I certainly hope so. First, I would totally support your proposal for Cornell, as well as Talbot streets. Traffic has been a dangerous problem for years. I would hope and encourage that the school district continue negotiations with the city to help solve the situation, and I think speed bumps would be helpful. As far as the high school…in my time there, I increased the number of counselors to five, as well as adding a full time career and college coordinator, who has been very active in promoting our career day and meeting the information and planning needs for all our students, not just the 4 year college bound. My experience was that there was little to no interest in ROP classes away from AHS, which negated the need for buses. We did, however, expand the number of ROP classes at the high school. I have close connections with the ROP program, and promote further expansion. The current administration at the school has added two new ROP classes this year! Please feel free to contact me at ronrosenbaum@ronrosenbaum.org, or check my website for my position on school policies. I look forward to your vote and your confidence.

Ron Rosenbaum

I am writing this to you as an Albany voter.

I live on Talbot across from Cornell School. I am looking for someone who would support speed bumps on my block and enforced no U-turn laws on either side of Cornell School. I want someone who will promote walk/bike to school days. As I said, I live across from Cornell, and student drop-off/pick-up is a dangerous undertaking at best. Note: the idea proposed last year of making the 900 block of Talbot one way is a terrible idea, which would make the street an unsafe speed corridor between Solano and Marin the 23 hours Mon-Fri and 24 hours Sat and Sun when people are not bringing their children to and from school, so please don’t suggest this as an option.

My kids graduated AHS in ’98 and ’02. At the time, the attitude in the district toward non-college-bound kids was disdainful at best. I inquired into the ROP program Albany is affiliated with and was told, “if the kids can get themselves there, they can participate.” Is this still the attitude? Where I worked, In the Castro Valley USD, bussing was provided. This provided an option for those students who found they needed something different from a high-pressure academic track. What counseling and other help are available in the AUSD for students who won’t be ready – and may never be – for a four-year college (or even a two-year college) when they leave high school? These students also deserve a program which prepares them for the future.

Are you the person I am looking for to champion these causes as a school board member?

Sue Douglass