MVWSD Community Forum October 11 2026 Mountain View Whisman School District School Board Candidates Forum
Link: https://youtu.be/LlTJwd23NMw
Candidates in alphabetical order by last name
1. Devon Conley
2. William (Bill) Lambert
3. Quintin Riis
4. Sundar Subbarayan
Reply Order | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th
---------|------------|------------|------------|-----------
1. | Conley | Lambert | Riis | Subbarayan
1. Who Should Decide What Gets Cut?
With further budget cuts approaching, let's focus on the decision-making process rather than specific positions or programs. Should recommendations come primarily from the superintendent, independent reviewers, a districtwide task force, community input, or the board itself?
When these groups disagree, whose judgment should carry the most weight, and why? Beyond the board's final approval, who should determine which specific cuts are proposed?
2. | Lambert | Riis | Subbarayan | Conley
2. Personal Accountability: What Do You Regret?
Looking back on your experience as a board member, community advocate, or education professional, what is your biggest regret about a decision you made, supported, or participated in? What did you get wrong, what did you learn, and what would you do differently today?
3. | Riis | Subbarayan | Conley | Lambert
3. Educational Technology: Beyond Screens or No Screens
Debates about technology often become debates about screen time. Yet well-designed technology, particularly AI and creation tools, may help struggling students, challenge advanced learners, and improve accessibility, even at younger ages. At the same time, much current ed-tech encourages consumption, prioritizes distraction, shortens attention spans, and increases dependence on technology to think for them.
Is there right technology right now important for K-8 students? How should MVWSD distinguish technology that genuinely improves learning from technology that undermines it?
4. | Subbarayan | Conley | Lambert | Riis
4. What Are We Preparing Students For?
What should a K–8 education ultimately prepare students for? High school, college, careers, a global and AI-driven world, lifelong curiosity, responsible citizenship, personal well-being, or a meaningful and happy life?
These goals aren't mutually exclusive, but limited time and resources require priorities. What should MVWSD prioritize, and what would you change about our current approach to achieve those goals?
5. | Conley | Lambert | Riis | Subbarayan
5. Academic Achievement
The Orenda study identified achievement gaps, inconsistent instruction, and interventions that haven't sufficiently improved outcomes for some students. MVWSD is now implementing the MVWSD Way. What is the single most important change needed to improve student learning?
How would you measure its success, particularly for struggling students, and how long should the district continue an approach before reconsidering it?
6. | Lambert | Riis | Subbarayan | Conley
6. Preparing for a Different-Sized District
After years of planning for growth, MVWSD now faces projections of declining enrollment, potentially uneven across schools, alongside continued demand for choice programs.
Should MVWSD reconsider school configurations, attendance boundaries, campus diversity, staffing efficiency, and school redesign? What evidence and values should guide these decisions, and how should families and staff be involved?
7. | Riis | Subbarayan | Conley | Lambert
7. What Should the Board Do Differently?
Recent scrutiny of district spending, contracting, and oversight has raised questions about accountability. While the extraordinary audit found insufficient evidence of illegal fiscal practices, it identified opportunities for improvement. Some concerns were raised early by a minority of board members or community members.
What specific practices would strengthen oversight, identify problems earlier, and rebuild public trust? How should the board distinguish between unproductive dissent and legitimate warnings, while avoiding groupthink within the majority?
8. | Subbarayan | Conley | Lambert | Riis
8. Beyond Budget Cuts: What Excites You?
MVWSD won't always be focused on cuts. What is one idea, innovation, or opportunity you're excited for the district to explore, whether now, despite limited resources, or in a future with greater financial flexibility?
