Candidate for
Member, Board of Education; Long Beach Unified School District; District 5

As a local resident and businessman I understand the concerns of our community. My decision to seek the office of School Board member is because I believe that our Long Beach Unified School District needs a voice of understands our Lakewood, Signal Hill and Long Beach childrens needs.

I first moved to Lakewood in 1953 with my parents Marie and John Choura. My sisters Jan, Susan, and Debbi attended all the local schools including Twain, Hoover, Lakewood High, LBCC and CSULB.

My commitment to helping students includes serving as President of Childnet Youth and Family Services, President of Optimist Club Youth Services, President of Long Beach Education Foundation, and I have served on six additional boards that benefit our youth.

There is no doubt that we need a representative that will look after the interest of all our children. Our children are not political footballs; we can no longer play political games with their future. We need to build neighborhood schools, upgrade our existing schools, reduce busing and cut class sizes. Most of all we need to recruit, train, retain and hire the best qualified teachers available. Accountability, responsibility and merit must become primary tools for motivating teachers, parents and student performance.