Candidate for
Board Member, North Fork Area; Chawanakee Joint Elementary School District

I believe that every student should have the opportunity to develop their love of literature. Last year, I introduced California Reads to North Fork School. It is a fun, rewarding and recreational schoolwide read-a-thon. The students met and exceeded our goal of 1 million pages read during a six month period. Not only did the school receive a $5,000 award from the Governor of California for their efforts, but there were many other benefits. I witnessed a 4th grader who had been reading at a 1st grade level improve to a 5th grade reading level, a 7th grader move from a 6th grade level to an 11th grade reading level, increased library circulation, increased parental involvement in reading, and a surge in the "desire" to find new and interesting books.

Books "open" the doors that might otherwise be closed to students. Books make creativity and imagination possible. Books stimulate the brain and stimulate growth. Through books you can become anything and travel anywhere; from being a wizard in Harry Potter to a spider in Charlotte's Web.

If you believe in increasing reading literacy levels, continuous improvement through student, parent, and teacher involvement, and utilizing our assets to the best of our ability, then I am your candidate for School Board.