Candidate for
Board Member; Redondo Beach Unified School District

Succinctly, I'm running for school board because I feel strongly that I can do a good job. I understand, first hand, the challenges facing Redondo Beach public schools. I have two children enrolled in the district, at RUHS and at Jefferson Elementary; and presently serve as Jefferson Elementary PTA President, and as a member of the Redondo Beach PTA council.

I see that our schools need a long term vision, and I believe I can help provide it. As an example, I think it's important to establish discretionary funds specifically for individual programs, such as elementary music and other arts programs, intermural sports, physical plant improvements, and seek contributions to these funds through grants, sponsorships, business rebates and foundations. We are not going to get as much funding as we need from Sacramento, and we can't operate constantly as if we are a downsizing corporation.
The goal of my candidacy is simple - to be accountable to our children and all of our educational community.

I'm right there in the trenches - I'm a parent with children attending public schools in our district, as well as being extremely active and informed through my PTA leadership.
As a professional writer and business owner I can assist and enhance communication, work with budgets, and clarify issues. As an educator, teaching and administering enrichment classes throughout the beach cities, I have a strong sense of student needs across the district.
And, because I've worked with major corporations, and the entertainment industry, I know how to reach people. I know how to write grants and proposals, how to draft clear plans, how to approach potential donors, how to be persuasive both on paper and in person. I can take an idea and run with it.

I believe that mathematics has been emphasized to the detriment of language arts. I am certainly not against math programs, but because of the greater ease of quantifying math testing results, particularly in the middle and high schools, subjects such as English, creative writing, and reading comprehension do not have the same level of support. I'd like to see that change. I would also like to see not only the preservation of the elementary music program, but to assist with a middle school and high school music curriculum, and in general with establishing more support for both visual and performing arts in RBUSD. I also believe that the high school needs more attention than has been given to it, and has its own unique needs. There are some serious campus problems at RUHS, visible to the observer's casual eye yet not being addressed by the school board.

Schools can only be administered successfully if there is both an overall plan or, there's that word again, vision. As a board member I would listen to, learn about, and rank the needs of students in our district. I would heed the advice of our school staff, and simply look at the big picture, the future of education in this district, and how each seemingly small decision can effect it. As a board member I see my role in administering schools as that of a clear, unbiased eye, not influenced by any one individual source.

I believe we must look at budgeting without loss. For example, without cutting or in any way limiting health care benefits, the district could save money in aligning health care purchasing with statewide organizations with more buying clout. We must approach corporations and area businesses and look for a wider range of financial support in an innovative way. If there's a Verizon Ampitheater in Irvine why can't there be a Northrop Seahawks Stadium at RUHS?