Candidate for
School Director; Oakland Unified School District; Trustee Area 3

1. Our classrooms are severely underfunded. I will work to ensure that a minimum of 55% of education expenses go to teachers and classrooms. We must work on getting the District's finances in order by calling for an independent audit to cut wasteful spending and to limit administration costs and instead redirect those monies into the classrooms to support our teachers and students.

2. OUSD's current drop-out rate of 40% is unacceptable. We need to drastically reduce this number. We must meet the different needs of our diverse student population. "One-size-fits-all" does not get us there, especially in District 3. We need to establish a proactive lifeline system that catches students on the verge of dropping out and help them get back on track and graduate - and to reach out to parents to get them actively connected to the schools.

3. Upon graduation, all our students should be prepared to either enroll in college or be competitive in the job market. I would work to develop partnerships with small businesses and local colleges to create internship, mentorship, and after-school programs to prepare students for careers and increase job training in our high schools.