The Culver City Community Coalition has endorsed Dr. Kelly Kent in her race for a seat on the School Board on Nov. 3, five weeks from today.
The Community Coalition invited all candidates to participate in the selection process, but the other two candidates, Anne Burke and Scott McVarish, did not respond.
Dr. Kent is a neuroscientist with a doctorate from USC and a member of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission. An active parent of a Lin Howe Elementary student, she is co-founder of the school’s Spanish enrichment program.
“She will be a strong voice for students, parents and teachers,” said Meghan Sahli-Wells, City Councilperson and immediate past mayor. “As a commissioner, Kelly has important experience working on city issues. She will champion valuable collaboration between the School District and the city, which will benefit all residents. I look forward to helping Kelly implement her plan.”
“My values are very much aligned with those of the Coalition,” Dr. Kent said.
A professor of neuroscience, she teaches teachers. In working with the other Board members on education issues, she said she intends to apply her knowledge of the brain and how it learns.
“It is important that we encourage an educational culture of collaborative team teaching practices, where the teachers are themselves innovators rather than simply implementers,” Dr. Kent said. “This must be supported by professional development that includes essential modeling, mentoring and professional learning communities.”
Gary Silbiger, former City Councilman and mayor, said of Dr. Kent: “She is the most qualified candidate. Although you do not need to be a rocket scientist to be a good School Board member, it is extremely helpful to be a scientist who studies the brain–the subject of her doctorate and her employment–to help students learn.
“Add to that Kelly’s work as an active parent, Culver City commissioner, a university professor, a mentor teacher, and her proven ability to work well with others, and Culver City has the complete School Board member,” Mr. Silbiger said.
One of the city’s most active environmentalists, Michelle Weiner, said she appreciates Dr. Kent’s views on the food served to students, which both believe lacks the nutrition necessary for students to prosper.
“Kelly has talked to me about her vision,” Ms. Weiner said. “The School District could purchase food locally from community supported agriculture networks, as some neighboring districts do. The students would eat healthier meals. Buying from local sources would enormously decrease landfill trash from packaging as well as decrease the carbon footprint that results when mass produced public school meals are delivered from far away.
“Kelly also supports the School District’s Sustainability Committee’s recommendation on the use of recycled paper, which I would like to see the board adopt,” said Ms. Weiner, a trained mediation facilitator. She is impressed with Dr. Kent’s ability to speak respectfully to others. “Kelly will be an effective leader on our School Board because she has the skills to work well with people whose positions may differ from her own.”
Dr. Kent has emphasized that all schools in the District must prosper. “I will give a voice to every Culver City school,” she said.
Claudia Vizcarra is a parent of two students in Culver City schools and an expert in education policy. She believes that Dr. Kent will be an important advocate for all students.
“Kelly brings a critical perspective to her role as a policy maker,” Ms. Vizcarra said. “Her knowledge of neuroscience and her experience supporting teachers to understand what a difference a growth mindset makes in learning is essential.
“Currently black and Latino students are performing less well than their white peers on standardized tests. English language learners are graduating at a lower rate than their peers who are native English speakers. Kelly’s perspective will be important in ensuring the Board can embrace its core mission — to ensure success for all students,” Ms. Vizcarra said.
Mr. Silbiger, Ms. Weiner and Ms. Vizcarra are among the founding members of Community Coalition. This group of area progressives is diverse. It includes residents of various ethnic backgrounds and income levels. Its intent is to improve the life of the community, elect more progressives to the City Council and School Board, and encourage residents without significant financial resources, people of color, and non-English speakers to become more civically involved.
For information on Dr. Kent’s campaign, see www.kellyforculvercityschools.com
For information about the Culver City Community Coalition, see www.culvercitycommunitycoalition.net or email the organization at culvercitycommunitycoalition@gmail.com.
Ms. Rona-Tuttle may be contacted at rebecca.rona@hotmail.com
Excellent article and quotes from Community Coalition colleagues whom I highly respect, as I do Dr. Kelly Kent. Her values are definitely aligned with those of the Coalition! While canvassing with her, I am amazed at her depth of knowledge and people skills. She engages residents in issues that matter to them personally and to the community as a whole. As a neighbor who has engaged in many conversations with Dr. Kent over the years, I am convinced that her combination of intellect, integrity and vision for our children’s future is precisely what Culver City School Board needs right now. No candidate is better qualified than Dr. Kelly Kent!
Wow! WHAT A SHAM.
I can’t believe that people would lower themselves to this level in our School Board election.
The Culver City Coalition was started some six years ago by Gary and Karlo Silbiger. It basically went dormant and died . Now all of a sudden it has resurrected itself to be a bona fide organization to endorse a School Board candidate. This is the same group who basically loaded the Demo Club a few weeks ago to endorse Kelly Kent also.
No, the other two candidates Scott McVarish and Anne Burke would not lower themselves to this level and participate it such chananigans by this so called “group”.
I am truly appalled by their actions.
Sham…Fake…Bogus Endorsement
Anne and Scott should be applauded for not opening their obvious spam email from this so-called deceptive “Coalition.” A legitimate coalition, by definition, is an alliance of political parties. What political parties might they be? Who are the Officers: President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian? Does it have bylaws? Is bullet voting allowed under the coalition’s bylaws? Is it a 501c3? If so, is advocating politics violate federal law? Since Mr. Silbiger, a founder, started the coalition a few years ago, how come it did not endorse Karlo Silbiger when he ran for School Board two years ago?
The article states that Kelly “is the most qualified candidate.” Huh? She never went to a School Board meeting before August, 2015, never went to a budget advisory meeting or bond oversight meeting. In my opinion, due to her lack of involvement, she has very limited knowledge of school operations or District issues. In all due respect to Kelly, she is well educated, sincere and well meaning, but she is not ready for a seat on the School Board this time.
Since there was only one candidate in this endorsement “process,” one could also argue that Kelly is “least qualified among the one candidate.”
All that anger from one family!
But it’s ok for UPCC to select their own candidates and announce their ‘endorsement’ of them? Calm down people. Why such fury about a School Board election? May I suggest a hobby?
For those who would like to research on active and registered Culver City Political Action Committees, please go to: http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees.
There you will find public disclosure about CULVER PAC CULVER CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE #992102 and UNITED PARENTS OF CULVER CITY PAC #1347719.
As others have, I looked but could not find COMMUNITY COALITION as being registered PAC on the California Secretary of State Cal-Access website. Perhaps the Culver City Democratic Club [for Comedy] leadership has an explanation.
Unlike the last school board election, the candidates seem so respectful of each other’s experience and views. Seems we voters could follow their lead and stop the pointless mudslinging.