Editor,
I am running for school board of the Laguna Beach Unified School District. Voters can vote for three of the four candidates. In the campaign, voters have asked me which of the other candidates I support. The other two candidates I will vote for are Ketta Brown and Dee Perry, and I hope all will join me in voting 1, 2 and 4 on Tuesday.
Ketta is an experienced and effective board member with a strong public finance background and extensive connections within our school district. Dee is a former Laguna Beach teacher and parent of a child who has attended our schools.
I do not support the fourth candidate. She has no past connection to our schools and is not, in my opinion, informed about our district. She has always had her school-age kids enrolled in private school. That is her right, but I and others are rightfully concerned about a candidate who is running for a public school board who purposely is not involved in the schools she wants to govern.
I have been advised by those familiar with the mathematics of voting not to write this letter. They say that I should not publicly encourage voting for the three obviously qualified candidates, but rather just to work to ensure my own election. But it’s extremely important to take a stand in favor of qualified candidates and against an unqualified, disconnected candidate with an unknown agenda. I stand for communication and openness and I’m starting now.
I encourage all voters to carefully investigate all of the candidates and their positions and vote for those who have demonstrated a healthy approach to our future and have in the past demonstrated their commitment to our students and schools prior to declaring for office. I hope you determine that I, Ketta and Dee have earned your vote and vote 1, 2 and 4 on Tuesday.
Carol Normandin, Laguna Beach
