Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Garden Grove Unified School District

My husband and I have been married for 20 years, and have lived in Garden Grove since 1983.

I've been an active member of the school community for nine years. My daughters are in the 3rd, 6th, and 9th grades in schools here in our district.

I'm currently PTA President at Ethan Allen School as well as a member of the School Site Council. This is the 7th year I have had children at Allen School. Last year I was PTSA President at McGarvin Intermediate School and also a member of the School Site Council. My daughters each attended Thomas Paine School where I was a very involved parent - serving on the PTO Board and on the School Site Council. My eldest is a freshman at La Quinta High School and a member of the Color Guard there.

In the past two years, I've served on two different GGUSD committees. The Site Utilization Committee has approximately 25 community members; district employees, parents, local business people... Enrollment numbers, physical space availability, and future needs are among the types of things this committee looks at. The Promotion/Retention Task Force had 50+ members; again, a cross section of the community. One of the focuses was interpreting the law concerning students that are performing well below state standards. Intervention, rather than retention was discussed over and over again. How best to intervene? Summer school, tutoring, before and after school classroom help are some of the options offered to the student at risk of being retained.

It has been an honor to serve on these committees - the education I received was tremendous.

I also participate in running a non-profit organization for families dealing with childhood cancer that live or receive treatment in Orange County.