A retired high school special education teacher and lifelong Willow Glen resident, Myers has served on the school board for two four-year terms. The 61-year-old said she initially became interested in serving on the school board because she believed drawing upon her educational expertise could contribute to the improvement of local schools.

Myers said an educational background is an important attribute in a school board candidate. "If you have no educational knowledge, so much can slip by you," she said. "You don't necessarily realize the impact your decisions have in the classroom."

After spending eight years making decisions that affect classrooms in Willow Glen, Myers said she is familiar with the issues. And she is running again because she believes her experience makes her a powerful advocate for Willow Glen schools.

At the forefront of her focus, Myers said, is one of the most pressing issues facing Willow Glen schools today—the declining population of neighborhood children.

"We need to retain and attract neighborhood families," she said. "We need to go back to neighborhood schools and provide adequate funding for those schools."

Although Myers believes parents and students should have the ability to select a school, she also said that the option should be limited to improved neighborhood schools.

"Students can go to Willow Glen middle and high schools and get a good education," she said. "Some degree of choice is important, but when you allow more than 50 percent of neighborhood children to leave, that isn't choice. That's flight."

Another issue about which Myers is strongly vocal pertains to the allocation of desegregation money to Willow Glen schools. She said Willow Glen is not receiving a fair percentage of those dollars.

"We need a larger portion of the desegregation dollars to support our large English-as-a-second-language population," she said. "We need programs for these kids, smaller class sizes, and training for teachers. We don't have the programs or money right now to deal with the situation."

But Myers said poor allocation of desegregation money is not restricted to Willow Glen schools. She said the high cost of busing children to schools outside their neighborhood would be better spent on providing programs for struggling students across the district.

"We need to eliminate busing," she said. "Downtown San Jose needs the same quality schools as other areas. We need to allocate desegregation resources better."

In a time when resources throughout the district are low due to budget cuts and declining enrollment, Myers said she realizes cuts are unavoidable. School closures, she said, are necessary. One area, however, she said, that could be run more cost effectively is special education.

"We don't want to cut any programs or funding, but there is room to be more fiscally responsible," she said. "We can provide more effective programs, train teachers, and manage current costs more efficiently. I think the district is making a concerted effort to evaluate programs and estimate costs."

Myers said she would also like to see the district put more resources into Willow Glen schools. And as a member of the school board, she says she will promote the interests of Willow Glen students and struggling students throughout the district.

"I am proud to live in Willow Glen," she said. "We have wonderful schools and great kids, but we need more money. I will keep fighting for desegregation money and making sure it is spent on the students who need it most. And with my educational background, I am qualified to do that."

Pamela Foley, on the other hand, does not believe a background in education is a prerequisite for being an effective school board member. The 45-year-old mother of a third-grader owns E.F. Foley and Company Inc., a mortgage brokerage.

"I work with investors and large amounts of money. I look at financial situations and determine the best way to go from a fiscal standpoint. I've dealt with a large variety of people, read financial statements, and dealt with big budgets. When you run a business, you have lots of experience to draw on."

In addition to running her own business, Foley has also worked with numerous organizations. She served as president of Women and Their Children's Housing, a nonprofit organization that offers transitional housing to victims of domestic violence. Foley was also president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors.

"All of my volunteer and business experience has given me an interest in and ability to develop a vision and help an organization move forward," she said.

She would like to utilize her experiences in aiding Willow Glen middle and high schools in defining their vision.

"To set a vision, you have to get all the stakeholders involved," she said. "The vision doesn't come from a school board member; it comes from a coalition of people. You need to build a relationship with the community at large—not just parents, but business owners and property owners as well."

This, Foley said, would make parents and students want to select Willow Glen schools while still retaining the option to choose which school they attend.

Foley also said she realizes school board members need to know when to step back and let the community set its own priorities. "School board members don't need to micromanage the schools," she said. "Their job is to be an advocate for the community. I can build coalitions of various community members—business owners, property holders, parents, etc.—and I can facilitate meetings with these constituents."

This businesswoman believes a similar networking approach could aid the San Jose Unified School District during its difficult financial situation.

"Cost-saving measures are not enough," she said. "The district needs to be creative and go to outside sources. I would develop a marketing plan with business leaders. The business community realizes that schools are a critical component of the success of the city, and can bring financial resources to aid the schools. I am the person to facilitate this."

A strong public-relations plan could help the district improve its relationship with the community, she said.

"To improve community awareness, I would develop a marketing plan," she said. "We need to talk to and engage people in the community. Board members should take every possible opportunity to go to community events and talk with their constituents. They need to let the community know the district is doing everything possible to improve education and that it is open to feedback."

Although Foley said she is confident her marketing skills will make her a valuable member of the school board, she attributes her interest in the position to something completely out of the business realm: old-fashioned maternal instinct.

"What drives me is that I have a child in school," she said. "I am a mom through my core. When you have a child, you want to learn and get involved and do whatever you can for your own child and all children in the community."

A recent letter to the Willow Glen Resident had some community members questioning Foley's investment in Willow Glen schools because her daughter attends Hacienda Science and Environmental Magnet, a school outside the Willow Glen area. But Foley said she does not believe this reflects her level of involvement in Willow Glen schools.

"My husband and I selected Hacienda for our daughter for very good reasons," she said. "As a parent, you have to look out for the best interest of your child. Hacienda's outdoor science lab is fabulous. And my daughter loves music, and the school has a great music program."

Foley said she would like to see music return to Willow Glen schools. "As far as I'm concerned, music is not an extracurricular activity," she said. "It touches a lot of kids who aren't touched by anything else."

But most of all, Foley said, Willow Glen schools need a fresh approach.

"It's time for a new leader, for someone else to take the reins in Willow Glen schools," she said. "I want to create a vision and develop partnerships throughout the community. I would love Willow Glen schools to be the district's schools of choice."