Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Long Beach Unified School District; Trustee Area 4

"Education is the greatest gift we can give a child. But, each of us must have a role in developing the life of a child," says Gina Clayton, a professional educator and candidate for the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education, Area 4.

" A quality education is the most important component to a child's life. Without the care, concern and involvement of parents, teachers, community, and our elected officials, a child will never reach their full potential," said Ms. Clayton.

"As a member of the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education, I will provide new, innovative, progressive leadership that will benefit our ethnically rich community," said Clayton. "We must teach the basics, and all children must learn to read before their eighth birthday," she noted.

Gina Clayton is a strong advocate of the Pupil Promotion and Retention Program that was recently adopted by the California State Legislature, and is a proponent of Gov. Gray Davis' recently announced educational reforms and incentives.

"The Long Beach Unified School District must guarantee to the community that our teachers will receive every possible tool available in order for our children to receive the best education possible," said Clayton. "We cannot settle for average or below average performance from anyone within our district. I will provide our children with fresh, new, bold leadership as a member of the Board of Education," said Clayton.

"We must make our schools modern, safe, clean, drug-free and crime-free in order for our children to excel in the classroom to their maximum potential," said Clayton. "We as a community should settle for no less than excellence from each and every school, from each and every teacher, and each and every parent and student," she said.

Gina Clayton is proof that one person can make a difference in the lives of children. At 28, Gina Marie Clayton has the "can-do" personality of someone determined to make a difference in education.

Gina Marie Clayton teaches in nearby Hawaiian Gardens at Fedde Middle Magnet School's "Project Discovery," in the highly respected ABC Unified School District. She is the Science Program Administrator for Fedde Magnet School and also teaches Pre-Algebra and Life and Health Sciences. She is also responsible for securing $1.3 million in federal grant funding from the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSCP) from the US Department of Education.

Her students come from working class, multi-ethnic families. In her four classes, she currently teaches 120 students.

A native Southern Californian, Gina Clayton has impressive educational credentials and involvement within the Long Beach education community. Gina Clayton has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from California State University, Long Beach. She also holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential (K-12 and Adult School) from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

She is also a strong advocate of professional education, and is a member of the Executive Board of the AFL-CIO ABC Federation of Teachers Local 2317. She serves as the union's Recording Secretary and is also the Site Representative from Fedde Middle Magnet School

Gina Clayton has also finished all the necessary course work to complete a Master of Arts in Applied Cultural Anthropology from CSULB, and is working on the thesis portion.

This marks the first attempt at an elective office for Gina Clayton.

Noted California State University, Long Beach professor Dr. Simon George is chairing her campaign for Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education, Area 4. Dr. George is an esteemed Professor of Physics and is the Chairman of the Political Action Committee for the California Faculty Association at CSULB. Ms. Clayton has also worked with the City of Long Beach's Health and Human Services Department on two applied anthropology research projects. She and several other members of her research team have conducted ethnographic research and developed a program entitled "The Mentor Program" for the City of Long Beach.

Gina Clayton is an active member of several professional organizations including the California Mathematics Council, California Science Teacher's Association, Southern California Applied Anthropology Network, and the Magnet Schools of American Association, California Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of Teachers. She is also an active member of the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC).

Note: Long Beach Unified School District-Area 4, includes the cities of Avalon, Signal Hill, Long Beach and the neighborhoods of Belmont Shore, Belmont Heights, Naples, East Long Beach, University Heights and the Anaheim Blvd.-PCH Corridor.