OPENING & CLOSING STATEMENTS FOR LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CANDIDATE'S FORUM ON OCTOBER 15, 2009

By Virginia Chang Kiraly

Mission Statement for Virginia Chang Kiraly:

1) Provide quality education for all students 2) Take care of our finances 3) Add value to our community

Good evening... my name is Virginia Chang Kiraly. I am honored and pleased to be here tonight, and I thank the League of Women Voters for hosting tonight's candidate's forum.

I believe it is our obligation, as parents and a community, to focus on the responsibilities of a school board trustee. For me, there are three very basic things:

1) Provide quality education for all students 2) Take care of our finances, and 3) Add value to our community

Guiding the Sequoia District through these challenging times will require a balance between creative solutions, fiscal responsibility, and community partnerships.

I would be honored to offer my combined experience in:

• Business and financial analysis,
• Leading school and community organizations, and
• Developing public policy.

As a Commissioner for the California Commission for Economic Development, I understand the importance of developing sound public policy and programs to provide opportunities for all students in our changing economy.

As a former PTA President and board member on the Sequoia High School Education Foundation, I know, first-hand, the importance of bringing in revenue and prioritizing spending to save programs.

Thanks to prudent planning and sound fiscal management, the Sequoia District community is fortunate to have increased test scores at all schools and a large financial reserve to help weather this serious recession.

In the end, my goal is to educate the approximately 9,000 students from eight cities by: 1) Closing the achievement gap by making the District's career technical education and Middle College programs more robust, while retaining our first-rate college preparatory curriculum, and 2) Improving academic performance by setting high expectations for all students in all programs.

CLOSING STATEMENT:

Tonight's forum has shown that each of us deeply cares about the quality of education our students receive. However, during this challenging time, words are not enough.

My wealth of experience in public service and community voluntarism has prepared me to lead the Sequoia District and represent you to ensure that all our schools-- the four comprehensive high schools, the four charter high schools, Redwood School, and the adult school-- are well-served with a level-headed and balanced perspective.

I have firsthand knowledge and understanding of critical financial issues. I believe in good governance and developing sound public policy from a big-picture perspective, as well as, a local perspective.

As a daughter of Chinese immigrants, education was always the top priority in my family because they believe it is the way to "achieve the American Dream." Since my father was a chemistry professor at the University of Texas at Austin, I was lucky enough to grow up in an academic environment where high academic standards were the norm because high expectations were also the norm. Investing in and supporting our student's education is the most important gift we can give to them and our society. Having our students achieve success, whether it is in Career Technical Education and/or college preparation, is important for their future.

Tonight, I ask for your support to help move the Sequoia District forward in a positive direction for all students.

Thank you