Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Construction of $200M Trump Ballroom at the White House to Begin in September

1 hour ago

US Senate Committee Backs $1 Billion for Ukraine in Pentagon Spending Bill

3 hours ago

Trump Says Mexico Trade Deal Extended for 90 Days

4 hours ago

Wall Street Jumps as Microsoft Enters $4 Trillion Club After Results

5 hours ago

Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup Responds to $162,000 Payout

22 hours ago

Neptune to Launch a Creator-First, Customizable Algorithm Social Platform to Rival TikTok

24 hours ago

Kamala Harris Will Not Run for Governor of California in 2026

1 day ago

Trump Pushes for Release of Epstein, Maxwell Grand Jury Testimony

1 day ago
More Homework? More Taxes? Highlights from Sunnyside Area Debate.
David Taub Website photo 2024
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 7 years ago on
September 25, 2018

Share

Mark Ratchford kept a serious face all night. He doesn’t like the direction of Fresno Unified and wasn’t shy talking about it.
Ratchford, educator Karl Diaz, and incumbent Valerie Davis met Monday (Sept. 24) night at the CMAC studios downtown in a debate among candidates for the Fresno Unified trustee seat representing the Sunnyside High School area.
Question after question, Ratchford, a local businessman in the water purification business, expressed dissatisfaction with the state of affairs, from the budget to special education to school safety.
Davis, first elected in 2004 and running for her fifth term, touted lowering classroom sizes and building new classrooms during her opening statements.

“Valerie, here, has been around 14-plus years. We need some new blood. We need some new direction.”— School board candidate Mark Ratchford
Ratchford called her out.
“Valerie, here, has been around 14-plus years. We need some new blood. We need some new direction,” Ratchford said.

School Spending

Ratchford said he wanted to run the district’s $1.3 billion budget like a business — you can’t spend more than you make. He said only 20% of high school graduates can read and write at grade level.
Davis calmly responded that graduation rates increased in her time from 63% to 84%, as well as other academic achievements.
Diaz, an educator with Madera County Superintendent of Schools and active in his union, bit back at Ratchford’s school philosophy.

“Our kids should never be a for-profit type of thing. We should be breaking even. We should spend every dime on our kids being accomplished and successful.”— School board candidate Karl Diaz
“I don’t see it as a business. We’re dealing with kids. Our kids should never be a for-profit type of thing. We should be breaking even. We should spend every dime on our kids being accomplished and successful,” Diaz said.
On the question of a potential parcel tax, Davis favored studying the idea of asking voters to increase taxes. She said the district needs more classrooms.
“It is a big ask. So, we are going to explore that with our voters. They’ve always been very generous with us,” Davis said.
Diaz also supported the idea, taking a shot at current Bullard High area trustee Brooke Ashjian in the process.
“I’m happy that certain people have chosen not to continue on as board members. Because any conflict of interest when you are dealing with the public’s money should not be there. We should have no influence from people who are getting contracts from Fresno Unified,” Diaz said.
Ashjian campaigned against the Measure X bond that voters approved in 2016. He’s also been subject of a Fair Political Practices Commission investigation over conflicts-of-interest. Ashjian owns Seal Rite Paving and worked with many local contractors, some of whom have done business with Fresno Unified.
Ratchford vehemently opposed a parcel tax, jabbing at Diaz.
“I’m listening to this man right here,” Ratchford scoffed, “talking about spending people’s money. It’s not his money. I look at every single thing on my tax bill, and it’s ridiculous.”

Special Ed

The three candidates also sparred over the state of special education.

“The special ed dilemma/issue is not one size fits all. … There are lots of needs. What we do and how we do it takes lots of careful thought and planning and not some knee-jerk ‘fix this, fix that.’ ” — Trustee Valerie Davis
Diaz called for more investment in paraeducators.
“The special ed dilemma/issue is not one size fits all,” Davis said.  She said special ed students make up 11% in the Sunnyside region. “There are lots of needs. What we do and how we do it takes lots of careful thought and planning and not some knee-jerk ‘fix this, fix that.’ ”
Ratchford continued his criticism of the district.
“The people running that whole division don’t know what they are doing,” he said. “My wife (who teaches elementary school) can run circles around them.”
At one point, Davis interrupted, asking Ratchford not to violate student privacy laws when telling his story.

