001Good afternoon to all of you that are here with us this afternoon, as well as our YouTube audience. We're going to begin our meeting today, and Oliver Baird will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. You're going to leave public comments. We don't have any. So this is a very unique and special meeting for us today. And forgive me, but I will be reading my script all throughout our meeting to make sure that I'm being consistent in the way that I'm sharing the information for all of you who are coming today and doing so very courageously to apply for trustee for board member. We
002are excited to have applicants this afternoon who have applied to be considered for the provisional appointment for Trustee Area 4 for the East Cedar City School District Governing Board. The quantity and the quality of the candidates reflects the strong commitment to public education in Trustee Area 4. We want to thank you for your courage, as I said earlier, to step forward and to be considered. The board received copies of all the applications and has reviewed them over the last few days. Board members will take notes during the interviews to help us to remember key impressions. These notes are for individual use only, though. They won't be kept as official district records after today's process is complete for government code section 5254A. The board takes the responsibility very seriously and appreciates the importance of this decision.
003We have aimed to provide a transparent and fair process for all candidates today. They have been provided. Dr. Patterson has been in direct contact with all of you and with each candidate to make sure that you all receive the same information and had equal opportunity to prepare. When we conclude our interviews today board members will have time to individually review the applications and review their impressions once again from today's interviews After the interviews today, we will deliberate and vote to appoint a new member to the East Weider City School District governing board Those deliberations will be in public and in open session and the public is welcome to stay for that portion of the meeting The oath of office will then be conducted during our regular scheduled board meeting that starts at 6 p.m., we
004hope, following this special meeting. At this time, we would like to invite our first candidate. Yes. Mr. Mendoza is our first candidate. And did you want to review how the candidates, the order of the candidates were selected? Oh, yes, yes, yes. Excuse me. I'm looking to see where that portion is. Is it? Like me too, I can go ahead. Oh there. Okay. Okay. It's a little bit brother. Forgive us and Dr.. Patterson will bring each candidate into the board member the boardroom for their interview the cannon will sit at the table facing the Board of Education And then I will begin By welcoming you with a particular statement that we're making okay And then as we had explained to the candidates prior to the each candidate's name was placed into an online generator which then
005provided the option on the the list that you have in front of us of how we have our candidates interviewing in that order So at this time, if you would kindly, we'd ask you to adjourn either over to the STC where we met or to step outside while we go, and we will bring you in in order of your interviews. And we'd ask Mr. Mendoza to please take your seat for your interview, please. Thank you so much. Want to make sure that before we begin mr. Mendoza that I introduce myself. My name is Lisa Michelle Dabbs I'm honored to be the president of the East River City School District governing board and I have my colleagues here and you can see their names And so we're honored to have you join us today. So mr.
006Mendoza on behalf of our Board of Education I want to welcome you to this interview The East Cedar City School District is grateful to have community members like you who are willing to serve the students, staff, and families of our schools as a board member. As Dr. Patterson has already explained, you will have three minutes to make an opening statement. Following your opening statement, we have four questions for you this afternoon that will be asked by our board. You will have up to 15 minutes to answer those four questions. Our board members will not ask clarifying questions so that we can ensure that every candidate is asked the exact same questions. At the end of the four questions, you will have an opportunity for a two-minute closing statement. So do you have any logistical questions
007to ask before we begin? No questions. Thank you. All right. You may now give your opening statement, Mr. Mendoza. All right. Thank you, Madam President, and good afternoon, board members. My name, again, is Ricardo Mendoza, and I'm a resident of South Whittier and a proud parent of a DLI student. I want to thank you for having these open interviews to share more about my interest in serving the students, families, faculty, staff, and the entire school district. I was first introduced to East Widger City School District back in 2015-2016 when I served as the Deputy Director for Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. At that time, I toured Ceres Elementary and was blown away by the programming that they have on site. Fast forward a few years later. My family has been fortunate to be part of the DLI
008program and I've seen how this has challenged our son and allowed him to excel academically and socially. This is a vision that I have for the students and families if I'm able to serve on the board. I currently serve as an executive at a nonprofit that provides workforce development services, business support services, affordable housing development, and a high school academy. I've been in public service throughout my entire career, working for local federal officials, teaching citizenship at a local community college, and supporting local school districts to inform the community on the different programs, initiatives, and facilities upgrades that they're all undertaking. I have vast experience in government, contracting innovative programs, and look at building coalitions to bring in more results. I envision myself serving as a coalition building pragmatic and innovative board member. that seeks to
009bring about solutions to problems that we face now given the many changes in federal funding and policy changes and policy implications. I will serve as a board member that listens to parents, the PTA, students, faculty, our representatives in the bargaining units, administrators, to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of our students. As we look at challenging budget years ahead and the current one that we face now, I'm looking at how we increase enrollment, increase attendance, and partner with others in the community so that we have more families wanting to be part of our school district family. I know that I have much to offer to the board and the district and hope to be given the opportunity to share more of what I can bring to the table. I'm here today asking
010for your consideration of my appointment to this board to allow me to open the door to every child's future. Thank you. We are now going to go in the order of our board that has chosen to begin to ask questions. We're going to start with question one. Mr. Aparicio. Yes. Describe your core values and how they would influence the way you lead as a school board member. My core values really do stand in one. open transparency, discipline, respect, common mutual respect for one another as board members, and ensuring that we bring that dignity to the school district. We are a reflection of what we want our students to become in the future to a great extent and creating doors and opportunities for them to flourish. So for me, it's coming at a post from integrity,
011leaning and leading on from what I've learned in the last 20 plus years in public service and bringing that forward to the table. Thank you. Question two, Mrs. Carrera. Yes, please share the top three priorities you would like the Board of Education to focus on and why. Think first and foremost is always going to be fiscal responsibility ensuring that our schools are Up to code and standard but that also means that we have a balanced budget or a budget that allows us to move forward secondly After we overcome some of those challenges, is ensuring that looking at what the programming looks like, what our technology looks like. I know we have some bond measures that we've all collectively passed. How do we maximize that implementation of those bond measures? How do we look at other
012creative ways of bringing in resources and funding through grant applications, whether at the federal level or at the state level, or in philanthropy? And then thirdly, and this is kind of a bit more core to our family as a whole, is as we have great extensive learning throughout the school day, how do we build other partnerships to prolong the learning beyond the end of the school day and bringing about greater access to higher after-school programming that really challenges our students? Thank you. Question three, Ms. Chacon-Kennedy? Yes. Thank you at times the Board of Education has to consider many different points of view when making decisions Please describe how you would balance all feedback you have received when making a decision Someone that served in multiple capacities for different elected officials where difficult decisions had to
013be made, I was one of the key individuals that helped to craft what that decision is. Having served at a nonprofit where there's constantly a flux of changing situations, particularly in the last year, with changes in how funding is brought down back to the local level, it comes down to how do we maintain operations moving forward. And for me, I like to hear all perspectives before making a decision. So that means if there's discussion, if there's something that there's not an agreement on the board with, I like to listen before I really start chiming in. And I've taken that everywhere I've gone and I've been able to bring about consensus a majority of the times. Granted, that's not always possible. At the end of the day, it's making the decision that's the right fit for
014the students, the right fit for the schools. And it's also about what you can live up with because it's a personal decision that you move forward taking on that responsibility. And that's something that I would uphold. Thank you. Lastly, question four, Mrs. Carrera. Sure. Tell us about a time when you made a wrong decision and what you learned from it. Wow, I think this one is one that's a bit more interesting, especially as a parent. But I think it's one where we always want the best for our kids. And for me, it may be going towards when you're seeking, and I'll take this more on the professional side. We sought after funding two years ago that would have really expanded and leveraged a specific program that we had. That program was, for the better part
015of an explanation, pulled away from us entirely, as it was from thousands of other participants from throughout the country. So I would say in part that was a mistake trying to put and leverage so many resources going into Activating that program, but it was also a lesson learned. It was a lesson learned on how were we staffed up at capacity? Where were we at for implementation and moving that program maybe a little bit faster before funding was ultimately pulled And we learned we learned that our staff needed to improve on certain skill sets. We learned that we needed to bring up different capacities on board to implement this program in the future so that we could move on it a bit faster. And we're in a much better position situation. Fast forward to kind of
016where that lesson learned came, we were able to go after private dollars that were able to augment what we already had in place. So while we lost a large chunk of resources, the program still continued, granted at a smaller scale. Thank you. We have completed our questions, Mr. Mendoza. And so those are the questions that we have. You now have two minutes for a closing statement. And I want to thank you so much for your time. Thank you again for the opportunity to interview for the appointment and to join you on as a board member potentially. I have always believed in serving for a greater good. This appointment is a different approach for how I have served in being in a more direct position to provide leadership, oversight, governance, and to support a strong school
017district. If appointed, I commit to bringing integrity, respect, sound judgment, and to be inclusive of all voices by the school district. Education is a critical pillar of community economic growth. It all begins at the TK level. The level of education we're able to provide to our students makes a difference as we pave the way for their future. It is my commitment to further learning outcomes, maintain a balanced budget, seek innovation through technology and other tools available to our students, staff, and administrators to create more opportunities for success. Thank you again for the opportunity, for being here today, and I look forward to working with you collaboratively. Thank you so much, mr. Mendoza if you would kindly return to the SDR where you were at the beginning when you were greeted mr. Dr. Patterson, forgive me.
