Photograph by George Sakkestad
School board candidate Otis Halliday Jr. is a retired teacher.
This is the first of three profiles on candidates for the Fremont Union High School District Board of Trustees.
By LESTER CHANG
Whenever school board candidate Otis Halliday Jr. hears about the stalemate in teacher contract talks, he bristles.
Halliday was motivated to make his premiere run for public office after witnessing 10 months of fruitless negotiations between educators and administrators. The two sides reached an impasse over salaries and benefits that, despite the introduction of a mediator, remains unresolved.
"I am frustrated because something can be done, and I feel I am the one who can make a difference," he said.
If the San Jose resident wins a seat on the five-member board Nov. 5, Halliday said, he would bring to the board his strengths as a teacher of 38 years.
Halliday taught in Texas and in Germany for eight years, then became a math teacher at Lynbrook High School, where he taught for 27 years before retiring in 1993. He has taught math at De Anza College since then.
"Most of the present board members have management backgrounds, whereas I have the practical experience of teaching," he said. "I can bring a balance."
Halliday insists he isn't a one-issue candidate.
Yet, during an interview with The Courier, his thoughts frequently turned to the stalled contract talks between the Fremont Union High School District and the Fremont Education Association.
The district a proposes a 6.38 percent salary boost, a three-year contract and a health plan in which teachers can select services. The FEA proposes a 12.3 percent salary increase, a one-year contract and full health benefits offered by the district now.
"The district isn't getting the viewpoint of the people on the firing line--the teachers," Halliday said. "The situation that exists is that teachers are angry, students are confused, and parents are upset. Contract talks break down in other districts, but this district seems to have more difficulty in resolving its contract issues. I hope to change things around as a board member."
Halliday proposes to:
* decentralize the district administration office and get more input from teachers in the implementation of programs;
* rebuild trust among the board, parents, students, educators and district staff; and
* push for wiser spending of district funds.
Halliday said the district foolishly paid $450,000 to an attorney to represent the district in the contract talks. That amount would have covered a 2.5 percent raise for district teachers, he added.
The district has maintained that it needs legal services to represent its side in the contract talks.
Of the 400 or so teachers employed by the district, 100 will retire in the next five to 10 years. "Without the right salaries, how are we going continue to hire the best teachers and maintain our position as one of the best school districts in California?" Halliday asked.
Halliday also proposes reducing class sizes. Some classes have a 35-to-1 student-teacher ratio, he said, adding, "I feel the most effective way to improve education is by reducing the class size."
Because campaign funds are limited, Halliday plans to get his message out through a door-to-door campaign, an inexpensive but time-consuming tactic to reach voters.
Halliday has a bachelor of arts degree in pre-medicine from Rice University, and a master's and bachelor's degree in math from the University of Texas.
He was drawn to the Fremont Union High School district in 1966 because of the district's reputation for academic excellence.
During his teachng days at Lynbrook High, Halliday served as head of the school's math department for eight years.
Halliday has kept busy since retirement. He has a passion for racquetball and tries to play three times a week. He also loves to watch sports on television.
He is a 29-year member of the Grace United Methodist Church in Saratoga.
His new life away from education has been comfortable, but he is eager to jump back into the arena of education, as a board member.
"Why not?" he asked. "Somebody has got to turn things around in the district."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 16, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.