Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Rescue Union School District

I am the mother of three children who have attended schools in the Rescue Union School District. We have lived in this community for nine years, during which time I have been actively involved in the school system. Prior to moving here, I participated in other school districts in California, Virginia, and in England for an additional eight years.

Over the past nine years I have held Parent Club offices and worked on numerous school site and District committes with the main goal improving the educational experience for the children of Rescue Union School District. It is my belief that teachers, parents, school staff, and community members working together to improve our children's education will give them the sense of community they need to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Currently I am the School Site Council Coordinator for two RUSD schools - Lake Forest and Marina Village. I have spent 8 years as a School Site Council (SSC) participant gaining vast experience in the planning for school improvements and managing the budgets designated to implement these plans. For the past three years, I have assisted the Superintendent in training new site council members at each of the five school sites. For the 2002/2003 year state requirements for the development of school plans will require a major revamping of the previous procedures. I am currently assisting in that process.

As a an original member of the District's Student Housing Task Force, I have been continually involved in issues regarding the housing of our students. These issues have involved reconfigurations of classes to create the 20:1 class size reductions, multi-track year-round educational schedules, school attendance boundaries, and the continuing need for more classroom space at individual sites and new schools.

I have also worked on the District Budget Task Force to help develop priorities for the use of District funds to best meet the needs of the students.

I am a member of the Leadership Team for Marina Village school which is working through the California School Leadership Academy to develop team building strategies to continue to improve the education for Marina Village students.

I have been a Little League Coach, a parent participant at OakRidge High School, and a member of Friends of the Library.