Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Hermosa Beach City Elementary School District

Our children are our most valued natural resource in the City of Hermosa Beach, and supporting their education should be a priority for us all. As a teacher and a parent of two daughters in Hermosa's schools, I am daily reminded of the importance of our financial and social investments in our school district. Still, failed parcel taxes and unpopular half-measures in past years are proof that not all in our community yet recognize the benefits that excellent schools bring to our city.

I would like the opportunity to be a part of a new, collaborative vision, a vision for our city and schools to re-engage and reunite our sometimes fractured community and build a foundation for a top-notch school district immune to the natural (or political) fluctuations of enrollment and revenue.

Increased Enrollment

Our city continues to draw more and more families to our family-friendly community, and as a consequence we have felt the impact in our schools. It's a testament to our great teachers that our 1,400+ students have continued to make academic gains despite overcrowding that recently forced teachers to convene multiple classes in Valley's multi-purpose room, and dot our school's open space with portable buildings. The last time our district had 1,400 students, we had not two campuses but SIX. Our students deserve better than these temporary measures. We can't afford to keep kicking our schools' problem of increased enrollment down the road.

Revenue Shortfalls

Thanks in large part to the efforts of the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation (HBEF) and the Hermosa Beach Parent Teacher Organization (HBPTO), many of our district's school programs have been saved from the budget axe. Our current board and Superintendent should also be applauded for crafting a leaner and more efficient administration for our schools. But is it enough?

Sacramento's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and the technological demands of the new Common Core standards put new demands on our schools' budgets. Under LCFF, our school district has been put at the back of the line when it comes to receiving state funding per pupil. The Common Core standards, though a needed and more rigorous update to California's 1997 standards, nevertheless will require a significant investment in technology and teacher training at our schools. Will we be ready - or will we again resort to half-measures for our children?

A Community Vision

Our North School campus is one of several possible solutions to our problem of increased enrollment, and many Hermosans have told me of their dreams to better our schools' instructional programs as well. But cutting corners isn't going to get us there. Nor is asking for a handout. Nor is drilling holes in the ground.

Imagine a community, where instead of funding shortfalls, our PTO and community partners were providing our children with enrichment programs. Programs such as music, dance, foreign languages, arts -- and academic interventions for our children most in need. Imagine a Hermosa Beach where empty nesters and new parents are partners in our goal for a vibrant and well-educated community that increases the financial and social stature of our entire city.

There has been much talk of late as to what we don't want in Hermosa Beach; I hope you will join me in thinking forward to what we DO want for our kids. And what our children most need and deserve. It is with their success that we too succeed.