Maintain Quality Education for All

By Sally Nilssen

With two children in GUSD, Nilssen is knowledgable about both the quality educational and supplemental supportive services, and will work to ensure that they are maintained and expanded.

As the mother of two English language learner students, Nilssen has found numerous programs to ensure a smooth transition to full participation in regular classes. These include the "Newcomers" summer program, the English Language Advisory Committee, and the Parent Expectations Support Achievement program. In addition, for one semester, Nilssen and one of her children participated in the GUSD Home Schooling program to increase the emphasis on English acquisition.

As a past grant writer for GUSD, Nilssen is knowledgable about federal, state, and private foundation grants available to fund supplemental student support programs. She wrote grants for GUSD that have brought in more than a million dollars for these non-core learning enhancement programs.

Nilssen personally knows the schools' physical plant strenghts and needs, the academic options, and the support program benefits and financial needs. She can contribute her combination of skills and experiences to the GUSD Board.