THE KEYS TO AUTHENTIC STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
My hope for my own children and every child that attends GUSD schools is that they graduate from our district with high academic achievement and strong social skills and as independent and critical thinkers ready to be productive members of our democracy. We can make this happen by prioritizing racial and social justice, investing in our educators and staff, and implementing stronger and wide-ranging communication in our district.
Inclusion and Racial & Social Justice
Glendale Unified is home to a richly diverse student population and it is important that the district continues to take action and enact policies that ensure all our children and their families feel accepted, included, seen, and supported. This means:
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Protecting our LGBTQIA+ children, our children of color, and our kids with special needs.
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Ensuring child care is affordable and accessible to all families regardless of their income level.
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Lowering class sizes.
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Prioritizing increased green spaces at schools, like those at Franklin Elementary.
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Moving away from punitive school discipline towards an evidence-based restorative and positive approach.
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Properly funding special education services and making it easier for families to find the resources they need.
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Prioritizing our award-winning DLI (Dual Language Immersion) programs in the budget and in our schools and making it less dependent on parent fundraising.
By implementing district policies and actions that center the whole child, we will move ever closer to an exceptional and equitable educational experience for all GUSD students.
Investment In Our Educators and Staff
GUSD schools are among the best in the state of California. Despite gains in recent months, the overall salaries of our educators and staff are still well within the average to low range in Los Angeles County and many are unable to afford to live anywhere close to the school they work in. If we want to retain and recruit quality educators, we need to continue to prioritize and invest in our educators and staff. This means treating them as partners and collaborating with them at the bargaining table to determine ways in which we can raise salaries without impacting essential services and programs.
As a teacher with nearly twenty years of experience in the classroom, I know the challenges that our educators face every day. Large class sizes, excessive paperwork, inadequate supplies - just to name a few. I will work with our educators to continually improve upon district practices and policies so that educators can return to what matters most: educating and engaging our students.
Stronger & Wide-Ranging Communication
In a time in which misinformation is rampant, proactive and clear communication from GUSD in partnership with individual schools and community partners is essential.
Currently, there are many ways to receive information from the district. Families receive emails, text messages, and phone calls and GUSD Board Meetings are available to stream online. As a Board Member, I will advocate that GUSD build upon this by offering the community more opportunities for meetings scheduled at times that allow more working families to attend, are conducive to in-person interactions, and allow information to be accessed by all families in our diverse community. In a school district as large as GUSD, it is vital that our students and families can easily find the information they need presented in a way they can easily access to utilize the available programs, resources, and services crucial to their academic and mental well-being.