By Nancy Pearlman, LACCD Seat 6 Trustee
On March 7, voters have a chance to re-elect me to the Los Angeles Community College District’s Board of Trustees Seat 6. The district’s nine colleges deserve to have my committed and knowledgeable leadership.
With more than 25 years of experience serving the LACCD, first as an anthropology and communications instructor and now as a trustee, I am the most qualified candidate for this seat.
As an advocate for students, I have expanded the colleges’ support services in order to aid students in achieving their goals. Student success must be the board of trustees’ highest priority, which includes working to realize free two-year education through the College Promise, guaranteeing that students are able to transfer to the University of California system or the California State University system, and providing joint high school and college classes. Students must also be afforded the resources they need to succeed, including mentoring and tutoring services.
As an educator, I have worked within our shared governance system to get all nine colleges to be accredited without warnings. I also recognize that each campus is unique, reflecting the differences in the communities they serve; each campus must be treated as such. I regularly visit the colleges in order to understand their needs and to be sure that the board establishes the necessary policies to make them the best. These colleges include: Harbor, Southwest, West, Trade-Technical, East, City, Valley, Mission and Pierce. I am also an advocate for expanding satellite facilities into other communities.
I have dedicated my life to public service. The LACCD deserves to have a trustee who is seeking office because of a commitment to the district. Unlike my opponent, I am not using this as a stepping stone to higher office. I have successfully won my past elections to the board whereas my opponent has lost his bids for the California State Assembly and Los Angeles Unified School District. His vote will be a rubber stamp on the corporate agenda, whereas I challenge the status quo and work for positive change.
Voters deserve an experienced, responsible representative who will advocate for their values on the LACCD Board of Trustees. During my tenure I was able to get the nation’s largest academic public building program to meet LEED green building standards. I continue to oversee the maintenance and operations of the district’s facilities in order to ensure that they continue to meet sustainability standards and are not wasting taxpayer dollars.
I understand that education is the key to success for the district’s 250,000 students. Whether it is training the next generation of solar panel installers or providing the lower-division classes necessary for students to transfer to a four-year university, the Los Angeles Community College District provides an invaluable resource to the greater Los Angeles area. Our award-winning workforce training programs include culinary arts, mechanics, dental hygiene, construction and fashion design. The excellent academic curriculum provides students with the resources they need to achieve their goals. I am committed to ensuring that the district continues to provide quality resources to students while simultaneously supporting the teachers and staff of the colleges.