Trustee, Trustee Area 2 — Carlsbad Unified School District

Challenge 1: COVID-19 has impacted us all. While for some it has been an opportunity to adjust priorities and reconnect as a family, for others it has brought devastating losses and tremendous hardship. For most of us in education--whether in our role as parents, teachers, administrators, students, or board members--it's been tumultuous. School Boards have the responsibility to determine how and when students return to schools, which requires finding a balance between safety and in-person learning, and public opinion has never been more divided. When we look at the impact of in-person school closures, it is particularly troubling to see that the most severe learning loss occurs with our most vulnerable students, including students with special needs, students from low-income families, and minority students. Chances for learning should be available to all; without it, inequality will only increase. We can begin to address the achievement gap even during remote learning by using CARES Act money to provide targeted instruction to vulnerable students.

Challenge 2: Schools do more than provide academic learning. On July 24, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote, "Schools are an essential part of the infrastructure of communities, as they provide safe, supportive learning environments for students, employ teachers and other staff, and enable parents, guardians, and caregivers to go to work. Schools also provide critical services that help to mitigate health disparities, such as school meal programs, social, physical, behavioral, and mental health services." Thus, we have a responsibility to prepare a safe return to school for our students as quickly as possible.

Challenge 3: Our Graduate Profile outlines six attributes that can lead to success, including "College & Career Ready Scholar - Graduates navigate pathways that connect education and employment to a fulfilling, financially secure life." Not only do we need to continue building and strengthening relationships with local colleges and businesses, it is essential that our students recognize the connection between education, employment and a "fulfilling, financially secure life."   

Student learning has been my focus for the 20 years that I have been privileged to serve as a member of the CUSD Board of Trustees. Since I joined the Board, test scores have risen, more students are completing AP, Honors, and community college courses, and the number of graduates meeting A-G requirements has increased from 52% to 80%. In addition to our academic achievements, our highly regarded music, drama, broadcasting, speech & debate, dance, and athletic programs continue to enrich the lives of our students. Also during my time on the Board, our facilities have been upgraded and new schools built on time and under budget. I am particularly proud of the addition of Sage Creek High School, which gives our students the opportunity to choose between two distinct, excellent learning environments.

It has taken a team to achieve these excellent results. Effective Board members contribute their unique talents while collaborating and working as a team with other board members. I am honored that my current and former team members recognize my contributions and endorse my re-election, including former CUSD board members Nicole Pappas, Kelli Moors, Mark Tanner, Lisa Rodman, and Ann Tanner and current board members Claudine Jones and Ray Pearson. I have also been endorsed by our two former superintendents, Dr. John Roach and Dr. Suzette Lovely. 

1.   The accelerating increase in economic inequality will present much greater challenges to future graduating students than the generations that preceded them.  Adapting our approach to K-12 education to provide flexible learning pathways to gain the self-confidence, knowledge, and skills needed to succeed in our local technology and scientific industries is key to ensuring that our students are prepared to transition to higher-paying career paths.

2.   Social inequality driven by racial and lifestyle barriers compound economic inequality.  Allocating additional resources to engage community and civic groups in outreach campaigns that connect directly with disadvantaged students and families to provide additional community education and social support.

3.   We are fortunate to live in a beach community with world-famous weather.  To sustain it for future generations we need to dramatically increase awareness of the direct relationship between our behaviors and the rapidly changing climate.  Specific programs could include joint activities with school, business, and community sponsorship of environment education and clean-up events.  Also increase awareness of the collective responsibility we all share to participate in our democracy to affect the change we want to see.

Throughout my professional career I’ve been fortunate to work in organizations led by exceptional managers who took genuine interest in my success because they understood that if I succeeded, they succeeded, and more importantly, our customers succeeded.  Their guidance molded my approach to developing and mentoring teams to collaborate across multiple time zones, geographies, and cultures.  The most important outcome of this approach is a shared level of trust we equally learn from mistakes and share the successes.

Although I have led the development of a corporate learning management system and deployed numerous online global training programs, I have a lot to learn from all the key stakeholders in K-12 public education.  I will openly and sincerely work with student, parent, teacher, administrator, community, and business groups to understand their issues and draw on my corporate experience to collectively introduce positive change.

Learning new technologies, relearning core STEM concepts in completely new contexts, e.g., Artificial Intelligence, has been part of my lifelong learning journey.  I hope to leverage my experience with virtual learning and collaboration platforms to supplement traditional classroom education and better prepare students for the digital workplace and virtual social environments that will shape their future.