018We did tell the candidates that they're free to remain as well. Yes, if you would like to Two minutes are up. Oh, you didn't need it? No, I just need one. Oh, yeah, there you go. You probably need more of them. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Ms. Quintero, I want to once again introduce myself. My name is Lisa Michelle Dabbs. I am the president of the Board of Education. Very honored to do so and honored to serve with my colleagues here. And, of course, you know Dr. Patterson. So we are going to begin each interview the same so that all of you can hear the same statement that's being made. So Desiree Quintero, on behalf of our Board of Education, I want to welcome you to this interview. The East Peter City School District is grateful
019to have community members like yourself willing to serve the students, staff, and families of our schools as a board member. As Dr. Patterson has already explained, you will have three minutes to make an opening statement. Following your opening statement, we have four questions for you this afternoon that will be asked by individual school board members. You will have up to 15 minutes to answer all four questions. Our board members will not ask clarifying questions so that we can ensure that every candidate is asked the exact same questions. At the end of the four questions, you will have an opportunity for a two-minute closing statement. Do you have any questions before we begin? No. All right. You may now give your opening statement. All right. Good afternoon, members of the board, superintendent, and community members. My
020name is Desiree Quintero, and I am seeking appointment to the East Whittier City School District Board of Education to represent Area 4. I would like to begin by telling you a little bit about myself. I'm a proud product of the public school system. I went to elementary school in East Los Angeles under LAUSD. I completed middle school and high school in Hacienda Heights under Hacienda La Puente Unified, graduating from Los Altos. I went on to the University of La Verne, earning my Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Upon graduation, I went to work for NBC Universal. I spent a year as a page and was then hired on permanently to work for the entertainment news program Access Hollywood. During my six years with Access Hollywood, I gained vast experience in multitasking, meeting deadlines, and confidentiality. While
021my time at Access Hollywood was exciting and at times very glamorous, I felt a calling within myself that I was meant to work toward making a difference as a public servant. That is when I decided to change the trajectory of my career. I began employment with the Newport Mesa Unified School District where I worked in the education technology and assessment departments. I assisted with self-testing for our English language learners and also coordinated gait testing for 21 elementary schools. After my two years with Newport Mesa, I began working here at the East Whittier City School District. I worked in personnel services where I hired classified substitute personnel. and work with local colleges and universities on placements for student teachers. After four years with East Whittier, I was offered a position with El Rancho Unified School District.
022There I worked in the business services department, assisting with budgeting and financials. Working for three different school districts allowed me to gain expansive knowledge in the different approaches utilized by each. I was able to see firsthand what happens behind the scenes, so to speak, and how each administration works toward individual and collective goals. I then moved to the West Basin Municipal Water District, where I have been employed for the past six years. I am the manager of administration and board secretary. In my position, I work closely with the board of directors on agenda prep, staff reports, presentations, scheduling, ethics, compliance, and I'm well versed in the Brown Act. I attend and coordinate all district ad hoc, committee, and board meetings. I am also the filing officer for the district. While at the district, I decided
023to pursue additional education and applied and was accepted into USC. There I earned my master's in public administration and was the only student to pursue and attain two graduate certificates. I earned a certificate in city and county management as well as a certificate in public policy. Aside from my professional educational accomplishments, my greatest accomplishments is my children. I am a proud mother to two boys. My oldest is a ninth grader at La Serna High School. He is in the Puenta program and is a member of the marching band playing the tenor saxophone. I also have a fifth grader at Murphy Ranch Elementary who is in special education, but he is also a gate student and an avid and dedicated soccer player. And I am happy to answer any questions you have. Thank you so much.
024We'll begin with question one. Mr. Apparicio? Yes. Describe your core values and how they would influence the way you lead as a school board member. Okay. When thinking about my core values, there are a lot of words that come to mind. There are a number of values that are important to me, but when I really think about and... What they are I can kind of narrow it down to just a handful my main core values would be accountability integrity transparency honesty collaboration innovation growth and service Accountability accountability and that I will always take responsibility for myself and for my team I am accountable for the individual decisions that I make and will always own up to my own mistakes Collaboration, in that I actively work and strive to be a strong member of the team,
025to be a team player who works collectively with those around me, such as fellow board members. Integrity, in that I always strive to do the right thing, even when it's not easy. I also value honesty and transparency and a commitment to do what's best for the people that I serve, as well as the people in my community. Innovation, in that I am open to challenging myself to come up with new ideas and creative ways to problem solve. Growth, in that I have a drive to continuously improve myself as a lifelong learner and to improve the projects I am involved in and to leave things better than how I found them. And service, in that I aim to provide a meaningful and quality experience to those I serve and support and in the way that I
026have been called and feel the calling to do more for my community. These values shape my approach to trusteeship in that I bring them with me everywhere I go. Every day, whether it be as a parent, an employee, a student, a teacher, I always strive to put my best foot forward, to produce quality results, quality work, to be a listening ear, to be open to new ideas, and to be open to different ways of thinking and the different ways that people see the world. It is important to be open as a trustee as you are not only serving the type of person, you are serving a diverse community. And you need to be open to growth and to every person and the different paths. You need to serve the people equally with accountability, collaboration, integrity,
027transparency, honesty, innovation, growth, and service. You need to give the entire community your all. Thank you. Thank you. Question two, Mrs. Carrera. All right, please share the top three priorities you would like the Board of Education to focus on and why. As a board member, I would like to work to ensure that all students across all schools have equal opportunities. Within the community, there is an understanding of which schools... have a better education, which have better extracurricular, which have better sports, and I just want to make sure that all of the students that we serve have equal opportunities and equal access to all. I would like to see all of our schools be equally successful in all areas. I would like to work to ensure that I have a present and active role within the
028community, as it is important to me that I be available to community members. My highest priority will be to ensure that we are good stewards of public funds, being that funding right now is uncertain, being that we are in a time of constant change. There are a lot of changes going on with the Department of Education, changes going on in special education, changes going on at the federal level, the state level, the local level. And I think one of my... main priorities would be to really understand those changes, how they're going to affect our students, how they're going to affect our special education students, how we need to work to make sure that they have all the services that they need and that we are able to provide that to them as a constant and
029that their parents not be afraid that they're going to lose those services for their children. Thank you. Question three, Mrs. Chacon-Kennedy. Yes, thank you. At times, the Board of Education has to consider many different points of view when making decisions. Please describe how you would balance all feedback you have received when making a decision. I think as a decision maker, you need to be aware of all the different points of view. For me, I am a firm believer that you can achieve more together than you can by yourself. I believe in the theory of one plus one equals three, and that I have one idea, you have a different idea, but if we can talk, if we can come together and share ideas, we may be able to come up with a brand new third
030idea that's even better than what we had thought of individually. So I think being open to different points of view, being open to different perspectives, to different people's experience, because my experience is not your experience, and you may... have experienced something differently that I'm unaware of and I don't know that in my decision-making I might miss an opportunity to make a better decision. So I think it's important to be open, to have that open mind, to be willing to listen and not just speak. So I think I would like to take everything into consideration and take my community's opinions and views and experience into consideration when making a decision. Thank you. Question four, Mrs. Carrera. All right, tell us about a time when you made a wrong decision and what you learned from it. That's
031a little bit difficult because in my position, as many of your positions, we have state guidelines, so you can't really make a mistake or you'll be fined or get in big trouble. But I guess one of the times I did make a mistake was probably earlier in my career and thinking that I knew better and not listening and not being collaborative when I first started out in journalism and Access Hollywood. It is a high-paced, high-stress environment, and even in those situations, you need to take a moment to think, to listen. to make sure you're doing the right thing. And if you are moving so fast and don't take that time, you are more prone to a slip up, to doing something that you wish you could do differently in the future. But I think I
