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 Sara Pol-Lim, 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?
Audit admin costs, consolidate underused campuses, protect classrooms. Long Term: align staffing to enrollment, expand programs attracting families, pursue diverse funding sources.
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?
Set clear, measurable targets by grade, with quarterly public progress tracking, invest in evidence-based early literacy (phonics, structured reading blocks) and extend learning time for students below grade level. For algebra readiness, align K-8 math pathways, provide intervention blocks. Expand tutoring, summer bridge, and after-school programs targeted to students most behind. Address gaps by prioritizing resources to highest-need schools, smaller class sizes in early grades. Partner with families through multilingual outreach and workshops to support learning at home. Identify students early and intervene within weeks, not semesters. Tie school leader evaluations to growth and gap reduction.
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?
Focus on student outcomes. Set clear, measurable goals: early literacy, algebra readiness, graduation/college-career readiness with transparent quarterly monitoring. Strengthen core instruction, adopt coherent evidence-based curricula, and protect collaborative planning time. Priortize equity by directing resources to highest-need schools, smaller K-3 classes, high dosage tutoring, expanded learning time, and experienced staff. Tackle chronic absenteeism with proactive outreach and wraparound supports. Stabilize finances amid declining enrollment: right-size staffing and facilites thougthfully, reduce central overhead, and reinvest savings in classrooms. Engage the community early on any consolidations.
Tell voters why you should be elected.
I am running to put students first and deliver results our community can see. I bring a practical, solutions focused approach to protect classroom instruction, target resources to the students who need them most, and hold the district accountable with clear, public goals. I will priortize early literacy, algebra readiness, and college and career pathways, backed by proven strategies like strong core curriculum. I will push for transparent budgeting, reduce unnecessary overhead, and ensure every dollar supports student learning. I am committed to closing achievement gaps by investing in our highest-need schools, expanding learning time, and strengthening partnerships with families. I will listen, communicate openly, and make decisions based on data and community input, not politics.