I picked up last week’s News Enterprise to read about our local news, and mixed in with news about charity drives, All-Star youth teams, heat advisories, the LA Fitness controversy, crime, and faith, I ran across the one written by Karen Russell, one of the three incumbents on the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board, writing on behalf of them all, about their intent to seek re-election in November.
I was shocked. Kinda. I just thought a combined 40 years on the Board for them would’ve been enough. Guess I was wrong.
Time to throw my hat in the proverbial ring.
I am seeking election for the Los Alamitos School District Board.
I read Russell’s article closely. In it she simply highlighted their “record.” Her rhetoric was more of the same: national awards, AP scores, modernization, ROP offerings, high standards, A-G completion rates, and safety initiatives. While all of these programs and successes are ones we celebrate throughout our communities, as they keep our kids engaged, inspired, and most importantly, safe, this “record” doesn’t address the issues about which our communities are growing more and more concerned. I ended the article wondering, “But what’s next?”
We are desperately ready to hear discussions about and solutions to the traffic nightmares in Rossmoor. We want to hear honest debates about the inter-district transfers that make up over 30% of our student population. We want to understand where all the money goes, including those dollars raised for individual classrooms, programs, schools, the ever-present district-driven fundraising events and the ubiquitous LAEF -- and why we need another bond measure on the ballot again this election cycle. We want to see teaching practices move into the 21st century and educational equity for all students. We want to give our teachers a voice and hold our administrators accountable for leading their teams with purpose and intent. We want transparency into the sports programs’ operating procedures. We want to discuss options for decreasing the sheer number of kids in our schools, so the schools can become more manageable. We want to see research on the value of summer homework.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do have lots of questions. Isn’t that all we really want? A member on the Board who is not afraid to raise the tough questions, hear from our communities, weigh the options, and make decisions in the best interest of us all?
I live in Rossmoor because when my husband and I began having kids we wanted to be part of a great school district. Los Alamitos was that district for us. We moved to this small community district before our kids even started school, and one of them is now at Oak and the other one is at the high school. Crazy how time flies.
This district has served us well, and I want to continue the good work, but I see room for improvement. And rather than rest on our laurels, I’d like to revisit what has made us great and return to a focus on that foundation. We haven’t been great in only the last 15 years; we’ve always been great -- and we’ve been great because we have always been a neighborhood, boutique district. We need, therefore, to continue to move forward, but not forget who we are.
Here’s to Curriculum. Equity. Safety. And a teacher on the board who is focused on why we’re in this business of education -- the kids.
Feel free to contact me via my website at cathylarson.com or via email at [email protected]. We are in this together, and it’s time we stand together.
Who’s with me?
I was shocked. Kinda. I just thought a combined 40 years on the Board for them would’ve been enough. Guess I was wrong.
Time to throw my hat in the proverbial ring.
I am seeking election for the Los Alamitos School District Board.
I read Russell’s article closely. In it she simply highlighted their “record.” Her rhetoric was more of the same: national awards, AP scores, modernization, ROP offerings, high standards, A-G completion rates, and safety initiatives. While all of these programs and successes are ones we celebrate throughout our communities, as they keep our kids engaged, inspired, and most importantly, safe, this “record” doesn’t address the issues about which our communities are growing more and more concerned. I ended the article wondering, “But what’s next?”
We are desperately ready to hear discussions about and solutions to the traffic nightmares in Rossmoor. We want to hear honest debates about the inter-district transfers that make up over 30% of our student population. We want to understand where all the money goes, including those dollars raised for individual classrooms, programs, schools, the ever-present district-driven fundraising events and the ubiquitous LAEF -- and why we need another bond measure on the ballot again this election cycle. We want to see teaching practices move into the 21st century and educational equity for all students. We want to give our teachers a voice and hold our administrators accountable for leading their teams with purpose and intent. We want transparency into the sports programs’ operating procedures. We want to discuss options for decreasing the sheer number of kids in our schools, so the schools can become more manageable. We want to see research on the value of summer homework.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do have lots of questions. Isn’t that all we really want? A member on the Board who is not afraid to raise the tough questions, hear from our communities, weigh the options, and make decisions in the best interest of us all?
I live in Rossmoor because when my husband and I began having kids we wanted to be part of a great school district. Los Alamitos was that district for us. We moved to this small community district before our kids even started school, and one of them is now at Oak and the other one is at the high school. Crazy how time flies.
This district has served us well, and I want to continue the good work, but I see room for improvement. And rather than rest on our laurels, I’d like to revisit what has made us great and return to a focus on that foundation. We haven’t been great in only the last 15 years; we’ve always been great -- and we’ve been great because we have always been a neighborhood, boutique district. We need, therefore, to continue to move forward, but not forget who we are.
Here’s to Curriculum. Equity. Safety. And a teacher on the board who is focused on why we’re in this business of education -- the kids.
Feel free to contact me via my website at cathylarson.com or via email at [email protected]. We are in this together, and it’s time we stand together.
Who’s with me?
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