Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Pomona Unified School District; Term Ending 12/11

In July, 2008, my colleagues on the Board of Education appointed me to fill the vacant seat created by the unfortunate passing of longtime Board member Candelario J. Mendoza. I had the privilege of serving on the Board with Cande from 1997 through 2005, and so I considered it an honor and privilege to step in for him.

Our former superintendent, Dr. Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, left PUSD in August to accept an appointment to the U.S. Department of Education. While this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Dr. Meléndez, it was a huge loss for the District. In her three years at the helm of PUSD, Dr. Meléndez was instrumental in establishing new policies, working more closely with the District family, and listening to students and parents. I am pleased to say that these changes have been embraced by the community.

By the time the November election is upon us, the Board expects to have hired a new superintendent. It is my belief that the Board will find a worthy candidate who respects the strides PUSD has made over the past several years and desires to continue us on that path. To that end, I believe it is critical that stability and continuity be maintained on the Board of Education. It is the Board's responsibility to ensure that we do not lose sight of the issues that will be facing us over the next year or two, such as:

• California's Fiscal Irresponsibility. The state's inability to get its fiscal affairs in order is inexcusable. Unfortunately, one of Sacramento's solutions for balancing its budget is to decimate public education. PUSD has lost a staggering $41 million since 2007-08, and it appears that pattern may continue over the next couple of years. While the jobs of over 600 of our valued teachers were saved this year thanks to federal stimulus money, there is no guarantee that "bail-out" will happen again. My Board experience will be valuable in analyzing options for our limited dollars and making the tough budget decisions that will likely be necessary in the near future.
• Declining Enrollment / Reconfiguration. In the past decade, PUSD's enrollment, like most California school districts, has shifted 180 degrees. In the late 1990s, we were scrambling to acquire real property to build new campuses and expand existing ones to provide safe, comfortable learning environments for Pomona and Diamond Bar students. While some in the community were critical of what was characterized as "being in the real estate business," this proactive approach by the Board was key in the opening of Lopez Elementary and Cortez Science and Mathematics Magnet, which in turn, helped reduce overcrowding at some of the District's most impacted schools. Fast forward to the present - while declining enrollment equates to less state funding, the District is moving forward to take advantage of more "breathing room" on some of its campuses and respond to a directive from the community to provide more varied educational options. As your read this, six of our elementary campuses have begun their transition to K-8 configurations. At the same time, Fremont and Palomares Middle Schools are evolving into grade 7-12 "academies" with specialized fields of study. I strongly support these progressive programs as they will ultimately result in better preparing our students for an increasingly competitive world.

As the longest-tenured member of the Board of Education, I feel that my experience is key to keeping PUSD moving forward. My election victories in 1997 and 2001 were due largely to community support. If you agree that we are proceeding down the right path toward providing our children with the highest quality, most complete educational experience possible, I respectfully ask for your support in my campaign.