Trustee, Trustee Area 4 — San Dieguito Union High School District

By far, the biggest issue the district is facing is how to safely return our students to school during this covid crisis. Every stakeholder has a particular set of concerns. Parents want the choice for their children to safely return to school as soon as possible. Teachers want to ensure their health and safety as they return to the classroom. The school administration is tasked with meeting educational objectives while following all state and county health guidelines. My experience and ability to work with multiple constituents towards joint goals will allow me to balance the needs of all constituents to determine an optimal solution.

The school district is a public entity that requires transparency with the general public. I will ensure that all appropriate district business is conducted in an open and transparent manner with the utmost of integrity.

The coronavirus has created substantial stress on the school district’s finances. The school board will be challenged to identify operational efficiencies to balance the budget while meeting its educational objectives. My experience as a chief financial officer and auditor for a Fortune 500 company provides unique insights and a skill base to meet these challenges.

I am the Founder and Chairman of a software platform called Voterfied. Voterfied is the premier platform for secure and verified voter engagement that powers constituent outreach for officeholders at all levels.  The Voterfied platform offers candidates and officeholders the ability to securely conduct issue-based surveys. Parents and members of the community have been left in the dark while decisions are made that affect our children. I want to hear from you. When elected to the school board, I will use Voterfied as an “always on” town hall to facilitate parent input on important issues facing the district.

As we've seen over the past 20 years, the coming decade will bring more change for our students than we can imagine. It is incumbent upon our district leadership to set forward-thinking policy that prepares our students to adapt to these changes. The educational crisis created by the current pandemic highlights our need to plan for flexibility in learning models so that we can be more nimble when circumstances require. This generation of students faces a world where information and misinformation are ever-present. Preparing our students for a successful future means teaching them to think critically in search of the truth, fostering skills that can be adapted to changing workforce requirements, and preparing them to be engaged stewards of our environment and diverse community.

During my 16-year career in special education, I had the opportunity to lead teams of teachers and specialists in their efforts to provide academic support to students whose behaviors are impacting their school performance. In my role as a consultant for the San Diego Center for Children School, I collaborated with long-time staff members to assess student needs, design quality academic programming, and support effective instruction. My approach as a newcomer to the school was to affect change by building upon the foundations that had been created by dedicated and talented staff members so that we could openly and honestly address known issues. Together, we created the basis for the center's currently thriving educational program that supports the academic growth of students with exceptional needs. As a trustee, I will execute my duties with that same degree of respect, collaboration and integrity.