Candidate for
Board Member; Huntington Beach City School District; 4 Year Term

I am delighted to be running for re-election to this outstanding district. My background demonstrates my commitment to education and to children.

My family raised me to believe that a strong public education system is the foundation of our democracy. My mother worked as a principal's secretary, high school registrar, and elementary school librarian. She was president of her classified employees association. My brother graduated college Phi Beta Kappa, and I graduated my high school as Valedictorian and college Cum Laude. My parents taught me to strive for excellence in all I do and demonstrate a strong work-ethic with integrity.

I married my husband of nearly 30 years, Paul Kollar, and I became a teacher of English, Speech and Drama at the high school where I graduated. Paul became a teacher of social science, math, and later Spanish. We moved to Huntington Beach where I was selected to be the FVHS lead teacher in the district's new Freshman Writing Project.

I went on to provide consulting to the entire district and districts across the United States and Canada in how to build a strong program in teaching composition effectively. The district then moved me to HBHS where I helped write the first School Improvement Grant Application and was selected to be the first Co-coordinator of the School Improvement Project.

The high school district then selected me to work in its Special Projects Office writing grants and grant reports. In the early 80's, I wrote grants bringing in over $300,000 in to HBUHSD. I also coordinated our Vocational Education teachers districwide who were teaching ROP classes. These were the years that my husband and I also became the proud parents of two boys and a girl: Niki, Natalie, and Paul.

The district asked me to move to Edison High School and assume the position of Vice Principal (then "Dean") of Supervision and Attendance. Later, I sought and was appointed to the position of Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, which also fulfilled the duties of Public Information Officer for the district.

After two and a half years working with the Superintendent and Cabinet, our district was eliminating administrative positions in the face of severe declining enrollment. My position was eliminated, but I immediately interviewed and was selected to manage the new District Dropout Recovery Project. This grew into a job managing Adult Education programs for the district as well, where I continue to serve as Adult/Alternative Education Vice Principal.

I was always active in my children's education, and running for the school board was a natural for me. It was my way to "give back" to the district that was providing my children with a strong foundation for learning. I currently serve as the Chair of the HBHS School Site Council (for the past four years) and am an active parent in the community.

This is a critical time in education. We need school board members who are informed leaders with experience and knowledge. We are in the middle of a major campaign to enable all children to achieve the very high standards we have set. We are in the midst of major modernization projects in a time when construction companies are bidding exhorbitant prices (if they submit a bid at all), and materials have become scarce and expensive. We are facing declining funding from the State while already being funded below the national average.

I urge you to vote for me to continue the outstanding work, reputation and accomplishments this district has earned under my leadership and that of my colleague who is also running as an incumbent, Mr. Brian Rechsteiner.