Addressing the Community - Culver City Democratic Club

By Marla I. Wolkowitz

This is the full text of the three minutes speech I gave at the first community forum.

My name is Marla Wolkowitz, I'm a Democrat and I am not running for governor of the State of California. Actually, being a member of the school board is as important as any other elected office. It requires you to trust me with creating and implementing the education policies for all the children who attend public school in Culver City.

Three years ago I became Marketing Director for the ECO Station here in Culver City. Its parent company, STAR Education, provides enrichment resources for schools all over the state. Working at the ECO Station allows me to interact with children and educators from all over Los Angeles County on a daily basis.

Before I was elected to the School Board, I spent four years as PTA Council President, which gave me the opportunity to work with other PTA members around the state and with our elected officials in Sacramento.

What I've learned from speaking with elected officials and educators throughout California is that our school district's reputation is pretty impressive. As residents you can be proud of your public schools. You can be proud that Culver High was recently listed in Newsweek as one of the top public high schools in the country. You can be proud of the fact that our Middle School won the "Schools to Watch" recognition and is one of the top 4 Middle Schools in the State. El Marino Language School serves as a model for other programs. Farragut Elem. is working towards reinventing itself with a special focus in the arts and Lin Howe is going to explore multi-media education. We will continue to encourage other schools in the district to find their own special focus. If you don't think all these programs influence the reputation of our schools and have an impact on our property values, think again.

I am as committed today to public education in Culver City today as I was when you supported me four years ago. As a member of the board I do my homework. I am ready to participate in our important discussions about policy revisions and adoptions. Those policies are the foundation of what we do and why we are sit on the board. I'm exactly what the California Constitution calls for; a layperson interested in bettering the public education system in my own community. Part of my commitment includes continuing education. And, this weekend I am completing my Master's in Governance Program.

During the past four years I regularly re-read the campaign statements I made when I first ran, making sure I was staying on track. I've reached some of my objectives, but there are others for which work remains to be done. Together with my board colleagues, we have helped move our district forward into this millennium.

I hope that you will give me the opportunity to continue to work towards those goals and objectives and I thank you for your support.

Closer

My commitment to our schools hasn't wavered. If anything, I am even more devoted having learned more about our Pre-K through Adult School Programs and they deserve significantly more attention than they receive.

I want to continue as a school board member so I can continue to promote our schools and work hard on bringing in new programs and funding sources. Even though funding sources are tight I believe there are untapped resources of all kinds + you for example, can volunteer and provide free educational opportunities for students of all ages. You can let us know about special grant opportunities you've heard. Please talk to me the after the forum.

Allow me to continue working on your and our community's behalf. Today and on November 4th vote for Marla Wolkowitz.