We are writing to thank and celebrate the service of Jan Vickers to our local Laguna Beach School Board. Jan has given 25 plus years of her life to our Laguna schools. She has done it selflessly. She is an example of person who cares about her community. We celebrate Jan Vickers!
If you have attended a sporting event in the past 20 years, you most likely saw Jan there too. If you went to a PTA meeting, Jan Vickers was sure to be there providing a report on the Board. Jan has not had larger political aspirations along the way. Jan is singularly committed to our schools and our students. It has been her passion for all these years.
Jan is smart and fair-minded. She has always understood the complexities facing education. She, herself, is a teacher. Jan has always stood for all students in our Laguna schools. She listens to students’ and parents’ concerns, and knows she has to make decisions for all, not just for the loud or the angry.
You can count on Jan to ask the informed questions, to understand how the education system works and has changed and evolved over the years. She has strong institutional knowledge that can inform how the district moves forward rather than revert to old inefficient ways. We proudly think of Jan Vickers as the “RBG” of Laguna Beach.
Jan has always been fiscally responsible. She has seen the district evolve to transparent monthly fiscal reports and better reporting mechanisms. She supported and helped to implement Fund 17, our rainy-day fund. LBUSD is a fiscally sound and a well-managed district thanks in large part to Jan Vickers.
Jan understands how important teachers are to a flourishing and successful school district. They are an integral part of a system that has to support every kind of student and family. This also includes all support staff at every school sight. Jan treats them with respect.
Jan is a professional on the board who expects her fellow board members to be as prepared, as knowledgeable, and as ethical as she is. She comes to every board meeting well prepared and well versed. She stands for what she believes in. She follows bylaws and protocols, and she always maintains confidentiality. Jan has the ability to smartly debate an issue because she understands the role of a governing board.
Jan has served with several Superintendents and understands how to have a collaborative professional working relationship. She understands what governing is and is NOT. Jan has also worked with different types of board members and can be counted on to be an example of professionalism and experience.
Jan got beaten up in this election season with unfounded vicious gossip and name-calling. But Jan never responded in kind; rather, she stayed true to her principled and civil self. Jan is a one-of-a-kind. We are grateful for her years of public service to our students and schools.
Jan believes in public education, and she is proud of LBUSD. As proud parents in LBUSD, our children have benefited from her leadership. Thank you, Jan Vickers, for your years of service to our schools. With your re-election on Tuesday, we know you will continue to be a thoughtful, well-informed, compassionate leader. Please know the thoughtful citizens of Laguna Beach are grateful to have an amazing public servant such as yourself.
Peggy Wolff and Ketta Brown, Laguna Beach
