Candidate for
Board Member; Fullerton Joint Union High School District

The Role of School Board Trustees

It is critical to understand the role of Trustees as you make your decision to vote for members of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District:

School Board Trustees serve a district best by:

Hiring and evaluating the Superintendent who, in turn, is responsible for the hiring and performance of all district personnel, the finances, and State requirements for curriculum, student behavior standards, etc.

Developing with the Superintendent the goals, objectives, and vision for the District. Priorities are set yearly with measurable outcomes expected.

Being dedicated to each and every student's well being during his/her educational experience.

Maintaining zeal for public education, as well as giving the energy and time for absorbing the great quantities of information and attending meetings necessary for making successful decisions.

Being good stewards of taxpayers' funding.

I have been entrusted with your confidence as a member of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees and have been president of the Board three terms. I have earned recognition from a variety of organizations, nationally as well as locally, as I have worked to enhance the communities we serve:

Speaker at State and National School Board Conferences
"Educator of the Year," Fullerton Chamber of Commerce
"Outstanding Friend of Education," Phi Delta Kappa, Cal State Fullerton
"Above & Beyond" Award, Fullerton School District
Orange County "Woman of the Year," Newport Junior League
National "Outstanding Alumni Leader," Northwestern University
5 PTA Honorary/Continuing Service Awards

I continue to participate regularly in a number of organizations as well as attend a myriad of community activities to remain accessible to our communities:

North Orange County Chamber of Commerce Legal Alliance
Cal State Fullerton College of Education Leadership Council
Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Past Presidents Council
Northwestern University Alumni Admission Council
Needlework Guild
Fullerton and La Habra PTA Council meetings

I continue to be energized about the direction of our district. Currently:

All six of the District's comprehensive high schools are in the top 1% of our nation's high schools

5 California Distinguished Schools
2 National Blue Ribbon Schools
1 National Exemplary School

The Bond issue of $69,000,000 was stretched to almost $170,000,000 to modernize/add buildings at each comprehensive high school. A brand new Special Education building was also constructed as a bonus project on the Troy High School campus.

The District's Bond was expected to cost taxpayers $19.95 per $100,000 value on their homes. Because our credit rating was so high, the actual cost to homeowners has been $13.50 per $100,000, thus saving taxpayers thousands of dollars over the life of the Bond.

Additionally, the buildings on State College housing our Continuation and Alternative high schools have been constructed as well as a nearly completed Engineering Academy at Sunny Hills High School without using Bond funding.

District test scores on State testing have been going upward continuously since the new state testing has been required. The State is looking for districts to reach 800; our District has already met that target!

Competitive salaries (2nd highest in the county) for teachers draw topnotch new talent to the District yearly. Hundreds of candidates for very few administrative positions apply because of our stable Board of Trustees and stable labor relations.

Class size has remained at 28.5 students per faculty member for the past 27 years with continued support from staff.

The school year has been rescheduled to take better advantage of AP, IB, and State testing. Instead of having an empty academic month or so after testing in the spring, our District is beginning earlier so that our students may compete even more strongly against districts in northern California and the rest of the nation, which have been on the earlier schedule for some years already.

Importantly, our District still has more days of educational class time for students than mandated by State law.

The District's audits have passed with flying colors.

It has been a privilege to serve the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. As State funding for education continues to decline, harder decisions will have to be made. Cuts in our District have been made over the past ten years of economic decline away from the classroom. As it becomes more difficult to balance the District's budget, the continuity of Board members becomes even more important to reflect our school community's values and priorities.

I will continue to dedicate myself with the energy, time, and service the high school community has grown to expect. My only job is being your School Board member. It is and will be Job 1, with your vote on November 6.