Community Corner

Letter: School Board Challengers Only Interested in Malibu

Santa Monica resident Sarah Lend says she supports incumbents in the race for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education's Nov. 6 election.

Editor,

In response to the Santa Monica Patch article published Oct. 22, School Board Challengers: 'Everybody Will Have a Voice':

I have been a parent in the school district for many years and will support Jose Escarce, Maria Leon-Vazquez and Ben Allen for re-election. 

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

They have been steadfast supporters of all children, especially in these difficult financial times. They have been stewards of this district and have kept us on much more sound financial footing—despite the state’s constant budget cutting—than most of our surrounding districts.

Board of Education members are elected at-large, which means by definition, they must represent all the children of the school district. While I do agree that Malibu should have a voice on the board, the candidates from Malibu are only running to represent the Malibu students.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

You have completely misrepresented the agenda of the Malibu candidates Their signs in Santa Monica are about reform, but we aren’t fooled that easily. They are interested in being on the Board of Education solely for the purpose of splitting away from the district. 

Any material they have provided, and there are many questionnaires that they have filled out available on local websites, (although they have been jointly completed) show their Malibu bias. 

You have clearly been duped by the candidates who have done very little to hide their real agenda. If Malibu wants to split off and form their own district, I support them. But while this district is still the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, I want leadership that is experienced, thoughtful and has all the students’ best interests at the forefront of their agenda. That is why I will vote to re-elect Jose Escarce, Maria Leon-Vazquez and Ben Allen.

— Sarah Lend, Santa Monica resident

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor and commentary regarding any relevant local issue. The views expressed in the above commentary do not reflect the opinion of the publication, its editor and/or its writers. Emails may be edited for length and clarity. Have an opinion? Write to the editor of your Patch site. To find his or her email address, look in the top left corner of the home page.

Want to submit your own letter to the editor or opinion piece? Email it to Santa Monica Patch editor jenna.chandler@patch.com.

Stay connected with Santa Monica Patch throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to our free daily newsletter for email updates.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here