Age: 48
Profession: Manager, legal/compliance unit, Century Housing Corporation
Where do you live? Sunset Park Educational background: A.A., social studies, Santa Monica College, 1976; B.A., history, U.C. San Diego, 1978; J.D., U.C. Hastings College of Law, 1981
Endorsed by: Santa Monica/Malibu Classroom Teachers Assn., SEIU Local 660, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, Community for Excellent Public Schools, Santa Monica Mirror newspaper, National Women’s Political Caucus, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights, Santa Monica Democratic Club, Malibu Democratic Club, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Coalition for a Living Wage, Assemblymember Fran Pavley, Mayor Richard Bloom, Councilmember Ken Genser, School Board Members Emily Bloomfield, Julia Brownley, Michael Jordan, Oscar De La Torre, SMC Trustees Margaret Quiñones, Nancy Greenstein, former Santa Monica City Councilmembers Dennis Zane, Judy Abdo and Tony Vazquez, former School Board Members Pam Brady, Patricia Hoffman, and Tom Pratt, School Board Candidate Kathy Wisnicki, and many community activists, such as Judge David Finkel (ret) & Bruria Finkel, Reverend Sandy Richards, Ralph Mechur, Dolores Press, Val & Alan Glick.
In 100 words or less, what about your background makes you a qualified school board member? My passion in education comes from over 30 years of involvement in Santa Monica and education issues since I was in high school. I have been in the Santa Monica community since 1959. I was raised in a working class, union family, which emphasized education as a means of getting ahead economically. My parents both only had a third grade education and realized that their purpose for immigrating to the United States was to build a future for their children. I grew up with a strong work ethic and compassion to help others less fortunate than our family. We didn’t have much growing up but were raised with the riches of a strong family unit and lots of love.
This upbringing inspired my career in law, community organizing and politics. I attended Santa Monica College, U.C. San Diego and U.C. Hastings College of Law. Upon completion of my formal education, I returned to Santa Monica realizing that I had a role to play in society and that was to change the institutions’ way of thinking that only a certain few could be highly educated. I have been involved in community organizations such as Westside Legal Services, Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Commission on the Status of Woman, FAME-Santa Monica Economic Development Corporation, and the PTAs at Will Rogers, Jams, and Samohi. My role has been as participant, board member and appointed member, but in all the hats I have worn I have contributed my knowledge and expertise, and have gained more knowledge and expertise to share with the organizations I served. I have always been involved in heated community issues whether educational or not with the end purpose of coming to a positive resolution. My 30 years of involvement have forged many positive changes in this community. I have seen the dynamics of education change from that of the privileged to the demand of excellence for all children. And I will continue to strive for “extraordinary achievement for all students while simultaneously closing the achievement gap” in a commUNITY approach.
In 300 words or less, a group of parents is staging an effort to secede Malibu schools from the school district. Do you think this would be a wise move? What are the possible upsides and downsides to this plan? When I ran in November of 2000 and I was elected to the school board, I did so knowing that I would represent all the children in the district irrespective of what city they lived in. I am opposed to any separation of the district because I feel that the present board has fully represented all children well in the district. It is unfortunate that talk of splitting the district has come from a result of the 15 percent gift policy that is meant to bring equality of funding to the education of all children in the district. If it is the request of the citizens of Malibu to move forward with the separation, then I would not interfere in the democratic process, and will allow the Malibu citizens to put it to a vote. The Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization will review the petition to make sure that it meets nine conditions, and then recommends to approve or to disapprove the petition. If there is a recommendation of approval, then it is forwarded to the State Board of Education where a public hearing is held and a final decision to approve or disapprove is made. If approved, the state board sets the process for a vote by the citizens of Malibu. Ultimately, it is the hope that the best interests of all students in our district are taken into consideration as we move forward or not with this petition. I will continue to represent all children in the district until such decision is made to split the district.
In 300 words or less, the school board recently approved a policy that requires wealthy schools to share a portion of their cash donations with poorer schools. Where did you stand on this controversial issue? How will you address inequalities with local schools? I voted for the gift policy. It is the only fair and equitable means by which the district can equalize the playing field of education for all its students. The fact that some schools can fundraise more than others is based on the economic means of the families that comprise that school, and not on the ability to fundraise. Students should not be penalized for having been born poor.
However, I recognize the fact that certain schools will lose reading intervention programs, classroom aides, science classes and art classes as a result of the 15 percent contribution to the district fund. So I am prepared to re-visit this policy and recommend that we prepare a matrix of basic programs, services and staffing needs for all the schools. Once we have done this, the board can recommend that at a minimum certain programs, services and staffing must exist at all the schools, and if a particular school does not have that minimum, then monies from the district fund can be used.
In 300 words or less, do you think the school district handles at-risk youth properly? And do you think Olympic High School, the district’s alternative high school, needs attention? In what way? As long as I have been on the board, the district has always handled “at-risk” students properly and fairly. That is one of the first issues that the superintendent was asked to review, analyze and make recommendations for improvement of academic, intervention and support programs for the “at-risk” students. As a result, the smaller learning communities at Samohi were implemented and six smaller schools, or houses, have been operating for two years. An extensive professional development piece was instituted with monies from the Stupski Foundation, and our principals have been trained to become teacher trainers. The summer school intervention piece has been given priority, and specific intervention mechanism have been set up at each of the levels — elementary, middle and senior high schools — to bridge the infamous gap. This task has been designated as one of the superintendent’s performance targets so that there is much work in progress with updates to follow in the coming two to three years.
Olympic High School has always been given a bad name. I look at it as an alternative school, and I am hoping that in my next term more dialogue is had with teachers, staff, parents, students and the administration on how the high school can be turned into an actual alternative high school. It is apparent that the students that choose to be there is because of the overwhelming size of Samohi and desire a smaller school setting. The superintendent and a couple of our board members were recently in New York visiting charter high schools, so there will be informed and good dialogue soon on the future of Olympic High School. I look forward to discussing how the district can best meet the needs of students at Olympic.
Do you support fast food and/or junk food being sold at local schools? Why or why not? No, I do not support junk food to be sold on campus, however, I will qualify my answer that certain fast food that is somewhat nutritious can be sold, i.e. Subway turkey or tuna sandwiches and salads, Pollo Loco entrees, but not Pizza Hut, Dominos or McDonalds. Our children eat too many fatty foods and do not exercise as they should to burn off the calories. The district needs to do a better job in providing better entrees and salads in the cafeteria, especially in middle and senior high schools.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 28, 2004. Read the original PDF.