Thank You for your confidence

I am so pleased to be able to say thank you to everyone that supported me and voted for me as your newest Trustee of the Alpine Union School Board. I sincerely appreciate your confi­dence in me. Your confidence in me is reflected in the polls. As the first non-incumbent school board member to receive the most votes in over 40 years, this is a statement that you believe in the messages I have been sharing. Whether your votes are a mandate for change or simply for us to do better for our kids, I take both seriously and sin­cerely appreciate your support. There was a time when Alpine schools were known for being among the best. When I walked Alpine neighborhoods and at­tended events this past year to meet with community members, I found parents whose kids are out of college now. They talked about Alpine schools in the past as some of the best schools in California. I think of this every time I talk about Alpine schools.

Education and Our Children Are Personal to Me

I am the mother of three teenage boys and the wife of a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. I have a doctorate in educational leadership and have spent over 20 years as a teacher and school principal. I will be the greatest advocate for our students, parents, teachers, staff, and anyone that has a pas­sion for our schools. I know ma­ny of the teachers, principals, and staff in Alpine schools and we have an extraordinary team. I am committed to working with school board members and the district as a team to drive posi­tive change in our schools. I have spent time talking with parents in Alpine, listening to their concerns, and answering their questions. I have shared my vision for Alpine schools over the past 2 . years and how I can help bring Alpine schools back to being among the best schools in California.

My Focus I have been consis­tent when talking to the com­munity on what I will focus on as a school board member. There are three key issues that I will pursue and work with the board as a priority. Fiscal Re­sponsibility : We need to look at every dollar that we spend as a district and how each dollar di­rectly impacts the education of our children. Successful schools have a clear focus on in-class in­struction and focus on the suc­cess of every student.

Student Success : To be suc­cessful, we need to monitor the success of every student in our district. We can only improve as a school district when our chil­dren succeed. Studies show that when schools focus consistently on individual student success, there is a direct impact on indi­vidual students and there is a multiplier effect on the success of other students as well. Dis­trict Enrollment : Our district has consistently lost students over the years, which has had an impact on our school district budget. District enrollment de­termines the level of financial resources that our schools re­ceive, which has an extraordi­nary effect on the success of our schools. Enrollment and stu­dents staying in the district is crucial to the success of Alpine schools. Each student repre­sents over $18,000 per year in budget revenue from the state, federal and other government sources, which significantly impacts the education that our schools can provide to students.

My Commitments I have committed to several issues as an Alpine school board mem­ber. Each of these are based on what I have heard from Al­pine parents and the commu­nity over the past few years and the issues that I know will contribute to us being better as a school district. Transpar­ency : My first commitment is transparency with the commu­nity. When talking to parents and community members, the overwhelming request has been for transparency. Parents and community members want to know more about decisions re­lated to our schools and how these affect their children. Com­munication : I am committed to openly communicating what is going on in our schools and talk­ing with the community. I will proactively communicate open session board discussions and issues that affect our children. I will always address the ques­tions and concerns Alpine par­ents have related to our schools.

Availability : I will always make time to talk with Alpine parents and community mem­bers as a priority. Alpine par­ents want to be heard and want more access to the people that make decisions that affect their children. This is one of my top priorities. I will always make time to talk and answer ques­tions. I invite parents, stu­dents, teachers, certified staff, classified staff, and everyone in Alpine that cares about our schools to reach out to me. I will make time to meet with you or have a call to address any topics you would like to discuss. You can follow me on Facebook at Erika Alpine School Board for updates and email me at eri­katsimmons@gmail.com or call me at (619) 928-2581.