ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Prepared more students for college, career and life
As the School Board representative for District 7, I have approved policies and practices that have led to real change for students and better prepared them for college, career, and life. As a direct result of the resolutions I authored, grading is more accurate and fair across the district, over 100,000 students have free, high-speed broadband internet in their homes, and better educational decisions are being made based on data about arts access, community safety, and educator diversity.
The BD7 team and I have hosted three annual College Signing Day events, honoring our graduating seniors’ college commitments and encouraging PK-11th grade students to explore their future possibilities. Our 2023 College Signing Day hosted more than 2,000 students, families, and staff at Cal State Dominguez Hills, right in the heart of BD7.
Listened and advocated for your priorities
My team and I have focused our advocacy on what we have heard from you. We have prioritized visiting classrooms at all 175 Board District 7 schools each school year so we can observe student learning, identify trends in strengths and needs, and solve school-specific challenges. By listening to our Student Advisory Council and Family Advisory Council, meeting with dozens of partners, hosting listening sessions, and attending community meetings, we have been able to elevate what matters most to BD7.
Because of the voices of our communities, we have started to stabilize staffing at our highest-need schools and targeted investments to close opportunity gaps. We have maintained a $700 million investment in equity-based, flexible funding for all school sites. In addition to this, we have invested $132 million in dual-language education, $125 million in Black student achievement, and $122 million in intervention to help all students accelerate their learning to be ready for the world.
My team and I have also invested significantly in staff and school sites to create the conditions for students to thrive. We approved labor contracts authorizing salary increases of up to 30% for more than 60,000 employees and raised the minimum wage to $22.50 in LA Unified. We expanded healthcare coverage to thousands of employees and offered additional incentives for high-need positions such as nurses, social workers, early childhood, and special education teachers and assistants. And we are expanding the school year by 3 additional instructional days in each of the next two years.
We have invested more than $500 million in Board District 7 school facilities upgrades. We have embarked on nearly a dozen major construction projects in Board District 7, completely revamping several school buildings, athletic facilities, and cafeterias. We have selected and funded over 50 projects to improve school safety and student health such as secure entry systems, privacy screening, and campus greening.
Invested significantly in staff and schools
