Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Pomona Unified School District

California has raised the stakes for school districts statewide by requiring students to pass the High School Exit Exam to obtain a diploma, beginning with the Class of 2004 (this year's sophomore class). This is a monumental task for a district as diverse as ours, but I believe that the teachers, administrators, and support staff of the Pomona Unified School District are up to the challenge. I am in full support of providing our sites with the resources needed to successfully prepare our students for graduation.

I am proud of the fact that the district has been able to reduce enrollment (significantly in some cases) at our most impacted campuses. I will continue to support the acquisition and development of additional school sites to reduce our campus populations to manageable levels.

The opening of Village Academy High School this year achieved a goal that I hoped would be accomplished during my tenure on the Board. Students attending the school will have the advantage of getting a "head start" in various occupational fields, including Media and Technology, Education, Medical and Health Professions, and Engineering and Transportation.

Providing safe campuses and learning environments for our students continues to be high on the district's priority list. To this end, the district is currently in the process of expanding its remote video surveillance system. Eventually, the video network will cover all district campuses. The system is also expected to help reduce vandalism and theft.

Lastly, the Board has worked hard to establish and maintain working relationships with the cities of Pomona and Diamond Bar. Partnerships with the communities that we serve have resulted, or will result in benefits to our students, such as the conversion of the former Indian Hill Mall/Plaza Azteca into a nationally-recognized educational facility (the Village @ Indian Hill), installation of field lighting at Lorbeer Middle School, preparation of plans for the Village @ Ganesha Hills, a mixed-use "blight-buster" that will include a school, housing, and shopping opportunities, and completion and implementation of a traffic safety study proximate to our schools in Diamond Bar.