Candidate for
Board Member; Cypress School District

For the past 6 years, I have had the privilege of serving on the Cypress School District Board of Trustees where I have worked to foster a learning environment in which every student can be successful.

As both a teacher and an administrator for over thirty-five years, I have watched the educational pendulum swing wide: old math to new math, phonics to whole-language, English-only to bilingual programs.

Regardless of the many changes in programs or teaching methods, one constant remains: if students are to be productive, life-long learners, teachers must be equipped to diagnose and provide appropriate instruction for the individual needs of children who come from increasingly diverse backgrounds.

As Assistant Director of Research in the Long Beach Unified School District, I grew to understand that classroom success is dependent not only upon supportive families and committed teachers, but also on district and community support.

Although Cypress schools are excellent, and among the highest achieving schools in Orange County, over the next several years, the Board of Trustees of Cypress will be facing the following challenges:

• Maintaining a balanced budget amidst economic cutbacks
• Maintaining classrooms for 20 or fewer students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 when costs exceed funds provided by the state
• Keeping class size for Grades 4-6 as low as possible
• Continuing to upgrade and expand the educational technology program currently in use in the district

My wife Sandy and I have been residents of Cypress for over 33 years. I currently attend Cornerstone Church in Long Beach. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Cypress Boys and Girls Club.