CLEAR LEADERSHIP AND A COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION

School Board Trustees are the only elected office in the nation solely representing children. Being a trustee on a school board is a humbling experience because every move we make, every word we say is a reflection on our district, our children.

Being a Trustee in the PUSD requires respect and cooperation and flexibility. It requires the ability to take in new information and make the right choices. It requires an ability to advocate for public education. In the book School house Burning, author Derek W. Black writes, “Because public education has for so long served as the foundation of our democratic norms, it has also served as the battlefield for those who resist democracy or seek to bend it towards their own ends rather than the greater good.” These are my goals for my next term if I am elected.

Student Achievement:

Supporting the superintendent in ways to assist them and the senior leadership team to increasing graduation rates. Continuing to work with the city on the CTE committee to create vocational opportunities with community and Pasadena City College.

Inclusive Practices:

Inclusive practices for more PUSD schools. I will continue to speak publicly about the Willowbrook story to bring a historical antecedent to the need for inclusivity for all students. This outreach statewide assists us helping to provide the funding we need and to bring awareness to why we need IDEA fully funded.

Asset Management:

I researched asset managers and districts throughout the state who successfully monetized closed campuses. As a result of my research the district is working with an asset manager. I will continue to support the PUSD team in this important work.

At a CSBA workshop on the relationship between superintendents and trustees that I attended with the superintendent, we were told that our districts can no longer rely solely on the federal government or state funding. Asset management is imperative to public schools.

Steering the board to being a high functioning board:

High-functioning school boards spend a majority of their time on student achievement and move towards the future with a common vision. Seven people on a school board can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding if we focus on a common vision and practice transparency with each other.

TK for Enrollment:

Encouraging TK enrollment at PUSD in our district. Focusing on Transitional Kindergarten which is a strong pathway to maintain enrollment is a goal of mine for the next term as well as helping to manage the goals for asset management.

Enrollment:

Maintain, stem the decline, and even grow where we can. I will continue to work with our superintendent and help with declining enrollment which is a challenge in our community as it is nationwide. Declining enrollment in public education is a national problem. This is why I spoke about the need for an enrollment committee in 2022 and happy the superintendent spearheaded that committee. I am pleased with the committee’s report and the subsequent collaboration with the PUSD Communications department. I reach out to trustees in other California districts to discuss with them their strategies and share with our team in the PUSD.