Almost 60 parents, PTA members and United Parents of Culver City leaders, City Council members and School Board members, residents and supporters on Sunday dropped by the School Board campaign kickoff at the midtown Jasmine Avenue home of Mr. Culver City, Mike Cohen.
The crowd came after the gigantic crosstown CicLAvia Burke program had, uh, rearranged traffic on major thoroughfares for their first official look at Mr. McVarish and Ms. Burke, who are running as a team.
The election for two open seats on the School Board is Nov. 3.
Wednesday afternoon at 5 is the filing deadline for the chairs being vacated by Laura Chardiet and Nancy Goldberg.
Ms. Chardiet introduced the candidates and City Councilman Jim Clarke making the pitch to donate to the Burke and McVarish campaigns.
As the first speaker, Ms. Burke told how she relates to many of the families who never have had anyone attend college, and the challenges they face navigating this system.
“I am a first-generation college student in my family,” Ms. Burke said. “I understand the challenges quite personally.”
Noting that many potential first-generation college students attend Culver City schools, the community is obligated, she said, “to figure out a system where we help them meet this challenge.”
Ms. Burke spoke on students who may not choose college directly out of high school. “We need to be creative about how can we prep them,” she said, “to have a meaningful, successful, gainfully employed lives after they leave our school system.”
Mr. McVarish, author of a recent in-depth series of profile interviews with school community leaders, asked whether the schools are changing to match the massive rapid changes society and the economy are undergoing.
“I don’t know if public schools are changing fast enough,” Mr. McVarish said. He proposed establishment of multiple career-path academies at the secondary schools to help meet these changes.
Building on the success of the performing arts academy, he informed the crowd he wanted to discuss with the other School Board members the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Academy, an Industrial Arts/Trades Academy, and a Leadership Academy.
Recalling that he helped create the United Parents of Culver City organization because parents were not being listened to at that time, Mr. McVarish smiled and said, “Now they are being listened to. They have helped usher in an amazing administrative team to go along with an excellent School Board.”
He promised that he and Ms. Burke would work well with that team, with everyone putting students first and working towards the goal of “great schools.”
The field campaign kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, at Lindberg Park, featuring a family picnic and games for the kids. The campaign is expecting 200 supporters at this back-to-school party. Precinct-walking for volunteers and yard sign distribution to supporters will begin that day.
For more information, see facebook.com/burkemcvarishforschoolboard2015 or www.ForGreatSchools.org or contact the campaign at scott@forgreatschools.org
