THE WORK OF BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES

 

As a graduate of El Modena High School who chose to raise my own family in Orange, my roots here are deep.

 

When I first ran for school board in 2018, I pledged to focus on improving student performance, bringing greater transparency to the work of our board and prioritizing student-centered education. I have honored that pledge, but there is more work to do. That’s why I’m asking for your support and your vote in the November 2022 school board race.

 

Serving on the OUSD school board has been a great education. Being an active board member, visiting every campus multiple times, attending school events and forming relationships throughout the district, has deepened my appreciation for the work we do every day in service to our students. By working collaboratively, remaining accessible and communicating with teachers, staff, parents and community members, I’ve been able to accomplish so much more.

 

I’m proud that during my first term, OUSD achieved, among many other things:

• Increased the number of schools recognized for excellence by the United States Dept. of Education, the State of California and the California School Boards Assn.

• Received an award for our district from the National League of Innovative Schools.

• Successfully opened 4 state-of-the-art STEM centers on our 4 comprehensive high school campuses adding 200,000 square feet of additional learning space.

• Adopted a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan for OUSD and a new Strategic Initiative through work with our parents, staff, and community partners.

• Going green - Installation of solar carports on 15 campuses, replaced 15 old diesel buses with a fleet of new all-electric buses (8 pending) to reduce our energy costs and protect our environment;

• Completed construction of Fred Kelly Stadium and El Modena Aquatic Center;

• Increased our District's credit rating twice

•  . . .  and so much more!.

 

Beyond the achievements we’ve seen in other areas, I’ve remained committed to the enhancement of school facilities and overseen our district’s successful execution of Phase 1 of Measure S.  I strongly believe in fiscal responsibility and spending dollars where they are most needed to benefit our students. 

 

We can all be proud of the way Orange Unified navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, working together with parents, teachers, and the community to provide safe, in-person education to our students. In fact, OUSD was the first OC public school district to open our classrooms full time, while instituting strict safety protocols to keep them safe. Before the pandemic, I successfully pushed to increase our mental health services to students and to open Wellness Centers on campus. When the pandemic struck, I advocated for increasing the number of counselors and nurses on our campuses. Student wellness directly impacts student performance which is why we must ensure every student’s academic and social-emotional needs are met so they have every opportunity to successfully pursue their dreams. 

 

Ensuring that all our students, and future generations, receive a first-class education is an awesome challenge, but one we can absolutely meet. We must apply vision, discipline and commitment to the work of public education. It’s an honor to represent Orange Unified School District as your Trustee and I humbly ask for your support in my re-election campaign.