Candidate for
Board Member; Los Angeles Unified School District; District 4

As a member of the LA Unified School Board, I will do a number of things. Most important is to reduce the LAUSD bureaucracy, so that more money can be spent on the classroom, rather than administrative overhead. More money for the classroom means smaller classrooms, which will lead to more individualized attention for each student and higher achievement.

We also need to ensure that our teachers are the best and the brightest. This means pushing for a more rigorous qualification and evaluation process. In addition, we will attract better teachers by making the school environment more conducive to learning by repairing decaying facilities and ensuring safe campuses. The money we save by reducing bureaucracy can easily be used to repair our buildings, rather than countless bond measures that ultimately put future generations in debt.

In addition, safe schools are a critical element in attracting and retaining excellent teachers. While teaching at Fairfax, I have seen gang activity decline as a result of simple steps applied consistently, such as making sure that any graffiti at Fairfax was painted over immediately, and offering productive activities during lunch and snacktime, when gang activity is likely to occur. As a School Board member, I will insist that LAUSD implement Fairfax's graffiti abatement and lunchtime activities programs district-wide.