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

Our children and grandchildren deserve good schools. Nothing equips them better for the future than an excellent education. That's why more than 93% of the 17,000 parents who responded to a survey in the Long Beach Unified School District expressed overall satisfaction with their child's school. In that same recent survey, parents approved of their school leaders at an even more impressive rate of 95%. They appreciate their good schools that have earned a national reputation for increasing student achievement and those who lead that successful effort.

During my tenure on the School Board, local schools have earned a record number of national and state honors. Besides winning the coveted National Broad Prize for Urban Education as American's Best Urban Schools, the Long Beach Unified School District is respected for more than high achievement.

We are also known for our accountability. When voters approved Measure A to build new schools and renovate older ones, the job got done in time. The latest examples include Lakewood High School's $16 million modernization just finished last year, and a similar major renovation of Poly High School, which will be completed this year. These and other schools will serve generations of new students with updated classrooms and high quality education.

One of the keys to our success is accessibility. I work for you. I care. I appreciate your thoughts, ideas and concerns. We must never be complacent. We are always looking for better ways to serve our students and community by listening and making steady improvements. Malcolm Baldrige, a famous U.S. Secretary of Commerce, used these principles and encouraged them in American companies. We use the same principles in our schools to serve all students. It is an honor to represent you.