Monrovia School Link ~ Number 136 ~ August 31, 2005
I met today with Debbie Elliot-Penzer about her bid to join the Monrovia School Board. My summary is below. Also, as we were chatting about the race, she made clear (nicely) that I was wrong about there now being three open seats in the November election. She said the board either needs to hold a special election or appoint someone to fill the seat left vacant by Betty Sandford (I knew that), but the person who fills the seat would be there until Sandford's term would be up, not, as I was thinking, until the coming election.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
Debbie Elliot-Penzer is a native Monrovian. As a child, she attended Plymouth School, and, as she puts it, she graduated but never left. After graduating, and after her own school, she returned to help the teachers at Plymouth.
She went through Santa Fe Middle School, then Monrovia High, and then on to Citrus College. Upon marrying she and her husband had two boys, who went to Plymouth, Santa Fe, and are now at Monrovia High. While they were at Plymouth, she joined the Plymouth PTA. When they went to Santa Fe, she was involved there (and also at Plymouth), and now that they are at Monrovia High she's a member of the high school's Parent Teacher Student Association. But, she's also still a member of the Plymouth PTA. In fact, it's a bit broader than that. She's now on her second (and last) term as president of the Monrovia/Duarte Council PTA. It's her last because she's limited to two terms.
Which brings us one of the main reasons she's running for the School Board. With her term expiring, and with her passion for children, she has time to serve on the board.
Elliot-Penzer said she has been a volunteer in the Monrovia Unified School District for more than 25 years and has held various positions on the many PTA boards in the district. As the Monrovia/Duarte president, she said, she has 12 PTA units under her. She has also been involved with the Arcadia National Little League - as president and in other positions, and with Bonita Pony Baseball in Arcadia.
She said she began her work career as a preschool teacher, and then got a job at CP Auto Products that includes accounting for the firm.
Other reasons she cites for wanting to be on the board are to try to keep the school buses going. She said that to hear parents say they do not know how they are going to get their children to school - as a number of them did recently - really affected her. (At the last meeting, the board decided to spend money to keep the buses rolling, but they're only funding it for a year.)
However, she said she was affected by Betty Sandford's resignation letter, which cited the overbearing state rules as a big frustration. "I'm not sure how much you can push," she said."Your hands are basically tied. I can't promise better API scores, or transportation for students. There are small changes you can make. I don't think I can come in there and make a whopping change."
Because the state limits the authority of the board, she thinks board members need to reach out more to the community to get parents involved. She cited Board Member Clare Chesley's example. She said Chesley has been to all the district's PTAs. "There needs to be more of that," she said. Also, she said, the board could schedule special events and forums for parents with guest speakers, it could have suggestion boxes at schools, it could do local fundraising. Perhaps, she suggested, a jog-a-thon.
Can you handle fundraising? I asked.
"Been there, done that," she said. Okay, I believe her. I can't imagine being a PTA president without having developed that skill.
What about the whole complex legal arena of dealing with the state's rules?
She said she is "getting her feet wet" by beginning to read up on those issues.
After our meeting she sent me an email with some additional information. She wrote:
"I believe education must be a top priority for every taxpayer. Communities are judged by the quality of their schools. Monrovia has seen a decline in enrollment. We need to increase our enrollment. I will open communication between students, parents, teachers and administrators to better identify ways to improve our schools and share in the decision making process.
"I will ensure goals are met for both teachers and students by giving them necessary tools for success. I will ensure that schools are both physically and emotionally safe. I will also work to keep the buses in this district, so many of our family need this service to get their children safely to school. I will stay on the quest for excellence in education while keeping a creative eye on the budget in these tough times. I would appreciate your vote. I will work for our kids in Monrovia schools."
Okay, my thoughts. I was impressed with Elliot-Penzer's roots in the community and her deep dedication to the schools and the children. Clearly, having been president of the Monrovia/Duarte PTA, she must have some leadership skills. That's important. I also believe she could organize that jog-a-thon she mentioned and squeeze sponsorship money out of local businesses. She mentioned she's the only woman running, and possibly she's right that there is value in having an additional female voice on the board. Also, though she doesn't mention it, she would represent the south end of town, which is often not as well represented as the north. On the other side, I don't think she's really up to speed - as she herself mentions - on the Byzantine complexity of the district's relations with the state. Since the state is such a big factor in the life of the district, I think that is very important. Hopefully she'll catch up on that.
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