Candidate for
Member, Board of Education; Long Beach Unified School District; District 1

Megan Kerr is a lifetime Long Beach resident and parent with 12 years of service to Long Beach schools. A PTA member and education leader in the Long Beach Unified School District, Megan has worked in classrooms, offices, music programs, sports programs, and green teams at every school her children attended as well as other schools in the LBUSD.

Megan has served on School Site Councils and district-wide committees as a parent representative, attending meetings and engaging fellow parents on the issues facing Long Beach schools. She also served on the committee to update the LBUSD's Strategic Five Year Plan.

She was an integral part of two local schools being awarded the U.S. Department of Education National Green Ribbon Award. The award honors schools and districts that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM subjects, civic skills, and green career pathways.

Megan is a dedicated advocate for education funding for all California students. During the 2010 budget crisis she organized parents, teachers, school district leaders, labor leaders, and local elected officials for rallies and informational panels to discuss solutions to the crisis. She continues to be an active member of grassroots organizations that work on behalf of students and families, both locally and around the state.

In recognition of her knowledge of the district and understanding of the ongoing state-wide budget crisis in public education, the Long Beach Council PTA appointed her to the advisory position of School Board Liaison. She traveled to Sacramento to advocate directly with elected representatives for Long Beach's education priorities. Megan's leadership on the budgeting issues and overall support of our public education system is recognized by teachers, administrators, parent groups, and community leaders throughout the school district.

Today Megan serves as the Co-Chair of a committee for the Education Business Advisory, a collaboration between the LBUSD, Long Beach City College, CSU-Long Beach, and the local business community to provide work-based learning opportunities for Long Beach students. She is also an active member of the Long Beach Democratic Club.

Megan served for 10 years on the Board of Directors for Alexandria House, a transitional residence that provides safe and supportive housing for women and children in the process of moving from emergency shelter to permanent housing. She is an Advisory Board member of Housing Works, a Los Angeles non-profit which creates housing options that model sustainable, affordable communities with equal and fair access to housing and human services for people with limited income.

Megan and her husband, Andy, are native-born and lifelong residents of Long Beach. Megan attended Long Beach City College and Cal Poly Pomona, graduating with a degree in Sociology. After marrying in 1995, The Kerrs settled in Bixby Knolls on Megan's childhood block + and began to raise their family. Three children destined to attend Long Beach schools motivated Megan and Andy to focus their energies on not only the education of their children, but the overall betterment of the area's schools.