your Area 4 Trustee, Dr. Grcar pledges to prioritize:
Educating for Tomorrow's Workforce. Dr. Grcar sees the importance of preparing students for jobs of the future. He supports expanding STEM programs and vocational training, ensuring our graduates are ready for the evolving job market. For example, the Tesla company has a Manufacturing Development Program, which offers jobs to students after they learn electronics and robotics at Ohlone College in Fremont, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, and Laney College in Oakland—but NOT at our Chabot or Las Positas Colleges in Hayward and Livermore. What is wrong with this map?
Quality Higher Education. With an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, Dr. Grcar will champion initiatives to enhance curriculum, attract top-tier faculty, and improve student experiences. Crucial to ensuring success are metrics to quantify performance. The average student-teacher ratio among California community colleges is 20:1, but Las Positas College has 22:1, and Chabot College is even worse at 24:1. Further, only a little more than half of the highest-paid college employees—earning over $100,000 per year—are classroom teachers. What is wrong with this picture?
Fiscal Responsibility. A scientist trained to make decisions based on facts, Dr. Grcar will be a vigilant steward of taxpayer dollars. Voters approved $1 billion in construction bonds, much of which has not been issued and will expire in a few years. However, enrollments declined during the pandemic and have not recovered. Moreover, the trend is to have fewer Californians of student age, and much instruction is now performed over the internet, such as by Zoom. Are buildings a wise investment at this time?
Active, Participatory Democracy. You may not know community college Trustees are elected, because the last Trustee election in Area 4 was 2002. Trustees are usually appointed when one retires in mid-term, and then, nobody runs against the incumbents, who are returned to office without appearing on a ballot. In fact, Dr. Reynoso in Area 1 is the only currently serving Trustee who has ever been elected. By challenging the never-elected incumbent in Area 4, Dr. Grcar is restoring your right to vote for a Trustee.
I am troubled by some of this data.