Tom Morton – Support me in keeping our schools great.

BIO

My journey to becoming a school board trustee has been an interesting one, and certainly not one I was expecting! Born and raised in a small village in the UK, I attended public elementary and high schools. I enjoyed outdoor activities as well as science and math. After high school I took a gap year, teaching outdoor education in Australia. Upon my return, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Manchester and my master’s degree in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London. It was during college, I worked as a camp counselor at YMCA Camp Marston in Julian, CA and it was there I met my now wife, Laura.

Support me in keeping our schools great.

I worked for two years as an environmental consultant in the UK before Laura and I moved back to the USA to start the next chapter of our lives. I decided to take my career in a completely new direction, and after a period of schooling and apprenticeship, I became a farrier (shoeing horses).

We have two children, both of whom attended La Costa Heights. We were proud members of the LCH family for 12 years. My family was very involved in the school community, with my wife volunteering in numerous roles, mostly leading art lessons, but also working as an ecoliteracy instructor.. I was involved in the background, helping with projects, garden cleanup days, building projects and numerous other “behind the scene” activities.

It has been my great privilege to serve on the Encinitas Union School Board for the past year. We truly have exceptional students, teachers and support staff that together create the world class schools Encinitas is known for. I continue to be amazed, not only at the number of initiatives we have rolled out this year, but the skill with which they have been implemented. The science of reading has already had a huge impact on K-2 literacy and our community liaisons work tirelessly, ensuring no one falls between the cracks.

Support my campaign to benefit Encinitas Union School

Encinitas Union School District ignites the limitless potential of all learners

This is the vision statement developed by our community based guiding coalition. It really summarizes everything I stand for as a school board trustee. My number one priority is to live up to this ideal. If we have a board that focuses on that, we cannot fail!

Transparency

Transparency is the key to success for any school district. Our community members are our partners and we take that relationship very seriously. Building trust through transparent, open dialogue has helped us build lasting partnerships.

Community Inclusion

We make better decisions when we involve all stakeholders in open dialogue. We have seen the success of this approach time and again with our Framework for the Future, Facilities Master Plan and updating and improving our enrichment programs.

Space for student voices

As a board trustee, I always want to hear from the students. Whether talking at a school event or presentations to the board, our students do an exceptional job as skilled communicators sharing their experiences as empowered learners, global citizens, innovative thinkers, wellness advocates and confident collaborators.

Environment and climate change

Trained as an environmental scientist, climate change is the number one existential threat facing us all. As the adults in the room, I believe it is our job to lead the charge on addressing climate change and I won ‘t leave it for the next generation.

Belonging

I remember as a camp counselor nearly 30 years ago being taught that, although the YMCA is historically a christian organization, every child should feel like they belong at camp.

Curriculum

A great example of recent positive curriculum changes was the implementation of 30 minutes of phonics instruction for the lower grades. We were doing a good job of teaching reading, but we weren’t equally effective with all our students.

Fiscal Responsibility

Often touted as a major campaign issue, my colleague Marlon Taylor is fond of saying, “fiscal responsibility should be a given for any candidate”. I am proud to say we have exceptional management that takes a proactive and conservative approach to district finances.

Highly functional school board

The impact of a highly functional school board is often not noticed. Much of what we do is behind the scenes, and when everything is going well, we don’t draw much attention.