Board Member — Encinitas Union School District

I am a parent and community advocate whose actions speak volumes about my commitment to our students. A stay-at-home father of two children enrolled in Encinitas schools, I served as Room Parent and PTA Restaurant Night Coordinator, raising over $8,000 for the Encinitas Educational Foundation at Flora Vista Elementary. In addition to serving over six years as a Board Member of my Homeowners Association, I volunteer as a basketball and soccer coach, mentoring young athletes.

A retired Navy Chief Petty Officer with an MBA from National University, I understand school budgets, along with the importance of fiscal responsibility, leadership, accountability, and transparency. I intend to use my experience serving our county and local schools to act as a clear and open channel of communication.

More than just working with the district, parents and teachers to help our students rebound from the impact of COVID-19, I also hope to expand our appreciation for equity and diversity by establishing norms in our school that promote inclusion and openness. I will bring a fresh set of eyes and orientation to today’s rapidly changing environment. For dedicated, passionate, and experienced community leadership, I ask for you to vote for me, Marlon Taylor.

I am the mother of two boys attending La Costa Heights Elementary in the Encinitas Union School District.  I work full time as an attorney, practicing for 15 years and now in-house counsel for one of San Diego’s largest employers.  So, I have a vested interest in how our schools are run and understand first-hand the struggles working moms in particular face.  I am prochoice and firmly believe in equal rights for all.  I am a diversity advocate and ally and a lifelong Democratic voter.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the disparate impact such crises have on our families.  Working moms are being particularly hard hit.  Studies are showing that women, who for far too long have fought for equality in the workforce, are leaving their jobs in droves to be caregivers.  Those that are remaining in the workforce are feeling overwhelmed and burned out, struggling to be good employees, good moms, and good partners all at the same time. Our working moms aren’t the only ones being impacted, either.  Many of our families are fighting to be seen, whether because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or inability to provide their children with access to WiFi to stay in school.

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We need someone on our school board who understands these struggles.  Who understands that, sometimes, the loudest voices in the room don’t represent the decision that is best for all.  Someone who knows that, if we want our parents to invest in this school district and this community, all of our parents need to feel seen.  If elected to the Encinitas Union School Board, I will be that voice.

I’m a husband and father to two young girls who will be entering the school district soon. So this school district is personally very important to me. I’m a graduate of UC San Diego with a degree in Economics and I’ve lived and worked in Encinitas since 2007. My wife is a small business owner and I’m a busy professional so we understand how demanding life can be and how important the education, development, and care that an elementary school provides is. This is a great school district. I’m running for the school board so that I can do everything I can to make sure it stays that way and improves where it needs to.

I strongly believe that the role and responsibility of a school board member is to, first and foremost, listen to the needs and concerns of students and parents and look out for their best interest.

I don’t believe education should be politically polarizing and I want to work with and hear from everyone to create the best environment for our children to excel academically and socially.

In my professional life I have been a financial advisor for 20 years providing financial planning and investment services. I work primarily with families and small business owners in Encinitas and North County who trust me to help them accomplish their most important financial goals and solve their most pressing financial issues. I am a fiduciary who works legally bound to always look out for my client’s best interest. This requires a lot of listening, careful analysis, and sometimes hard decisions and tradeoffs. I will bring this same discipline and level of accountability to the school board.

Christian Adams has a fourth grade daughter at Park Dale Lane Elementary and a son in 2nd grade. He is a small business owner and has been in the solar industry for over 15 years. He has run several companies and navigated successfully through some volatile times in the industry.  He is a board member of the Encinitas Educational Foundation which led a program that raised money and distributed food to over 500 food insecure families weekly at the height of the pandemic. He has served on the school site council at Park Dale Lane where teachers, parents and staff work with the principal to plan for the needs of the school.  

Keep the POLITICS and INDOCTRINATION out of our schools.  Children need to enjoy their education and not be poltical pawns.  This is devisive to the whole community and it needs to stop!  School was a place where everyone worked together because of a common goal, I think we all still have that goal so let's do this TOGETHER :)