Candidate for
Board Member; La Mesa-Spring Valley School District; Full Term

As past president and a currently-seated member of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board, I have proven my ability to work with diverse groups to create an educational program focused on student achievement to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind, and develop a high quality staff + resulting in outstanding student performance.

During my tenure on the board, our district has seen:

• state budget shortfalls that affected school funding during the school year
• successfully implemented class size reduction, assuring small classes for K-3 students, and maintaining this program even during recent budget constraints
• passed a $57 million construction bond and modernized all schools in the district under the auspices of a Citizen's Oversight Committee
• implemented a common calendar, ensuring that all students in the district are on the same school calendar (instead of having some on year-round and others on a traditional schedule)
• maintained art and music programs in all schools while other districts have cut those programs
• encouraged parent participation in the district though promoting Parent Summits, service on district committees, and listening to parent issues relating to their children and acting upon them appropriately.

My community involvement includes membership in La Mesa Rotary, the East County YMCA Board of Management, the La Mesa PARKS Foundation, former Board Member of the Elementary Institute of Science, former President of the Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association, and former member of the Valle De Oro Community Planning Group.

Both of my children are graduates of LMSV schools + Murdock and Spring Valley Middle School. My daughter is a graduate of USC in International Relations, and is now working for Teach for America in Houston. My son is a senior at the University of Michigan in Mechanical Engineering and has complete two internships with NASA, Cape Canaveral. Their success is due in a large part to the quality of teaching they experienced in public education in East County. I am committed to ensuring that all students in the LMSV school district receive a high quality education so they experience the same success.