Candidate for
Board Member; Gilroy Unified School District

My philosophy on education can be summed up in two words: academic excellence. I believe that as a Board Trustee, my job will be to focus on improving academic achievement as the highest priority. While I value the social aspects of school, the classroom must come first.

As a parent, I know how difficult it is to raise a student today. More is expected of our children than was expected of us. Children whose parents value and support their education have a much greater chance of being able to fulfill their life goals.

My supporters include community members who come from both sides of the political and ideological spectrum. What unites them in support for me is the belief that an excellent public school system is in the best interest of everyone. My vision of equity is that we will have a public school system that supports all students and challenges each one to achieve. Equity demands that we show no favoritism to any particular group, and that all children have access to rigorous curriculum and individual attention to their needs. Equity dictates that class sizes will be comparable for all students, whether they are in an intervention, a grade level or an accelerated class.

I believe that everyone in the community has a stake in the quality of our public schools. Many Gilroyans choose to sacrifice to send their children to private or parochial schools because they lack confidence in our public schools. Our community loses hundreds of students to neighboring public schools. I would like to be part of a Board of Trustees that will restore confidence in our schools so that we retain and attract those students who have left the District.