These are unstable and economically strenuous times for the families of Glendale. Even so, our commitment to our children and the quality of education they receive must never waiver. We have been able to maintain an effective budget and also are continuing to reduce class sizes for k-3. Despite past budget constraints, we were able to maintain healthy reserves while continuing to fund programs and maintain our quality of education. This will be more difficult given the current financial conditions. Quality and stability go hand-in-hand. This is why it is critical that we have battle-tested leadership on the Board of Education that has a proven track record of success and commitment to our children. 

We should settle for nothing less than safe and secure schools. Safety is necessary for a stable and effective learning environment.  We have a positive working relationship with our Police, Fire Department, and also have highly effective evacuation plans to ensure our children's safety. Students and teachers should feel safe on campus and in the classrooms. We must stand firm for drug- free schools. Traffic safety is another important issue. Recent tragedies at Toll and Wilson have alerted us to the importance of an effective traffic safety program. It is crucial that we fight for a more effective program and build into it effective communication to students, teachers, staff, parents, and the City Council.

As we move into the future, we must develop sustainable measures that are more earth-friendly. We want the world to be a better place for our children and that is why the district should focus on environmental sustainability. Energy efficient programs are the utmost priority. With the ever-present reality of climate change and rising energy costs, it is prudent to focus on ways that we can conserve energy and teach our children how to help the environment. There is a possibility of pursuing solar energy as a means to power our schools, thereby reducing the environmental impact on and energy usage in our schools. We should explore these and other sources of renewable energy. 

Throughout my tenure, we were able to maintain financial stability while raising the bar for student achievement. We are proud to say that despite these hard economic times, we have protected teacher's jobs. In fact, we are one of the few districts in the state that has not had to lay off any teachers despite budget cuts. Teachers are the cornerstones to the success of our district and we must work hard to protect teachers and their jobs. Shortages and deficits have become commonplace. The state and federal governments are unable to offer the financial support we need. Even so, we have kept these cuts from affecting the classrooms and our children. We must continue to explore ways to increase revenues and implement courageous conservation. Our spending must be prudent and always in the best interests of the students, teachers, and families of Glendale.

We need to move forward as a community, in solidarity and unity. It has been my priority these past eight years to strengthen the ties between the Glendale School Board, the Glendale City Council and the La Crescenta Town Council. We also need to strengthen ties with the many companies and resources we have in our own local community. We can work with Glendale Community College to encourage and excite students about continuing their education. We should also strengthen ties with Nestle, IHOP, Americana, and other major companies to get them invested in our schools, and in the well-being of our children. Finally, the School District must continue to strengthen ties with the parents of our schools. The PTA/PTSA and other parental involvement have really made our schools special. Their support is crucial to the success of our district. One person alone cannot make a difference, but together we can continually enhance the quality of education and life for our children here in Glendale.