Seven filed for the SMUSD board seat vacant by Corey Barberie

Dear San Marino Community,

The San Marino Unified School District has received seven timely applications for Mr. Corey Barberie’s vacant Board seat. During a special open session meeting held on Monday, June 8, 2021, the Board of Education voted to establish a sub-committee comprised of less than a quorum to screen the applications to determine eligibility. Mr. C. Joseph Chang and Mrs. Jane Chon were nominated to serve on the committee. Eligibility screening took place as planned. As previously announced, the District is presenting the names of those invited to be interviewed on June 10, 2021 and their candidate statements, in alphabetical order, to the public for review as follows:

1. Chun-Yen Chen
Learning our School Board has an immediate need to fill the remaining term of former board member Corey Barberie (from June 2021 to December 2022), it will be imperative for the District, Teachers, PTAs, students and parents to find someone who:
- is ready to comply and follow California laws, Education Code, and California Code of Regulations and is clear about the role and responsibility among School Board, Superintendent and Administration, and Teachers (https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/lr/cl/),
- is knowledgeable about California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) which was adopted in 2013, shifting from a complex system with more than 50 funding categories to a multi-tiered formula that directs extra funding to “high need” (economically disadvantaged, English Learner, or foster youth) students and fully understands how LCFF has negatively affected SMUSD financially since then.
- is experienced in Executive Management level personnel recruitment and evaluation, and understands how public school districts’ teacher workforce reduction process works under current State law.
- is aware of changes to state pension systems have required districts to direct an increasing share of their budgets to pension contributions and is ready to work with the District to address the issue of reduced funding from the state due to declining student enrollment.
- is capable to review and be engaged with SMUSD’s ongoing Budgeting and Fiscal Analysis process right away (whether or not Measure E passes on 6/29),
- understands where California's Public School Funds come from and how to raise funds to fill the remaining gap in order to maintain SMUSD’s commitment in education excellence, and finally
- is a team player who has been not only an active volunteer parent within San Marino Schools and the community but also a good listener and an open-minded communicator with fellow school board members, PTA members, concerned parents and students.
I have over 20 years professional career and executive leadership service as an Executive Director and a Board Member of various nonprofit organizations. I was a former Senior Budget Examiner for the New York State - Division of the Budget, the primary fiscal advisor to New York's Governor, developing, negotiating and implementing one of the largest government budgets in the country. I have an academic background in Public Administration, Public Policy and Decision-Making Sciences (Bachelor Degree in Political Science and Master/Doctorate Candidate in Public Administration and Public Policy). I taught MPA Public Budgeting courses at Marist College as an Adjunct Lecturer. In short, my experiences encapsulate all of the preferred qualifications discussed above.
With my bilingual English and Chinese ability, if selected to serve as SMUSD Board Member, I have the skills for clear and consistent communication. I will ensure that the School Board addresses these mistrust, misunderstanding and miscommunication with parents and community members during its budget planning and explanation process.
It is no longer reasonable to expect board service to take just one night per month. Public education has become far too complex and community expectations far too great. I anticipate my SMUSD School Board duties will require minimally 20 or more hours per month on school issues: negotiating contracts, planning, work sessions, community meetings-not to mention personal phone calls and other contacts made. With my professional maturity and public service mindset, I am prepared to serve if appointed. And with my track record of volunteerism and leadership, I am confident I am well equipped to serve with the excellence that SMUSD deserves.

2. Lynn Eriksen
I have a degree in Quantitative Economics and almost 20 years of business experience, which I can utilize to critically evaluate community needs. In addition, I have lived in San Marino for over 20 years, have three children that have attended, or still attend the San Marino schools, and I have been an active volunteer at all levels of the schools, and a volunteer for the school district.

3. Susan Flanagan
My passion is teaching and education. Ever since I was seven and I taught my five year old brother to read I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I taught 3rd Grade for 7 years at Hugo Reid in Arcadia and 23 years at Carver retiring in 2016.

Being a teacher for 30 years and a parent of two grown children gives me a unique perspective on education different from the other Board members. Where their expertise may be legal or financial my expertise is having spent my professional life in the classroom. I know education. I know what works and I know what doesn't work. I have been on committees to select text books, as well as having written some of my own curriculum.

I believe we must offer the best education possible to each and every student. That does not mean we lower our standards. As a teacher I encouraged each student to do their best whatever their best was. I challenged each student to do more than they thought they could do and they always did. I gave them challenges they could reach and when they did they experienced true self esteem. We must not only give each child the best curriculum but we must also teach our children to be kind, considerate, truthful and patriotic citizens. We must offer them many extra curricular activities in sports and special interests. We must also have open communication between teachers, students, and parents where everyone can express their opinions freely without retribution. I promise if selected to the school board I will represent everyone to the best of my ability. My door will always be open.

