School Board Candidates Discuss Visions for District

Three candidates competing for the Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) School Board seat left vacant by former Board member Mike Rios, because he was sentenced prison earlier this year, pitched their platforms to a small audience of business owners and community members Thursday evening, Oct. 17, during the monthly Moreno Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MVHCC) mixer. Moreno Valley resident Jennifer Baca, former MVUSD School Board member Gary Baugh and Moreno Valley teachers’ union President Janet MacMillan are competing in the Nov. 5 election, which will see one of them appointed to serve the remainder of Rios’ term, which expires in December 2014. All three candidates had five minutes each to introduce themselves, share their vision for the school board if elected, and discuss why each believes he or she is the most qualified candidate. Consuelo Frausto is a Moreno Valley resident with children currently in the school district who said she was present that night because she wanted to know what each candidate’s plan was for the school district should he or she be elected. “I saw this as an opportunity to ask questions and for interested parents to hear answers,” she said. Baugh was the first to present and touched on his previous experience as a School Board member from 1998 to 2002. After former School Board member Mike Rios was convicted earlier this year of running a prostitution ring from his home, pimping, pandering and insurance fraud and sentenced to over 14 years in prison, Baugh was appointed temporarily to fill the vacant seat in May but in June left the post after residents petitioned to have him removed and an election to the seat ordered. Baugh said Thursday night, “My goal would be to help to increase graduation rates [and] to lower dropout rates,” adding, “I also think it’s important that we have parent involvement if our students are to be successful. We have excellent teachers and administrators, we have an excellent superintendent, and I would hope I could help get the community involved in the schools—more so than it has been.” Baca is a stay-at-home mom, is a volunteer at her children’s schools and is the Inland Regional Center of San Bernardino Board Secretary. She said she would bring “the parent’s experience” if elected to the school board. “As a parent, I’m on campus all the time, and that’s why I wanted to be on the school board, just to … bring that to the school board itself.” She said, “The decisions are going to affect my kids. I’ve been a resident here for 10 years, and I’ve seen how things have changed. I want to see better things for the school districts.” MacMillan is a retired MVUSD teacher and a former Moreno Valley Educators Association president. MacMillan said, “I do support career technical education for the students. I think that will help those who are going to go directly into the workforce, as well as covering the A–G requirements for those who are going to go directly to college.” She added, “I think new challenges for the district are incorporating the common core standards into the instructional program,” and noted that she would like to see more project-oriented work rather than an emphasis on fill-in-the-bubble testing. Baugh said if elected, he would like to see school funds spent wisely; Baca would like to institute additional magnet schools; and MacMillan would like to match educational priorities to the school board’s budget, as well as to have earlier intervention with struggling students. MVHCC President Thomas Ketchum said at the beginning of the mixer that upon seeing that no candidates’ forums were lined up, the chamber wanted to host for the community. Ketchum explained that the Chamber was taking steps to introduce community members to candidates in the hopes of creating more informed voters, while also giving candidates the chance to publicly announce their platforms. There will be a formal candidates’ forum Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Moreno Valley High School Theater, 23300 Cottonwood Ave.