As part of our June 2026 primary voter guide, the Long Beach Post and LAist partnered to ask school board candidates how they’d handle the issues voters said they cared about most. See the answers from the other candidates in this race, Diana Craighead and Maureen Flaherty, and find our guides for all the other local races at LBPost.com/elections.
Even after significant staff reductions this year, Long Beach Unified anticipates it needs to cut tens of millions more from its budget next year. What would you cut? In the long term, with steadily declining enrollment, what needs to be done to ensure adequate funding for LBUSD?
When deficits occur, staff cuts often become unavoidable, but a public school system must prioritize quality education for all students and employee wellbeing. I would first reduce nonessential spending. Example, renovation projects should be limited unless it is a health concern to the students and staff. In addition, excess equipment, supplies, and expand cost-saving strategies like paperless instruction. Staffing reductions should be considered only where they do not compromise student learning or teacher support. It is evident that external factors contribute to the decrease in public school enrollment. LBUSD must adapt to declining enrollment by reassessing funding and operations. School must tap in to all funding sources from Prop 98, Prop 28, Prop 49, and Prop 55.
The board of education has set ambitious goals for boosting literacy, English language arts and algebra proficiency, and college and career readiness. These goals place particular emphasis on closing the achievement gap between Black students and other student groups. While recent monitoring reports show some modest improvement, the district is not currently on track to meet most of these goals. What would you do to accelerate academic achievement and close performance gaps?
It is unrealistic to wish for an “accelerate academic achievement.” However, it can be done if we would lead with accountability, equity, and targeted action. We must monitor our goals with clarity. If progress stalls, we must identify why and adjust strategy. Equity requires moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches. We must address barriers such as poverty and trauma. We must understand the affect Black students and students with similar backgrounds go through. Students cannot thrive academically when basic needs are not met. Moreover, students cannot achieve academic success when they feel inferior. Closing gaps requires understanding student conditions, partnering with families, and ensuring every student has the resources and support needed to graduate with dignity and opportunity.
The board of education is currently engaged in a search for the district’s next superintendent, following Jill Baker’s retirement after this school year. With a new leader in such a powerful position, what would you tell the next superintendent to focus on?
I would advise the next superintendent to prioritize academic success for all students while honoring the rich diversity of Long Beach. Our students come from different living conditions, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and each brings valuable assets to the classroom. Understanding where students come from is essential to helping them reach their full potential. When we affirm students’ identities, cultivate self-worth through respect for culture, language, and tradition, learning becomes more meaningful. This sense of connection builds engagement, belonging, and responsibility to the broader community.
Public education should unite us as learners, valuing our differences as strengths that serve the common good.
Tell voters why you should be elected.
Given my grassroots leadership and public service experience I can contribute to LBUSD ensuring its academic success for later generations. I am grounded in a strong belief in education. I benefit a great deal from public education when I first came to the State. It is fitting that I give back what I have earned to the common good. Coming to California as refugee in 1983 without formal schooling, I began my academic journey through English as a Second Language programs with public school and eventually earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from California State University, Long Beach. As a parent of two LBUSD graduates, I am committed to ensuring all students have access to educational opportunities that support upward mobility.