032did learn from that, and I have taken those lessons with me moving forward in my positions at all the different school districts, in my position here, in my current position as manager. Just standing being able to make a decision that you can stand by Because at the end of the day your name is on that decision and it has to be one that you can be proud of Thank you that concludes our questions In Tero and you now have two minutes to make a closing statement. So we want to thank you for your time Thank you First and foremost, I would like to thank you for allowing me to share a little bit about myself and my qualifications with you this afternoon A few other things that I was unable to share in my opening
033statement. I am an active member of the community. I am a certified notary public and offer free notarial services to members of my community. I volunteer at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank as often as possible. I also have a valid substitute teacher credential and I'm currently pursuing my certified municipal clerk certification. I am a member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, as well as the American Records Management Association. I have vast experience in the Brown Act, as well as Public Records Act, and all that comes with it. I would like to share also that I bring a unique experience to this position in being that I know this district from the perspective of an employee, having worked here for four years, as well as from the perspective as a parent, having had students
034in the district since 2016. So I have a unique perspective on how the district works, what happens behind the scenes, what parents get to know versus what employees get to know. And I think that would be beneficial in this role. Lastly, I would like to share that I'm very passionate about this position. Being a trustee is a serious responsibility, and I do not take that lightly. I have worked hard to gain professional experience and the education necessary in pursuing my master's in public administration, as well as public policy. I have also worked to gain knowledge and experience to fully understand this role and all that is required to be successful in this appointment and as a voice for the community and those who are served by Area 4. I would be honored to be appointed
035to the Board of Education serving Area 4 and know that working collaboratively and collectively as a board, we could do great things together to serve the district and the community, especially now in these uncertain times. Thank you. Thank you so much. And so, Ms. Quintero, you are welcome to remain or go back to the staff development room, whatever is your pleasure. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good afternoon. Good afternoon Mr. Hernandez, I just want to say again. My name is Lisa Michelle Dabbs I'm honored to be the president of the East Weir City School District Board of Education And these are my colleagues that I again serve next to with honor I'm going to begin the interview process that I have for all the candidates prior to you joining us. So Mr. Hernandez, on
036behalf of our Board of Education, I want to welcome you to this interview. The East Wheeler City School District is grateful to have community members willing to serve the students, staff, and families of our schools as a board member. As Dr. Patterson has already explained, you will have three minutes for an opening statement. Following your opening statement, we have four questions which our team will ask of you. You will have up to 15 minutes to answer all four questions. Our board members will not ask clarifying questions so that we can ensure that every candidate is asked the exact same questions. At the end of the four questions, you will have an opportunity for a two-minute closing statement. Do you have any logistical questions before we begin? I do not. All right. Thank you so much.
037You may now give your opening statement. Well, good afternoon, everyone. It's an honor and privilege to be here, to have an opportunity to serve a community in the school district of which I am a proud graduate, my kids as well. It took a lot of thought to... Come into this position as far as applying and choosing to be here. It's a big leap of faith as far as Well how I want to contribute to the community Further than what I already do so Am ready when you are Okay, fair enough all right. We have four questions that will be asked by our individual school board members question number one It's gonna be asked by mr. Aparecio. Yes describe your core values and how they would influence the way you lead as a school board member
038well core values are I'd say they're pretty simple is faith first God family community I think Everything is grounded in my faith first. I believe that through my faith I am able to determine what I can look at people, see people when they're hurting, when they are in need, and I can try to help them. Family, same thing, love, support. And as an extension, family can be our community as well. So many people are hurting. I'm able to try to be able to help in some different way, contribute to them in this position. All right. Thank you so much. Question two, Mrs. Carrera. Sure. Okay, please share the top three priorities you would like the Board of Education to focus on and why? Well, the top three priorities, and it could be in any order,
039certainly students, faculty, staff, funding. We want to make our schools a place where it's inviting for everyone to be and they can learn as students parents where they can contribute our Faculty and staff where they can feel supported they can Have the trust and faith of their administrators from the top of the superintendent to the principals and so forth, their peers, and they can, each student will not feel that they are being left behind, that they can thrive, whether it's inside the classroom, outside of the classroom. The facilities are important, you know, that the district has done a good job in trying to keep ahead and update them and have the right tools in place for them to learn, whether it's inside the classroom, here in the district, software, things of that nature. So supporting
040the staff, supporting the students, supporting the facilities would be the top priorities. Thank you. Question three, Mrs. Chacon-Kennedy. Yes. At times, the Board of Education has to consider many different points of view when making decisions. Please describe how you would balance all feedback you have received when making a decision. Well first and foremost you have to listen you have to hear the person what they're what they're saying You know, it's not just the words, but the meaning behind that what what's driving them there? What? Is there a strong concern is there a strong belief in? I believe this curriculum will help our children strive or the concern I think bullying Is a problem at our school so you have to hear what they're what they're saying and not just the words You you have to
041know where they're coming from and be able to direct that to the appropriate People that would be best to handle that if it's at the school level well Maybe pass that along to the to the principal if it's something bigger budgetary, you know, we bring it up in the board meeting to the superintendent that sort of thing if it's curriculum while we discuss that in as a board superintendent and and certainly listen to community as a whole great question for mrs carrera sure tell us about a time when you made a wrong decision and what you learned from it i have to narrow that down um wrong decision um Well, I'll have to relate that to work I am a police officer and We do have to follow many policies and procedures consider the safety
042of the community and so forth I did have a decision whether or not I needed to pursue Suspect and and I had to weigh that out with the safety of the community. He was it was a pursuit he's driving erratically and I just got into tunnel vision and in it's sometimes some hard to describe when you're in that high level of of adrenaline and you just focus this guy cannot get away and you just tune things out. And so when the pursuit came to an end, I was focused on the car and not the occupants. And so some occupants left and I stayed with the car. And so it was the wrong decision because I was supposed to try to make an apprehension of the driver. I learned that you definitely have to Take a
043breath take a step back and look at the bigger picture and I can attribute that to in this position We have to take sometimes a step back and look at the big picture of how our decisions will affect each campus, each administrator, each faculty, each staff, each student in our community, in our district. You have to be able to assess. You have to be able to admit when you're wrong. You have to be able to learn from what you did or didn't do in some cases and move forward. You can't dwell on it, but certainly you learn from it. Thank you so much, so this concludes our four questions for our interview and now Mr.. Anandis you have two minutes to make a closing statement, and we want to thank you so much for your
044time well first off Thank you to the board. I know it's a heavy decision I know we have a lot of qualified applicants, and it won't be easy I believe we're all qualified in our own way our unique way my way I Been a part of this district for a long time as a parent as a parent volunteer and served in different capacities whether it's PTA or Security for different thing events and such but this is a new level that I look forward to the prospect of of being able to contribute back to this community that served me and my children well, my family, and so many others. I want to thank you for your time and wish you good luck in your decision-making process, whoever you choose. Thank you so much. We're so grateful
045that you came. Now you have the option, Mr. Hernandez, to either stay here in the boardroom or go back to the student... Thank you very much. Thank you so much Hello, hello miss Ortiz again. I'm Lisa Dabbs Lisa Michelle Dabbs I'm the president of the East River City School District Board of Education very honored to be in this position I serve alongside my colleagues and our superintendent. Dr. Patterson and I'm gonna begin each interview with the same statement so that you all hear it clearly from me. So, thank you So Mrs. Ortiz, or Ms. Ortiz, on behalf of our Board of Education, I want to welcome you to this interview. The East Peter City School District is grateful to have community members who are willing to serve the students, staff, and families of our schools
046as a board member. As Dr. Patterson has already explained, you will have three minutes to make an opening statement. Following your opening statement, we have four questions for you this afternoon. You will have up to 15 minutes to answer all four questions. Our board members will not ask clarifying questions so that we can ensure that every candidate is asked the same questions. At the end of the four questions, you will have an opportunity for a two-minute closing statements. Do you have any logistical questions before we begin? No. All right. You may now give your opening statement. Okay. Good afternoon, Ms. Dabbs, Mr. Cohn-Kennedy, Mr. Aparicio, Ms. Carrera, and Dr. Patterson, and student member Baird. Thank you for this opportunity. I come before you today with the highest qualifications, feet on the ground, in the community,
047in the schools, and in the home. I am currently serving as a series PTA president involved in PTA for over 10 years. I'm the DLI parent representative at Ceres, a part of the LCAP committee and school site council. My children attend Ceres, Granada, Mulberry Integrated Preschool, La Colima Summer School, and soon Hillview. Proud to say my oldest graduated from Cal High Culinary Academy and is a current full-time student at Cypress College, a full-time student in the evening at Sierra Adult School Electrical Program. All this to say, with pride, he is a product of this school district, on his way to becoming a 21st century citizen. I hold a Bachelor's of Science from Cal State Fullerton in Child and Adolescent Development. I worked at the LA Superior Court for over seven years, three years in Whittier,
048when I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a stay-at-home mom. With the support of my husband, we were able to make that dream a reality. We are very involved in the community outside the district. My son was a Boy Scout. My daughter is currently in honor band at La Cerna High School and an ambassador in the Girl Scouts. My youngest boys play soccer for Waze, basketball for NJB, and football for Whittier Redskins. I attend church at St. Gregory's, St. Bruno's, and WAC depending on the time. I do not do this alone. I have a village that I'm very grateful for. It was not until about six years ago that I began to notice how important it is to be involved and attend school board meetings. Over the years, I've been learning the process and
049asking questions. I never thought I would be here, but today, here I am. After attending the East Whittier Engage as a WASA recipient, I looked around and noticed a lot of familiar faces, realizing all the connections I have made over the years. As this position became available, I realized I can be that bridge. To tell you the truth, I got a couple of phone calls and texts encouraging me to apply. I put it in God's hands, and if one more person texts me or calls me, I'll do it. A couple days later went by, and here I am. I got that text. The community is behind me. Here I stand, ready for the challenge, ready to serve our community, teachers, and students. Thank you. Thank you so much. We're going to begin with our four
050questions and question number one is going to be asked by Mr. Apatisio. Describe your core values and how they would influence the way you lead as a school board member. Some core values that I prioritize are integrity, honesty, and let's say fiduciary duties of a school board member. Okay. Thank you. Second question, question two, Mrs. Carrera. Hi, please share the top three priorities you would like the Board of Education to focus on and why. Some priorities I would like the Board to focus on are serving the students in the district as well as teachers. And I think we oftentimes... I have to go back to the basics. We want to get bigger and creative, but sometimes it goes back to working for the community and the students. Let me see. Do you like to add
051anything else to your statement? No? No, thank you. I just want to make sure you were finished. Okay, question three, Mrs. Jekyll and Kennedy. Yes. At times, the Board of Education has to consider many different points of view when making decisions. Please describe how you would balance all feedback you have received when making a decision. So I think that it's important to take into account the community voice and base decisions on, again, the students. Let me see student-centered data policies and goals of the district Thank you. Hey Last question questions number four mrs. Carrera. They tell us about a time when you made a wrong decision and What you learned from it? I would say being on PTA we Took a chance on a fundraiser and it didn't work out so well but we learned
052from it and we found other resources and ways to To make it better and to Do raise more money for the school. Thank you so much These are all the questions that we have for the interview today You now have two minutes to make a closing statement and thank you so much for your time today Thank you. I would just like to take this time to say thank you. This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to grow and learn from this experience. This is my first time ever doing something like this. I'm a little nervous. And although series... is my home. I'm excited to work with all the schools in our district. I look forward to collaborating with each one of you as we work together to oversee budget policy and ensure academic success
053in our district for all of our 7,800 students. I'm committed to opening the door to every child's future. Thank you. Thank you so much. So now, Ms. Ortiz, you have the option to stay here with us or to go back to the staff development. Thank you. I'll go sit with him. Welcome, Mr. Baird. I'm used to saying that, but for your son who's here with us, you probably already know who I am, but I'm Lisa Michelle Dabbs, very honored to be the president currently of our school board, and I serve honorably with my colleagues, including your son. I'm going to begin the interview as I have for every candidate that came before you, all right? Mr. Baird, on behalf of the Board of Education, I want to welcome you to this interview. The East Reeder
054City School District is grateful to have community members who are willing to serve the students, staff, and families of our schools as a board member. As Dr. Patterson has already explained our process, you will have three minutes to make an opening statement. Following your opening statement, we have four questions for you this afternoon. You will have up to 15 minutes to answer all four questions. Our board members will not ask any additional clarifying questions so that we can ensure that every candidate is asked the exact same questions. At the end of the four questions, you will have an opportunity for a two-minute closing statement. Do you have any other logistical questions before we begin? No. All right. You may now give your opening statement. Hi, my name is Thomas Baird and I have lived here
055in Whittier for over 20 years. I have two kids that are in this district. I love this community and care deeply about it. I am a licensed clinical social worker. When I graduated, I... I graduated with my social work degree with a specialization in school social work, and I have over eight years professional experience in education. I currently work in Medi-Cal managed care, which means I have a lot of experience with changes in legislation, changes in funding, and having to navigate those decisions, making those tough decisions to make sure that people get the support. they need. My wife's a teacher, actually, and I'm an educator, so we're both educators in addition to my social work. I also teach higher ed at Azusa. Sorry, my notes are all over the place. I wanted to make sure
056that I emphasized that I'm here for the kids, not just my own, but for this community. As I said, I've been here a long time. I grew up here and have been active in the community. I walked door to door for school bond measures, multiple, two that I can think of, one during high school. know the power of advocacy and the power of being a parent with a voice. My own mom, long before she ever served on the board, she was getting speed bumps and stop signs in place. And I know the power of having that voice. I know the importance of sitting up there and listening to those voices. I believe that I would... I would bring a strong voice, a listening ear. As a social worker, I'm collaborative. I pride myself in being
057collaborative. I have some experience in governance as well, serving on community. Sorry on community action boards advisory boards that I detailed in my application Disability services advisory boards and advisory board here in LA County I Remain active in this community. I remain active with Whittier area youth soccer and I care deeply about being here and Helping the kids and families of this community Thank you so much We're now going to begin the question process. Mr. Baird and we have four questions as you know, we're gonna start with question one. Mr. Alparicio Yeah, describe your core values and how they would influence the way you lead as a school board member my core values To sum them up, I would say equity, collaboration, transparency, and I hate being stuck to three, but I will stick to
058those. Equity, because it's important to understand that not everyone starts their journey at the same place. Not every student or family has the same resources and faces the same hills, the same battles. all need different levels of support, guidance, teaching. As a social worker I know this. I ask families what they need. As I've moved up, I'm now in management with Medi-Cal Managed Care, and I work to identify needs in the county, in the community, and cultivate programs that help serve those families and meet those needs. Think that it's important as a board that we stay in tune with our community and what those needs are Collaboration I think it's important to learn to lead by need, meaning that you can only lead if you're listening to the voices that you are representing and knowing
059the needs that they have and knowing their goals, what they want to do, what they can do, knowing their strengths. And so I think that it's important to earn our opinions. We want to take a stance, yes, but you want to take a stance worth having. And I pride myself in listening and asking questions so that I can earn my opinions and take a stance that I know I'll feel comfortable having. And then finally, transparency. I think it's important. It's integral for us to remain ethical and honest and accountable for both the good and the bad moments. I know that we have to make tough decisions. I know that we will have times to celebrate what we are doing and times that we might not want to celebrate, but we have to be accountable for
060both. And that means having the right conversations beforehand and the right conversations afterward, being above board, being honest. Yeah, and those would be my three core values. Thank you. Thank you. Second question, Mrs. Carrera. All right. Please share the top three priorities you would like the Board of Education to focus on and why. The first one, I think it should always be the students. I think all decisions must be made with a student-centered approach. I know in social work that's always been we are person-centered, and we make sure that we are supporting not only the individual but the individuals around them, so the students and their families, so that those families can remain strong for those students, provide them. The care they need the support they need also supporting their teachers and those around them
061that Are going to be teaching them both You know in helping them grow intellectually, but also socially I think we all know as former students that it can be tough and we need the right people around us Every decision should be student-centered I I think that regardless of politics, our primary politic is the students. And that I think I mentioned earlier that I believe in equity. And I think that that's, although it is highly political, it's a politic that we can and should all get behind to make sure that our kids are met with the programs and supports they need. So and then secondly I would want to as technology advances. I think that's that's one Really important thing that we all have on our minds everybody's talking about AI and I think his technology
062advances as our Sociopolitical landscape changes as it always does I think that we need to remain flexible both fiscally and just in terms of our ability to pivot and grow. We joke in Medi-Cal that we have to find workarounds, that's the job. We're not being asked to find workarounds as something odd that we, okay, this is different. No, that's the job, and I think very much so that's what we do with government dollars in education. as well and we need to be able to stay flexible pivot make those tough decisions with all the information that we can gather and thirdly i i'm i'm lucky to have attended just about every meeting since last june not because of me but for for the student that is up there but i i have loved coming and participating
063in the celebration each month that happens when schools come and they celebrate what they're doing and who they are. I think that our third priority is continuing to build morale, identity, and celebrate who we are. Each month I see teachers and families that are passionate about this community. about the schools. I see teachers that have grown up here that are celebrated and honored here for being alumni that are now teaching, that are now working here. I think that it's so important to build that culture and celebrate it. Every year we'll come up with mottos and phrases and things to help build culture, but we've built one that's fantastic and I'm grateful that I get to see it celebrated. diverse and passionate group each month. So I would say that'd be my third priority is to
064keep that going. Thank you so much. Question three, Mrs. Chuckon-Kennedy. Yes. At times, the Board of Education has to consider many different points of view when making decisions. Please describe how you would balance all feedback you have received when making a decision. I know I mentioned earlier earning my opinions. I think I learned it from a college professor, and it kind of stuck with me, and I've always used that phrase. I think that we often have to make decisions that will upset someone, and our goal shouldn't be to please everyone or to please certain groups, but to make sure that the decision we make, we can stand by, and that... When we give our opinions and our thoughts and we contribute to a conversation that we give a contribution that we'll be able to be
065proud of or at the very least Stand by and understand later. I remember times that I've had conversations With others in your position and I remember thinking I don't agree with them But I am grateful knowing that their reasoning is centered on the kids' well-being, the students' and families' and their well-being. I think that if we can do that, then we're having the right conversations and we're making the right decision. In addition to that, I would say that... As representatives, we have to listen to the voices in our community, and that includes the families, the students. It means being present, going to back-to-school nights, being involved in community events, going to open house, being present with teachers, administrators, knowing the environment that we're addressing with our... decision-making on a monthly basis. I take that very
066seriously and think that I would have to, I would be committed to immersing myself in this community further so that I could make these decisions and feel comfortable with them. And finally, I would... be one of five voices, and I would make sure that I listen to the others that are there so that we can help the superintendent and the cabinet carry out the vision for the district. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our last question, question four. Mrs. Carrera? Yes. Tell us about a time when you made a wrong decision and what you learned from it. All right. I made one recently. So at work, I joined a new team. I've been there six years, and I joined a new team, and we, on a monthly basis, we present a webinar for over 500
067providers in L.A. County. And I was getting my slides ready, and I knew that I had to have them ready by Thursday. And I worked with a new team of people, and they said, make sure you have it by Thursday. You have to have it by Thursday. And I got to the end of Thursday, and I realized I'm not going to make that deadline. And they even reminded me, and they even asked, hey, is there anything you need? And so I got near the end of the day, and I thought, I could make it. I'd have to miss this other meeting that's important. But then you get into that cycle of making one mistake to fix another. And so I called them up, and I said, look, This was on me. I don't think I'll
068have these complete. And you even said that you were there to offer support beforehand. This was my fault. How can I fix this? And they gave me instructions. Actually, it's not needed until Friday, but that's why we asked for it on Thursday. I then made sure that I... worked the extra hour. I made it to the meeting so that I didn't make that second mistake. And then I worked that extra hour and made sure the slides were all in and it was all turned in. And so I do think that that honesty, that coming forward was the right approach. I feel like I've seen it already pay some dividends. So just in building that trust with the new team. As always, it can be difficult. So yeah, that would be my example. Thank you. So
069those are all four of our questions, Mr. Beard. You now have two minutes to make a closing statement, and I want to thank you so much for your time today. Thank you. In my closing statement, I wanted to bring up that I did bring letters of recommendation that could hopefully be handed to each of you. I wasn't sure if they were already, but hopefully you have them. And they highlight, I wanted to make sure that these were three different perspectives. One, a professor with whom I've worked in an educational setting. Another is a school board member that I've known for much of my life. And then the third is a parent here in East Whittier. I hope to continue reaching out to others in the community to continue listening, not to ask them, hey, can
070you write me a letter of recommendation, but to ask them if we're doing it right. if we are meeting the needs of our students and families, because I know that changes. I know that it's real easy to feel like, okay, we're doing it well, but there's always individuals on the margins, there are always people that are not being heard. And so I vow to continue to reach out and to continue to listen. So that I can be a responsible and accountable board member Thank you again for this opportunity to come and speak with all of you. Thank you so much Mr. Beard, you know, you may have a seat with us here or go back to the staff development room. So thank you so much. Thank you Welcome mr. Loya. Thank you so much for
071being so patient as we went through this process and I'm going to read the same interview statement that I did for everybody I just want to make sure that you know that welcome. I'm Lisa Michelle Dabbs I'm honored to be the president of the East River City School Board and I serve honorably with with my colleagues here that are at the table So I'm going to begin by reading the statement. Mr. Loya On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to welcome you to this interview. The East Wheeler City School District is grateful to have community members willing to serve the students, staff, and families of our schools as a board member. As Dr. Patterson has already explained, you will have three minutes to make an opening statement. Following your opening statement, we have
072four questions for you this afternoon. You will have up to 15 minutes to answer all four questions. Our board members will not ask any additional clarifying questions so that we can ensure that every candidate is asked the exact same questions. At the end of the four questions, you will have an opportunity for a two-minute closing statement. Do you have any other questions before we begin? Nope. All right. You may give your opening statement. Okay, well first of all name's Alex Loya appreciate the opportunity this opportunity doesn't come often and you know I'm just grateful to be here I've been born and raised in Whittier went through the school system graduated from Cal High I've been married for over 20 years I have two kids that went through the same school system from La Colima Granada
073to Cal you know my son graduated from Cal High He's a freshman at Fullerton College, Cal State Fullerton. My daughter just got accepted to Soka. She's on her way out. She's after this year. And I've been a part of their lives throughout their whole journey. Volunteered as a parent from La Colima. I was the president of the Granada PTSA for two years while Justin Maronick was the principal there. I spent about five years on the board at the Whittier Pony Baseball Program, helping out our kids in the community there. And lastly, I was the president of the Cal High Baseball Program Boosters. Did some amazing things there as well. So I've been a part of their lives and part of the community all together for well over 10 years. Professionally, I'm an account manager. Been
074in this industry for over 20 years and more on the sales side of things. And so my job pretty much is building relationships and solving problems. And together with my experience volunteering in the community and along with my professionalism, my professional career, I think I bring a quality candidate for the trustee seat. All right, thank you so much. We're going to begin with our four questions, and the first one is from Mr. Alpariz. Describe your core values and how they would influence the way you lead as a school board member. I need my glasses. Describe your core values. So I'm a big sports guy, and I love the lessons, the values, and just everything that comes with it. being a part of a sports team and these values that I live my life personally and