4. Nam Jack
I simply want to help. I believe the best way to do so and serve the community is in the capacity as a board member. Based on my prior board experience, I can add immediate value to help solve, not add to, the myriad of issues that the district needs to address.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE
In light of the recent resignations of two board members whose remaining terms are only for a year and half, I believe that it is vitally important to appoint someone with prior experience and knowledge of the district. It usually takes approximately a year for a board member to fully understand the complexities, intricacies and nuances of board roles and processes as well as district planning and budgeting. In my case, having been a board member for nine years, there would be no need for such a learning curve. I could hit the ground running and help to immediately address the issues that face our district.

LEGAL BACKGROUND
I think that it is beneficial to have board members with different expertise and professional backgrounds that bring distinctive perspectives and understandings to a problem or situation. The present board does not have a member with legal expertise so I believe that my legal background would provide an important benefit and value.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Through my various volunteer efforts in this community, I am familiar with the various stakeholders in the community, their dedicated efforts as well as concerns, including but not limited to the San Marino Schools Foundation, PTAs, PTA Affiliates, and San Marino Teachers Association. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, they are familiar with me, my leadership abilities and capabilities, my forthright nature, as well as my full commitment to targeted tasks and goals

WILL NOT SEEK ELECTION
I will not be seeking election as a board member after this term.

For the foregoing reasons, I believe I am a qualified candidate and respectfully submit my application.

5. Luyi Khasi
I have a B.A. degree in communication/public relations and a M.S. degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. I taught ESL at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut for a year prior to becoming a News Anchor/U.S. Correspondent at ETTV, a Mandarin-speaking TV station headquartered in Taiwan. I am now a CEO of a small business in DTLA with knowledge in management, human resources, finances and marketing.

During the year I taught ESL at Mt. SAC, I won a competition for designing an innovative curriculum among my colleagues. I have creative ways to make learning more engaging and meaningful while operating under a restricted budget and environment. Before COVID, I volunteered as First LEGO League coach for three years in a row at Valentine and HMS and successfully led teams into winning regional awards. These teaching and coaching experiences are applicable across different subjects and age groups. And they show that I am capable of working with students, teachers, admins, parents and stakeholders.

I started my news reporting career following Arnold Schwarzenegger around during his gubernatorial election in 2004. While working in a fast-pace news environment, on a daily basis, I had to quickly learn different national/state/local policies, grasp the key concepts, summarize what’s important in layman’s terms and produce the news in Mandarin. Through the constant exposure to a wide range of issues, I understand public policies and what it meant to serve in a public capacity. News production skill set is also relevant in communicating important school policies to the SMUSD community, especially in bridging the gap to new immigrant families. In addition, in the 5 years of volunteering as the Chinese liaison in different school groups, I have built a good size of trusting followers who are supportive and willing to communicate with me openly should there be questions or concerns about the schools.

At my current role as the CEO of a family business, I have more than ten years of experience managing projects and 48 staff members. Dealing with the law, contracts, HR, finances, budgeting are the basic required skills that I am comfortable with. And, I am at a point where I have a healthy and strong support team to allow for my scheduling flexibility should I need to attend to SMUSD's business during regular office hours.

6. Nathaniel Tsai
Aside from Ms. Chan Lin, I would be the only other student who has attended the San Marino school systems. Though other board members have children in the schools, I believe that as a more recent graduate I have different insight than a parent might. (I graduated in the same class as Mrs. Ryan's sons)

Both my parents are also employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District so I have insight into both the largest CA district, and one of the smallest.

Community Outreach Experience - though this is an appointed position, I have campaigned for a statewide office, listening to constituents from across the entire San Gabriel Valley. So I believe I know how to effectively communicate with a large constituency.

Government Experience - Government work has given me thick skin, tremendous amounts of patience, and the backways to navigate politically minded groups and people.

Business Experience - I also know how to fundraise very well, and am great at convincing people to do things. So, Measure E here we come! haha

Covid Experience - My current company has provided FREE Covid testing for dozens of schools, and even currently is discussing services for La Canada Unified, Alhambra Unified, Loyola HS etc. This is new territory we are entering, and contrary to mask rules being lifted, etc., Covid is not yet over and done with. We must protect our students long term while still providing quality education. (We have not engaged in services with SMUSD and thus there are not conflicts of interest).

7. Lisa Cheung Wang
I believe I can support SMUSD and its students by bringing my commitment and experience. Having worked 15 years in public accounting, I work well with people and can manage expectations and personalities. I have a child that graduated from SMHS and went to finish a successful first year during pandemic. I have three children still within the school district who are participating in various programs such as VAPA and Athletics, which I strongly support. I had a child in IEP so I understand the importance and the support needed for our special education students. I have served on various PTA/PTSA Boards and boosters so I understand the needs for our continual parental support. I believe I can be the bridge to bring this community together.