Candidate for
Trustee; Manteca Unified School District; Trustee Area 5

It has been an honor to serve on the Manteca Unified Board of Trustees for the past 4 years. I'm especially honored to have been appointed by my fellow trustees as Board President the past 2 years. The experience of being a board member has taught me more about politics and human behavior (good and bad) than most people will know in a lifetime! I believe an individual school board member (and the board as a whole) should NOT micro-manage the day to day operations of the district. They should govern by setting the direction and structure of the district, being a supportive and positive advocate for education, provide leadership, and ensure accountability.

I believe it's important for a school board to be diverse and represent all stakeholders (students, parents, community, and staff). Born and raised in Manteca, I appreciate the small-town atmosphere of the communities that Manteca Unified serves. Besides our new trustee from Weston Ranch, I am the only school board member with students in our schools and appreciate the challenges today's parents face regarding their child's education. I have three (very active!) students and I'm involved in the communities that MUSD serves, which not only enables me to be accessible to the public, but also gives me the opportunity to show the public that I'm an approachable everyday person just like them. My experience as a classified employee gives me the knowledge necessary to understand the (sometimes not-so-understandable) public school system, especially the accounting part.

The accomplishment I'm most proud of is founding and actively supporting the Manteca Unified Student Trust. This non-profit organization provides student scholarships and supports the Art, Music, Science Camp and School District Farm programs. The M.U.S.T. Foundation was also instrumental in bringing back the much needed after school sports program (formerly the Acorn League) for elementary students.

My objectives are to continue to improve student achievement, continuing to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff, continuing to recruit and hire the most qualified staff, continuing to improve communication with all stakeholders, and continuing to actively and positively support education. I will continue to put forth the effort and dedication needed to ensure that all students of MUSD receive a well rounded education.

In these tough economic times it saddens me that so much money is being donated to politicians. Although I acknowledge ones right to do so; it's very difficult for me to personally ask people to donate to a political campaign, I'd rather see those donations go to the students. I have faith that my passion and dedication in supporting our great district for the past four years is what voters will remember when they go to the polls. I don't need your money; I just need your vote.