075professionally and my core values when it comes to being a board member. One is what I've learned is be a good team player. And what entails in that, it's not always the person that's the smartest or the one that most experience. But it's a person that's going to mesh well with the team. Check your ego at the door pretty much. Who's going to mesh well with the team? Who's going to buy in with the culture? And in this case with the board, who's that person for me to buy in with the short-term and the long-term vision? And then another big value that's important to me is trustworthiness and kind of along the lines of being discreet as well. Being part of many boards is when we're together in a boardroom, everyone has different opinions. We're
076not always going to agree, but we make decisions together as one team. Anything outside, talks outside the boardroom can split a team, in this case, split a board. And so I think that's one that gets overlooked. Another value is one of the basic skills in life is listening. Listening with purpose, you know, with the intent to understand the other person. We're not always going to agree, but, you know, don't shoot down certain ideas just because, one, they're not yours or you may not agree with it at that moment. You know, put yourself in the other person's shoes and try to understand where they're coming from. And maybe we implement it, maybe we don't, but at least we get some small nuggets and we could build off of that as a team. That's a very important
077one. And I live my life with that, with being a father and a husband as well. Those are the values I bring to the seat. Okay, thank you. Question two, Mrs. Carrera. Please share the top three priorities you would like the Board of Education to focus on and why. So going through the, you know, being a student in the community, I mean, it was a while back, you know, I know a lot of our buildings are kind of on the old, you know, not on the newer side. And, you know, seeing the difference when my kids went to the schools, it's like there was some change, which is great. We want a good learning environment for our kids. And just keeping that focus and maintaining our campuses, you know. I would say modernize them just
078so they have a great learning environment. And not just inside the classroom, but having enough dodgeballs or basketballs for kids to play with on the school grounds and keeping the recreational area, keeping it modernized. The other is technology is always changing. It's here to stay. A big one. I would say AI right now is just huge, you know, and it's something that's going to here. It's not a trend. It's going to be here to stay. And we there's some, you know, ramifications when it comes to AI as well. And we just have to find a way to implement and control it into our school system. You know, we don't want kids abusing it, but it's a powerful tool that they can learn. Once they learn how to use it, they can, you know, they could
079be very successful, especially with how technology is moving so fast. But that would be another focus for me that I would like to see implemented. And then also, lastly, it's more like on the emotional and mental health of the kids. You know, we have social media, we have a lot of distractions, but a lot of kids in our middle school, I believe, they're still trying to find themselves, but I really believe it starts in the elementary level. In my opinion, the kids that are the most competent, they're the ones that excel at that level. Kids that are shy and reserved, they tend to maybe regress or maybe just not excel. And so if we can implement more programs for the kids at that level, maybe to build up their confidence, and that'll help with their
080learning and their social skills. Like an idea I have is, High school, there's many clubs. You know, you have a movie club and a dodgeball club. You have many clubs, you know, not just like academic clubs. And maybe we could implement something like that at the elementary level. That way kids have the opportunity to play with other kids and maybe build friendships that way, you know, instead of leaving them in the playground to figure it out themselves. So, yeah, those are the three I would say we should, you know, get to focus on. Thank you question three mrs. O'connor D. Yes at times the Board of Education Has to consider many different points of view when making decisions Please describe how you would balance all feedback You have received when making a decision So the
081person I am yeah it starts again at my starts at the home and I carry it over to work and again into you know to the Board of Education is Whenever you get feedback, you're going to get it from multiple areas. In this case, you're going to get it maybe from parents and students or principals, admin, and then even inside the boardroom, we're going to get it from each other. And the way I would balance that information, that feedback, is once you get it, together we have to understand, like, okay, does this align with our short-term or long-term goals? Does this help our community? Does it help our education? Does it help one kid? Does it help a group? Does it help the entire community? And then we have to look at the cons of
082it. What kind of negative impact is it going to have? Is it going to cost too much? Do we have the budget for it? So you get the feedback. Again, don't shoot down the idea. You take in the information and just weigh it. Weigh the pros and cons. And from there, if it aligns with our vision, then it makes our decision process easier to accept it or deny it. But overall, really consider the idea. Look at both sides. Thank you so much. Last question, Mrs. Carrera? Yes. Tell us about a time when you made a wrong decision and what you learned from it. Oh, man. We're all human. I'm sure we make a bunch of wrong decisions in life. This is a little short story. I'll make it quick, but it carries with me, and
083it was a chain reaction for me in life. When I was 19, I bought a Volkswagen Bug 1968, piece of junk, and it needed a lot of work. I worked that summer, worked seven days a week, saved up money. I ended up getting a paint job. Got a stereo and a sound system, and everything was perfect. Going to college, right? A few months soon after, just a few months after, the engine goes out. And I was stuck with no money. I had a single mom. She's not going to give me money for it, right? So it's like I was stuck. And I didn't learn it at the time, but years after, looking back, it's like that was a good lesson to learn. It's like in life, you can't just take care of the exterior. It
084starts within, right? I love that first question, by the way. And it starts with the foundation that you have, you know, the core values that you want to live your life by. And then that will help you prioritize stuff in life. And I teach that to my kids to this day. And that was a good experience for me to go through, for me to change who I was. You know, even though you're young, you need direction in life. And it starts with that. So that was a pivotal moment in my life. So hopefully that wasn't too long. Thank you so much. That was just one mistake, okay? All right. These are all the questions we have today, Mr. Loya. You now have two minutes to make a closing statement. And thank you so much for
085your time today. I just want to say thanks for this opportunity. I mean, I met all the candidates. There's a lot of candidates here. You know, you guys have a tough decision to make. And hopefully I displayed who I am as a person, my experience professionally, and who I am as a person, you know, the values that I bring to this. Hopefully that's enough to get me to get the seat. Like I said, I was born and raised in Whittier. I love my community. And my kids experienced, you know, they got a great education. And I want the same for the next generation of kids. My kids are already out, you know, out of college. They're going to be into college. They're going to be adults. I have the time to, you know, jump two
086feet in. And like I said, I love Whittier, and I want to see Whittier prosper. So thank you. Thank you so much. So this concludes our interview time. And we want to thank all of you, first and foremost. But now we are going to enter board into our deliberation period. So I'm going to start that deliberation period by reading a statement. We'd like to sincerely thank all of you each and every one of you and our community members who have applied for this important position at this time our board this board will deliberate and then vote on filling the board vacancy following the open session discussion All right, so we're now going to take a brief period of time to See if there's any brief discussions or deliberations that need to be had before we
087put a motion on the floor. My bladder needs a brief moment. Thank you. All right, I'm gonna call us back in session. So I'm going to continue and repeat the statement prior to us taking this time and thank you so much for bearing with us on that. We would like to sincerely thank all of you, though. And we are now going to take the time to deliberate. And this is all done in public, of course. And as we do deliberate, we will then eventually, again in public, vote on filling that board vacancy. So we want to proceed forward. As I said before, we took a break. Let's take a brief time for deliberation. So in other words, are there some thoughts that any of you would like to share? And I want to make sure
088we go one at a time so we're not talking above one another. But I don't want to call out anybody so that people just feel comfortable to share what's on their mind. But if there is anyone that would like to share something before. I asked to actually put a motion on the floor to vote for one of our candidates. So I'm looking around to see is anybody is there anybody that would like to share something any kind of delivery? Okay. I see mrs. Carrera shaking her head. No Mr. Aparicio? Yes? Well, I just want to say that we all had, there was really great candidates. I think we're very fortunate with, you know, any of the six that actually get it. Even just besides the interview questions that they answered here, just reading their bios
089and the questions they answered on there. We know we have a lot of people volunteer their service hours or, you know, have professional jobs that could really help us here as board members. So I think we're just very fortunate to be able to have anybody. And like I said, I know I'm big on volunteer. service hours because if you're doing something volunteer, you know, just for the kindness of your heart and, you know, putting in that in, that means a lot to me because it's not, you're not doing it because you have to because you're getting paid. So I think a lot of, you know, the candidates here actually put in a lot of volunteer hours. And so for me, I know that means a lot more than, you know, like what you're doing for
090professionally because here in our job. we're almost like volunteers for the most part. So we're doing it because we wanted the best for our kids, for our teachers, for our district. That's what we're here for. So we're not here making too much money off of this. So at the end of the day, we all want the best for our kids and our students. And definitely our staff members actually play a big role in that. So for me, that's what I, just reading the bios from people, that kind of just hit me hard in a good way that we have a lot of good people here. Thank you, mr. Yeah, I will say something if you don't mind yeah, I we had great candidates and Sometimes I think that doing this and in front of us
091and asking us asking questions It's sometimes a little bit more difficult than if you were running, you know during an election because this is it's really hard I have been through that a long time ago. So I know that I know from personal experience. It's really difficult and So I was impressed. I took copious notes. I was impressed with everybody. And I just congratulate everybody for coming and showing up. Well, if everybody was going to say something like that, then I want to say something. I didn't think we were going to. When you said deliberate, I'm like, okay, now it's getting down, right? So I do want to take the time to say thank you for those who really. who took the time to turn and look at the plexiglass and acknowledge me. I think
092it's not often that many do. And you guys are probably thinking, did I look at her? Did I look at her? That's not going to make it or break it for me. But I do want to say, I am the oddball here. So I do tend to sit alone. And it's okay. I wish I can sit over there. I did tell Dr. Patterson, hey, is there a room? And he said, full house? I can't. But every single one of you do have something beautiful to contribute. And I want you to know that you do fit in that seat. It's just going to narrow it down to one. If we can select all of you, I think the board can agree with me. We would. Unfortunately, we can't. And it's going to be a really difficult
093decision moving forward after I shut up. I know, I know, right? I know. Poor Mark. But no, in all honesty, you guys are all winners to me. Should you not get it today, please do not be afraid to put your name on that November ballot because you are worth it. Also want to add is as being the president of the board. This is a very challenging place to be and I was just sharing with Mr. Baird and superintendent Patterson I come from the education world. I was a teacher. I was a former school principal. I was a district director. I was an education consultant When I ran for the position I I really was not aware in 2018 that there is This much you think you can do as a board member But this is
094really how much you can do the job of a board member as it is Explained to you when you first become a board member is to advocate on behalf of the students period Not the teachers, not the classified, not the principals. And that's a challenge because we feel like we want to advocate for everybody. But when you're elected and you sit and you hear the, and you sit in the new school board member training from California School Board Association, who is our advocate and who we work with very closely, you discover that this is where you are. You know that joke about this is your lane? And your lane is in policy. Your lane is in developing, supporting, writing, improving policy. That does what? That impacts and affects the students. Now the hope of that
095is always, as we are always advocating for students, all of that bubbles up and it positively impacts our teachers, our classified employees, our staff, our principals, all of our community, our parents. That is our aim, but that is our charge and it's sometimes really hard when I first came as onto the board And I had come with that school principal background. I had to realize that as much as I wanted to say to dr Patterson, but but but but you know, he would pull me over here and say, you know, mrs. Dabbs. This is your lane. This is where you belong This is where you're going to make your mark. This is where you're going to do your most powerful work for our students is in advocacy and in policy for them. And I really
096want to thank all of you, as our board has shared, for being brave to step up and to come and have this time with us. Because as Mrs. Chacon-Kennedy shared, when you run for board, you don't have to sit in front of everybody. You run, you door knock, you speak. You're going to be at a, you know, you might be at a, as our local. city council folks are and our mayor you might be at a forum but this was incredibly hard for all of you to have to sit in front of a sitting board and we have been a sitting board for for quite a while and we are very fortunate to get along even when we disagree but i want to thank all of you the caliber and the the abilities that you
097all possess separately are very unique and something that Should be treasured by our community and as mrs. Carrera said if you're not selected today I want to also be a second person that says I want to encourage you to put your hat in the ring In August file your paperwork to run again. It is not easy. It is quite difficult You have to door knock. You need to get your name out there. But if you really have that passion to serve, then it will be something that you will really be glad that you did. So I just want to thank all of you once again for having the desire and the dream to come and serve here on our board to impact the lives of our children and our families. And then by that same
098token, in fact, our classified and our principals and our teachers who are a huge part of what we do here every day. So having said that, board, is there any other particular deliberation about any of our candidates today, or are we ready to bring a motion to the table? Any more for the, okay. Is there anyone who would like to open a motion in favor of one particular candidate? I will. Like I said, I listened intently to everybody. I took... Really good notes on everybody and like I said, they're all great, but I would like to nominate. Mr. Thomas Baird. All right. So mr. Thomas Baird has been nominated. Is there anyone who would like to give a second for that nomination? I'd like to nominate mr. Miguel Hernandez Okay, so we have a motion
099on the floor to nominate. Mr. Baird There was no second so that correct me if I'm wrong at this point. I did not hear a second right? Okay, so that motion is Dead table, but we can bring it back. All right. So mrs. Carrera your motion is to nominate Mr. Miguel Hernandez All right. Mr. Miguel Hernandez. Is there a second for like a second? All right, so there's been a motion for mr. Hernandez. There's been a second Is there any discussion or is there a second motion that someone would like to bring forward? May I just interject real quick? I just did want to say that typically in this process, Oliver does engage in the process, but he and I have had conversations as we prepared for this meeting, and given the fact that there
100is a unique conflict of interest, even though there would not be a conflict of interest if his father was voted in, there is a conflict with him participating in the selection process. He's going to be just a nice observer, but not actually be called on when we actually get to the vote as well. So, Mrs. Chapps, since I didn't get a second. You can bring it up again. Can I do that now? Yes, you may. Okay, I move to nominate Mr. Thomas Baird. All right, so we have two motions. Do I have a second for Mr. Baird? Mr. Kennedy, can we? Well, hold on we're not discussing it I would like to get the most nervous because you need a second I would like to second the motion for mr. B, okay, so we have
101Motion number one for mr. Hernandez and a second we have motion number two for mr. Baird and a second now we're gonna deliberate With motion number one first before we take a vote. Is that correct? Yes We did anticipate that there would possibly be multiple motions on the on the table at the same time In consulting our parliamentary procedures, which is Roberts rules of order There may be two motions on the table at the same time for the board to begin and engage in conversations However, there can only be one question posed at one time. So given that we do have two motions that were seconded, we do right now need to engage in a conversation about both candidates. And then given the fact that after that deliberation, then we would be able to call
102on motion number one to see if there is a vote. If that does not pass, then we would move on to number two to see if number two passes. And then if we reach a stalemate at that point, we would have to consider possibly a third motion. So now we're going to open up discussions for motion one, which is for Mr. Hernandez, correct? Correct. Okay. Are there questions? Are there deliberations? Mr. Aparicio, do you have something that you would like to state about why you seconded your motion? Well, like I said, I think with all our candidates, it's definitely a tough decision. I know with just reading some of the bio with Miguel as well, too, just being an educator, and then also now kind of working in law enforcement. So I know he definitely
103brings two different perspectives, and one in education, which we're a part of, of course, and then just with being a cop. And then also on top of that, just all his volunteer service hours. You see him around the schools and the district all the time. So I just think, like I said, for me, he's definitely a well-rounded candidate for us. someone that like I said I know I could work with as well too so just you know a lot of times you know during the interview process is you kind of look at the applicant and say can I work with that person and you know with him I could say I could definitely work with them but at the same time like honestly I could say that about all six candidates I really could I
104honestly could so But like I said, and I would just wanted a second just to kind of hear her be out as well to just kind of hear everybody else's opinions. And like I said, I could easily change my opinion one way or the other. So I'm not, you know, I don't want to say like, that's him, him, him, only him. And that's it. So I'm here to listen as well to everyone's opinions. Okay. Mrs. Chacon-Kinney. I'm sorry, Mrs. Carrera. You wanted to share something about why you put Mr. Hernandez in your motion. I really liked how he held accountability. especially knowing in the industry that he is in and the danger that can be posed to the community as a whole. I think that that was very important to me. I also feel that
105when you brought up bullying, you know, you... You guys know how I feel about that. And I also, one of the things that highlighted was when he said he would follow the chain of command, something that Dr. Patterson knows I don't. I feel that that's something that is quite admirable to say from the get-go, that you would follow the chain of command. Listen. Another, and my final, is that he, you know, follows, and he was not the only one. He was not the only one that said this. He would follow policies and procedures, which also I think aligns with us. And I really liked that he was funny and not too serious. Any anything else? All right, so can I give my reasons on my nomination? Okay, okay, like I said I listened to everybody
106intently took copious notes, and I was really impressed first well I really liked the letters of recommendation that mr. Baird had and he is Social worker and an educator and I like what he said about he loves Whittier. He's Currently in medical managed care looks to make sure people get what they need which I found that to be Good and then he's here for the kids. I like to kept saying here for the kids always centered around the kids He's done a lot. He seems like he's very civic minded walk door-to-door for bond measures That's hard to do but a lot of us have done that knows the power of advocacy, which I thought was really, really a good statement. And he said he would bring a strong voice to our board. Because of his
107profession, he works very collaboratively with the community. And he cares deeply, which I liked that he cared deeply. I liked his core values. What I really liked was he said he prides himself. on listening, which I think is really, really important to listen, which I could probably do a better job at that, but I really think in his, what he does for a living has really trained him to listen well. And he just, like I said, he said, must be accountable for bad times and good times. It can't always be good. It can't always be bad. But I kept hearing the student-centered approach and what that really, really impressed me. I took so many notes here. Let's see. He says, you know, some decisions, I liked what he said, that can be made that upset
108people, but you've got to learn from that as well. And I liked what he said about how he learned from his mistake, and that was probably a big mistake, but a good learning experience. And like he said, I liked what he said, he's one of five voices. You know, so many people come in here and they think that they are the voice. Well, they're not. You're one of five voices. And I like that he said that. And I just there's it just seems like he likes them. I'm reading all this. Like the one comment, I love this community. I just think that he would be really great on our board. He brings a perspective that I think we need. And. Like I said, his letters of recommendation, if you guys read them, I was very
109impressed. Let's see here. We'll ask if we're doing it right. And he will always be there for people that are not being heard. I like that comment as well. I guess I could go on and on and tell you, but I just think that he would work really well with us. I too want to comment on Mr. Baird. I was really impressed with everyone, but I was impressed with the statements he made about core values, and I want to echo what you said, Mr. Kennedy. The core values of equity and collaboration and transparency, I really, really love that. I think that it was just very... It was a very positive approach and I really liked that. He talked about needing different levels of support for our students. He talked about being an advocate for the
110community. He talked about how the student-centered approach is so important and we all know that, as I just said, that is our main goal is to serve the students. It's hard. sometimes because we want to serve everyone but he spoke about serving the students and that really impressed me and again by doing so he knows that teachers need support as well. He talked about the tech support and Dr. Patterson will chuckle but I'm consistently asking him about AI. I'm consistently asking him about where's our AI policy. I'm consistently saying what are we doing with tech and I really appreciate that our board is very much on board now with supporting Guidelines for AI guidelines for our tech, but I really love that he understood that and that he said but in turn you have to
111be flexible and pivot sometimes we might want to grow and put all kinds of Different items of tech into classrooms where we have to make sure that we're doing so in a way that's you know Very secure and that we know our students will be safe and he talked about the importance of celebrating who we are and that we have built a really great culture here and I really like that as well I mean there's always room for growth and improvement but I really love that he mentioned that he also talked about the same I'm gonna echo what you said mr. Kennedy about we often have to make decisions that are hard and upset someone or upset one of our unions or upset a school. And that is very challenging for us, even though it
112might not seem that way. But he said, but then you have to make sure that you can speak and stand by that decision, which is something I know we all care about. And I thought that was absolutely remarkable. We have to look at the kids' well-being. And I love that he said he wants to be president at events. I know that when you work a full-time job, it's hard. But we all make as many attempts as we can to go to our open houses, to go to our events. We have a great speech and language, a great speech contest coming up this week. I think Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy and I are serving as judges. We always love that. And again, I want to echo that, but that we are one of five voices. And sometimes
113that's hard. I can speak from experience and talking with Dr. Patterson and you know you have to go Slow to go fast and I remember when mr. Tiago Talked with me for a long time when I first joined the board and he said you and I are former principals you and I are or he was a principal so at the time and I know what you're gonna want to do you're gonna want to move very very quickly, but you can't do that trust me when I tell you I'm here on the board and you know, you're only one of five voices, but I really love that Mr. Barrett share that and then lastly I want to share of course his willingness to tell us about that mistake. I felt like that took You know, we're
114using the word courage a lot here, but it took a tremendous amount of courage to say that. And I really appreciated that you talked about that you don't want to make one mistake to fix another. And that really struck me very, very powerfully. So I want to mention that to all of you as we're here deliberating about Mr. Barrett. Mr. Hernandez. So at this point, Dr. Patterson? Mr. Baird was my second choice. Okay. You know, one of the reasons why he wasn't the first is because I thought he had kind of an upper hand because he's here at the meetings. So he's very well in tune with our board opposed to the other candidates. However, I will say that earning my opinions. is something that I have also followed very much. That was something that
115I also learned in college. We might have had the same professor if we went to the same university. I applaud you when you said about equity because one size does not fit all. And I agree when you went down your list and... There's a big difference between equity and being equitable because we can hand every child the same shoe, but it may not fit. When you said about collaboration, it's true. I agree. We should be ethical in the good and bad moments, and you've witnessed that in the boardroom. We've had our bad moments. When you said about being transparent, I think we're pretty transparent. I think I'm a little too transparent sometimes. I have to agree that, you know, you held yourself accountable in that last question. That's not a common question. And I think
116Mrs. Quintero can relate. That's a very reporter question. It is a question that shows self-growth. shows that you are accountable and that you know how to hold yourself accountable. And it was admirable for you to say, you know, I had to fix it. I couldn't meet deadline. And again, Mrs. Quintero, we can relate. Deadlines are big. And if deadlines cannot be met, I can only imagine what can happen to you. But Mr. Bird was my second choice. And I'm okay. with with with changing my vote, you know because what sells what sells me and I have to tell you mr. Baird is you said Ask them if we're doing it right and that matters Because those kids We have to ask them your son. I ask him I do And sometimes we have our little
117sidebars. But I want it to remain objective because I'm big on objectivity. But I don't know how Mr. Aparicio will feel about adjusting to Mr. Baird. I'm fine. Like I said, if you want to change at the end of the day, you know. it's three votes already. So at the end of the day, like I said, yeah, you know, I don't see nothing, you know, Mr. Bear is a very, very qualified candidate as well too. So like I said, he was definitely one of the top candidates and yeah, like I said, everything, all three of you guys said about him, you know, definitely is someone that, like I said, I could look forward to working with them as well too. If you want to change, I'm fine with it. So, Dr. Patterson, in order to
118be efficient in the Brown Act and et cetera, we have two motions on the table. We have had some deliberation. One motion was for Mr. Hernandez. The second motion that came up twice was for Mr. Baird. We have deliberated about Mr. Baird, per se. Was there any more deliberation that we wanted to have about Mr. Hernandez beyond what you two have already shared? No, I just want to say, Mr. Hernandez, I think you did a great job. And I have to retract and go with who my colleagues have spoken about. Again, I tried to remain as objective as I could, but I would like to encourage you to put your name on the ballot in November. So thank you. Mrs. Good and thank you. Mr. Aparicio. So having said that now when Mrs. Carrera says
119she wants to retract she can't retract her motion Mr. Hernandez is motion number one number one. All right, so but and and mr. Baird is motion number two You can pull the board at any time on either one of those two motions So are we ready to go forward with motion one, which is Mr. Hernandez? I would say based upon the deliberations, you should probably go with motion two first. And then if that motion does not pass, then we move on to motion three. Thank you. Thank you so much. And thank you to all of you for being patient with us as we're going through this process. So we have two motions on the floor, and at Dr. Patterson's recommendation, we are going to call for the vote on the second motion first. Bearing that
120there aren't any other further deliberations So we're ready. All right, mrs. Valenzuela, will you please call for the vote? Is this Chuck on Kennedy? Yes Mr. Aparicio. Yes Mrs. Dabbs. Yes Mrs. Carrera. Yes motion passes. All right, so motion passes for We're in agreement that that is in favor that mr. Baird will be selected. Do we? Okay, all right. Okay, so thank you so much everyone. It is my pleasure then, as you've been here listening to open deliberation, it is my pleasure to welcome our new provisional board member, Mr. Baird, to our dedicated and committed Board of Education, and we will administer the oath of office during our regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting this evening at 6 p.m. Congratulations. All right. I am now going to adjourn our meeting. Can I call for a
121motion to adjourn? We're just adjourning to closed session. Can we? Okay. I'm sorry. We're just adjourning to closed session. So thank you.