Steven Llanusa, Claremont Unified board incumbent

I am running for re-election because I have skills and abilities needed on the Claremont School Board. I am an experienced leader, a classroom teacher, and parent volunteer with three primary goals:

- Increasing Student Achievement -- Standardized tests don't have to mean standardized schools. Each school's strengths and culture provide for a variety of tools and strengths to help its individual students.

- Improving School Environment -- Resources for classrooms must be the highest priority in the current budget situation to sustain continued academic progress. Students must be safe from bullying, prejudice, and substance abuse.

- Intensify Accountability -- Decision making and information should be readily available, accurate, and accessible for all.

I am proud to have been the driving force on the School Board in awarding P.E. credit for afterschool sports participation. My attention to detail aided the Board when we reviewed all District policies where I moved to institute full-day kindergarten. I facilitated communication and cooperation between the School Board and City Council as the Board's chosen representative to Claremont's Youth and Family Master Plan Update and the Claremont Sustainability Task Force.

In my first term I represented the School Board on the Claremont Afterschool Programs (CLASP), Claremont Community Coordinating Council, and the Los Angeles County School Boards association (LACSTA). School board members from throughout L.A. County elected me to the LACSTA Executive Board.

As a proud parent of three Claremont High graduates and a current CHS student, I became an active parent in our schools in 1995 when my first foster son started there. I have served as a PFA Officer at the elementary school level, El Roble, and Claremont High. I am a Parent Booster for Claremont High Sports and Instrumental Music. My experiences in the activities of PFAs and Claremont schools give me a day-to-day view that I bring to the School Board. I also volunteered in the Save Our Schools campaign of the Claremont Educational Foundation (CEF).

As a teacher for 21 years, I have experience with a variety of curricular programs and educational reforms. My expertise in technology was used at a recent district training for teachers. I have seen firsthand how decisions in the Board room affect instruction in the classroom.

I will continue to provide the unique voice of an experienced leader, a classroom teacher, and a parent volunteer. I look forward to serving the children and community of Claremont for a second term.

Steven Llanusa