1) What do you see as the district's most significant challenges over the next several years?
The most significant challenge of the next several years will be sustaining the high-quality education our students deserve amid reduced funding. Districts across California and the nation are facing declining enrollment, and GUSD is no exception. GUSD has focused on prioritizing programs with the greatest impact on student learning while remaining competitive in hiring and retaining quality educators. We have made strategic decisions to ensure the district’s fiscal stability, including the recent property exchange agreement which will trade an underutilized GUSD property for an income-producing one, generating funds that we can allocate to facilities, programs and salaries and benefits.
2) What principles would guide you as a Trustee when these disagreements arise?
I believe that teaching is a creative process between teachers and students. I trust our GUSD teachers and educators: They are the experts on curriculum, and how to effectively teach important, and sometimes controversial, material to various age groups in an appropriate yet thought-provoking way. I believe it is the Board's responsibility to ensure that our teachers have access to training and resources that support them in navigating the adopted curriculum and in teaching it in culturally responsive and age-appropriate ways. When a disagreement arises, it is important to have a clear and transparent process to investigate and address the concern. GUSD currently has such a process, and I have seen it play out successfully.
3) How should the district balance a parent’s ability to make choices for their own child with decisions about what materials should be available to students and families?
As a public education agency, GUSD has an obligation to follow state academic standards. The State set the standards and school districts choose the specific curriculum and materials that meet that standard. GUSD makes our book adoption public and available to all families to review and provide feedback before adoption. In addition, GUSD offers opt-outs for certain content should families feel the chosen subject and curriculum is not appropriate for their student. As a GUSD parent, I can attest to the fact that our teachers are always available and willing to have conversations with parents/guardians and work together to find ways to address any concerns regarding curriculum.
4) What do you see as the district's role in supporting student well-being and mental health?
GUSD has made a commitment to supporting “the whole child”, we believe that if a student’s basic needs are not met they can not fully be present to learn. I fully advocate for and support resources that support student well-being and mental health.
5) What programs, resources, or approaches would you prioritize, and how would you balance those needs against the district’s other educational and financial responsibilities?
Since I have been on the GUSD Board, GUSD has implemented our MTTS, Muli-Tiered Systems of Support, a comprehensive framework that aligns academic, behavioral, and social-emotional learning in a fully integrated system of support for the benefit of all students. We have also increased mental health access for students through the creation of our wellness rooms at every GUSD school site. These wellness rooms provide a safe haven for students throughout the day where they can regulate, find a quiet space, or speak to our student support specialist that can help identify if a student needs additional resources. We fully fund a dedicated student support specialist at every site. These services are imperative to a student’s academic success, I do not believe that they should be seen as “optional”. I encourage staff to find creative ways to fund these programs with grants and/or community donations, such as the Glendora Education Foundation, whose Giving Tuesday campaign has been a huge support for the wellness rooms.
6) What experience, qualifications, or perspective would you bring to the GUSD Board of Education?
I am the daughter of a single immigrant mother and the first in my family to attend college. I grew up in the East San Fernando Valley and attended public schools, including California State University, Los Angeles, where I studied sociology. After many years working in management, I became a full time, work-from-home mom, which gave me the flexibility to volunteer in the classroom. Thirteen years ago, my family and I moved to Glendora from Arcadia and have been involved with our schools since the day I registered my daughter at Cullen. I currently serve on Whitcomb and GHS PTAs, GEF board rep, and for the last four years as your Board Trustee. My service to our community extends beyond my role on the board – I also serve on the Glendora Rotary Board of Directors and the Glendora Sister City Association Board of Directors. All of these roles have given me a broad, hands-on perspective on who we serve and the intricacies of their needs. That perspective is my North Star: students first. It’s the lens through which I evaluate every policy, carefully reviewing how each one serves - or harms - our students.