Other Items

— The three candidates showed rare unanimous agreement when they all expressed optimism about Superintendent Bob Nelson.
— While Davis said restorative justice helped reduce on-campus crime, Diaz rebutted with an anecdote of breaking up a fight he witnessed off campus.
Ratchford said that kids weren’t pushed hard enough and needed more homework.
“If they have to work harder, they’re not going to have as much time to look into other trouble,” Ratchford said.
GV Wire hosted the forum, with news director Bill McEwen serving as moderator.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Envoy Meets Netanyahu for Gaza Aid, Ceasefire Push

DON'T MISS

Fresno’s $100M Warehouse Project Means Big Things for City: Dyer

DON'T MISS

Construction of $200M Trump Ballroom at the White House to Begin in September

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Fire Responds to Three-Alarm Fire at Commercial Building Near Tipton

DON'T MISS

Costa Has ‘Concerns’ About Newsom’s Plan to Copy Possible Texas Gerrymander

DON'T MISS

Yosemite’s Largest Campground Reopens Friday After $26.2 Million Renovation

DON'T MISS

Two Men Shot During Fight at Tulare Apartment Complex

DON'T MISS

US Senate Committee Backs $1 Billion for Ukraine in Pentagon Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

US Navy Jet Crashes in Fresno County Field. Pilot ‘Safe’ After Ejecting

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Mexico Trade Deal Extended for 90 Days

UP NEXT

Fresno’s $100M Warehouse Project Means Big Things for City: Dyer

UP NEXT

Construction of $200M Trump Ballroom at the White House to Begin in September

UP NEXT

Tulare County Fire Responds to Three-Alarm Fire at Commercial Building Near Tipton

UP NEXT

Costa Has ‘Concerns’ About Newsom’s Plan to Copy Possible Texas Gerrymander

UP NEXT

Yosemite’s Largest Campground Reopens Friday After $26.2 Million Renovation

UP NEXT

Two Men Shot During Fight at Tulare Apartment Complex

UP NEXT

US Navy Jet Crashes in Fresno County Field. Pilot ‘Safe’ After Ejecting

UP NEXT

Trump Says Mexico Trade Deal Extended for 90 Days

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Nathaniel Smith

UP NEXT

Judges Question Whether Trump Tariffs Are Authorized by Emergency Powers

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Tulare County Fire Responds to Three-Alarm Fire at Commercial Building Near Tipton

2 hours ago

Costa Has ‘Concerns’ About Newsom’s Plan to Copy Possible Texas Gerrymander

2 hours ago

Yosemite’s Largest Campground Reopens Friday After $26.2 Million Renovation

3 hours ago

Two Men Shot During Fight at Tulare Apartment Complex

3 hours ago

US Senate Committee Backs $1 Billion for Ukraine in Pentagon Spending Bill

3 hours ago

US Navy Jet Crashes in Fresno County Field. Pilot ‘Safe’ After Ejecting

3 hours ago

Trump Says Mexico Trade Deal Extended for 90 Days

4 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Nathaniel Smith

5 hours ago

Judges Question Whether Trump Tariffs Are Authorized by Emergency Powers

5 hours ago

US Treasury Chief Says He Expects Fed Chair Announcement by Year’s End

5 hours ago

Trump’s Envoy Meets Netanyahu for Gaza Aid, Ceasefire Push

JERUSALEM/CAIRO — U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza truce ...

20 minutes ago

Palestinians carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, July 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
20 minutes ago

Trump’s Envoy Meets Netanyahu for Gaza Aid, Ceasefire Push

44 minutes ago

Fresno’s $100M Warehouse Project Means Big Things for City: Dyer

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds an image of a rendering of the new White House ballroom to be built, during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 31, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
1 hour ago

Construction of $200M Trump Ballroom at the White House to Begin in September

A three-alarm commercial building fire near Tipton on Thursday, July 31, 2025, prompted a large response from Tulare and Kings County fire crews, with no injuries reported and the cause under investigation. (Tulare County FD)
2 hours ago

Tulare County Fire Responds to Three-Alarm Fire at Commercial Building Near Tipton

2 hours ago

Costa Has ‘Concerns’ About Newsom’s Plan to Copy Possible Texas Gerrymander

3 hours ago

Yosemite’s Largest Campground Reopens Friday After $26.2 Million Renovation

3 hours ago

Two Men Shot During Fight at Tulare Apartment Complex

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) attends a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request for the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 11, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

US Senate Committee Backs $1 Billion for Ukraine in Pentagon Spending Bill

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend