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

Why do I want to be a Trustee?

I firmly believe in the value of public education. Formal education is vitally and inextricably linked to our children's success, our economy's growth, and our community's citizenship. Our country is blessed with free public education, a true opportunity for each and every student. I am grateful to the schools and teachers who taught my sister and me, preparing us not only for college and career, but also for living in, and appreciating, our diverse community. I want to contribute to the positive changes taking place in Stockton Unified and restore the community's faith in the value of public education.

What do I want to do as a Trustee?

I want to increase the opportunities available to our students so that each can achieve his or her full potential. I believe that once given an opportunity, each student, with the help of family and friends, has the responsibility to make the most of the opportunity. I will set an encouraging tone of success for our students, and emphasize the importance of life-long learning, especially in college and post-secondary vocational training.

I believe in treating our teachers as professionals trained in the art of teaching. Our teachers should be fairly compensated and well respected. By the same token, teachers should be expected to perform to the high level of competence their profession requires. The best teachers should be rewarded and the struggling teachers given additional assistance to master their profession.

I intend to make it easier for parents to get involved in the education of their children by holding more events in the evenings or by telephone. Through outreach and parent/teacher communications, I will impress on parents the important and nondelegable roles they play in their children's education. Parents are to be partners with their children's teacher in shaping their children's education and should be held accountable for their children's success.

It is imperative that we provide safe and secure classrooms and school facilities for our students. Classrooms that are overcrowded, in disrepair, or ill equipped are not conducive to learning and impinge on the opportunities available to our students. I intend to seek funding for building new schools and modernizing existing schools from the state and federal governments, reserving a school bond issue as a last resort.