All of Senate District 35 children, in every neighborhood, should have access to quality education and Universal Preschool. As Senator, I will collaborate with the school districts and lead the effort to advocate for a fully funded k-12. I will advocate for State Facility Funding in order to have our school buildings comfortable and safe, and give our teachers the tools they need to be successful in the classroom. It is critical that our children are prepared for their future. I want to push for more career college opportunities and STEM Education for early learners to increase preparedness in elementary school and beyond. Furthermore, my goal is to work with the school districts and community leaders to help create pathways for graduates to develop skills that align with the workforce needs. By creating a more complete pool of qualified candidates, Senate District 35 will be more desirable to potential businesses looking to invest in the district.
Educational Achievements as a Public Servant:
One of my proudest achievements was providing assistance to teachers in attaining Proposition 30 in 2008-2009, which promoted additional funding for public schools. During the severe economic crisis that persisted from 2007-2010,
I vigorously advocated the legislature in Sacramento against the suspension of Proposition 98.
Together with my esteemed colleagues and the distinguished Superintendent, we succeeded in pioneering the concept of an academy in our Middle Schools, ultimately creating three such establishments: STEAM, Fine Arts, and Business. Our exceptional Hawthorne Math and Science Academy (HMAS) became one of the most outstanding high schools both in the local area and the broader South Bay, ranking number ten in California and 54 in the United States News survey.
During my tenure, we successfully established novel positions such as Math and literacy coaches to assist with each school’s curricular needs.
I am proud to say that I avoided the need to lay off any teachers or classified employees, while also promoting their beneficial interests through higher wages and a superior benefits package. It was a mark of my perpetual enthusiasm to elevate the standards of all staff members.
An integral part of our strategy revolved around bringing five School districts in close proximity, cooperatively collaborating to establish a JPA, and creatively discovering novel solutions to tackle our pressing public school challenges.
Apart from my work on the school board, I have also contributed to the community in other ways. Every year, I provide six scholarships to High School Seniors for their college aspirations. I also created the 1st Preschool in Senate District 35 in 2008, which is free for 90 families. I worked with Senate District 35 School Districts to distribute Thanksgiving Cards and food baskets to low-income families. Finally, I established the creation of the Annual World Festival in the district to celebrate our diversity.
