Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday selected former Santa Monica High School Principal Ilene Straus to serve on the state Board of Education, according to reports.
SMMUSD HDQTRS — The school board is pushing back against a line-item veto by Gov. Schwarzenegger that education activists say could greatly harm mental health services for some special education students in school districts here and across California.
Regular readers know I think the current Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education has failed in its oversight and demonstrated an appalling lack of leadership in handling problems such as continual budget shortfalls.
DOWNTOWN — As Nov. 2 nears, a certain sector of the Santa Monica electorate is beginning to wonder: What’s more important, experience or newcomer enthusiasm? And who’s got the right mix of both? The question may have the most relevance to the campaign of school board challenger Nimish Patel.
One of the most interesting and contentious contests this election is the race for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education with Kelly Pye retiring and board chair Barry Snell, Ralph Mechur and the always controversial Oscar de la Torre seeking re-election.
• Name: Barry A. Snell • Age: 55 • Occupation: Certified public accountant/ school board president • Marital status/children: Single with three children • Your neighborhood? How long have you lived there?: South of Montana, 15 years • Own or rent?: Rent • Public school or private?: Public schools in
• Name: Laurie Lieberman • Age: 57 • Occupation: Education activist/parent/ attorney • Marital status/children: Married/two children, three step-children • Your neighborhood? How long have you lived there?: 30-year Santa Monica resident; north of Montana (nine years); previously, Ocean Park and Suns
• Name: Chris Bley • Age: 37 • Occupation: High school history and government teacher • Marital status/children: Divorced/none • Your neighborhood? How long have you lived there?: Montana, Ocean Park, Harvard Street/34 years • Own or rent? Rent • Public school or private? Public through college exce
• Name: Oscar de la Torre • Age: 39 • Occupation: Founder/executive director of Pico Youth & Family Center and school board member • Marital status/children: Married with two children • Your neighborhood? How long have you lived there?: Lifelong resident of Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood • Own or
• Name: Patrick Cady • Age: 64 • Occupation: Retired teacher; Coach • Marital status/children: Married to Linda Cady, recently retired JAMS science teacher; One child, Kristin Cady Russio, graduate of Samohi • Your neighborhood? How long have you lived there?: Malibu.
• Name: Jake Wachtel • Age: 38 • Occupation: Parent/producer/college advisory board member • Marital status/children: My wife and I have two daughters; Mia is a second grader.
• Name: Nimish Patel • Age: 41 • Occupation: Small business owner, JD/MBA/CPA • Marital status/children: Married with two children in our public schools • Your neighborhood? How long have you lived there?: Montana Neighborhood/six years • Own or rent? Own • Public school or private? Public schools •
