Updated: 3 Candidates Enter Race for LCUSD Governing Board

With a little more than three months before the Nov. 5 elections, three candidates have officially entered the La Cañada Unified School District Governing Board race. 

Dan Jeffries, Joe Layton and David Sagal have pulled papers for the three seats up for grabs. 

Veteran school board members Scott Tracy and Susan Boyd announced last week that they will not run again. Tracy, the current president, has served 12 years, while Boyd, a past president, has given eight years to the board. She told the La Cañada Valley Sun that she believes it is important for board members to have children enrolled in the school district. The article noted her youngest graduated last year. 

Incumbent Joel Peterson, who is serving his second term, told Patch Tuesday that he remains undecided about whether to try for another four years.

Joe Layton, who ran unsuccessfully for La Cañada City Council in March, did not immediately respond to an email for comment in time for this posting. (This article will be updated with additional responses.) 

As for Jeffries, a prosecutor with the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, had this to say about why he wants to be a school board member: 

I decided to run for the LCUSD governing board to not only continue the excellent tradition of our schools but also to build upon that tradition. The current Board has worked hard for our kids and our schools, and some of the things they have done recently are outstanding.

The work of Andrew Blumenfeld in his frequent, transparent and open communications with his constituents sets a high standard for how I believe our School Board should be run. I would like to continue the tradition with an open and transparent process that results in a thorough evaluation and discussion of all issues facing the school district. I, as all La Canada residents do, have a vested interest in our schools. I am the father of five and we have lived in La Canada for over 10 years.

My three youngest children attend Paradise Canyon elementary school. My youngest daughter attended the new transitional kindergarten program last year at La Canada elementary school. I was inspired and impressed by the excellent efforts of her teacher, Mrs. Pam Daniger. Mrs. Daniger not only put together a wonderful new program in a very short period of time, but she also welcomed all of the kids in a very loving, friendly, and supportive manner.  With teachers like Mrs. Daniger, it's no wonder that we have great schools!

The experience our family has had with La Canada schools has been superb, with excellent teachers every year.  I would like to do what I can to support our excellent teachers and ensure that our students continue to get the best possible education. Of course we are all concerned about our test scores (and that is very important) but I am also concerned about making sure students have a well-rounded education. Things like music programs, arts and sports are important to becoming well rounded citizens and adults. My two older daughters attended Crestview and Flintridge Prep, so in addition to the perspective of an elementary school parent I also have the perspective of having kids that successfully navigated the transition from elementary school to high school to college.

What I would like to bring to the board is the perspective of both an elementary school parent and a parent who has been through the junior high and high school years. I am a prosecutor with the Los Angeles City Attorney's office, so safety issues are also high on my list. La Canada in many ways often feels like a throwback to earlier, simpler times, but unfortunately we have to recognize the real world that we live in.

The current board has done an excellent job of starting to address these issues, and I would like the opportunity to continue addressing these issues. I grew up attending public schools and I believe in our public school system. I want my priority to be doing the very best possible things that we can do for our kids so that they not only get the best possible education but that it's done in the best possible environment.

We are truly fortunate to have a very supportive community and an excellent group of teachers. I think the opportunities for students in La Canada are phenomenal and I would like to enhance those opportunities. My style is to try to build consensus and I would do that if elected to the school board.  I would build consensus through a thorough evaluation and discussion of all of the issues with as much input from parents, students, teachers, administrators and the community as possible.

I would bring my perspective as an elementary school parent and as a parent of children who have gone through junior high and high school. I have come to know a lot of La Canada families through coaching in AYSO Region 13 soccer for 17 years.  I'm currently a Divisional Coach and the Safety Director on the AYSO Region 13 Board of Directors.  I look forward to coaching three of my kid's teams this fall.

Even before we became La Canada residents, AYSO gave me the opportunity to meet lots of wonderful families and wonderful students in the La Canada schools and I look forward to the opportunity to serve those families and those students in the best possible way I can. I think the potential addition of the Sagebrush area is a incredible opportunity for La Canada schools.  In the long run having a united community is beneficial to everyone.

The new Board will also have to address budget issues, including the uncertainty of the  budget formulas. If elected to the Governing Board, I will work very hard to work with my fellow board members, the teachers, the administration, the community and the students and parents of La Canada to build the very best educational program.  

Sagal, an executive at Warner Bros. who has lived in La Cañada for 10 years, and is on the board of the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation, said this: 

My kids have benefitted tremendously from the education they have received at the La Canada Flintridge Schools. Simply put, running for the LCUSD Governing Board offers the perfect opportunity to show my gratitude for all that the schools have done for my family. My son, Bo, graduated from LCHS in 2009 and he just got his degree from Whitman College, my daughter, Nora, is going into her senior year at LCHS and my son, Finn, is entering the eighth grade at LCHS. Through them and their friends I have been able to see how fortunate we are to be able to send our children to such great schools so close to home. I am running in the hope that I might be able to add some value to the operation of the School District.

The schools in La Canada Flintridge are clearly excellent, but the District is facing tremendous challenges in the future. If I was fortunate enough to be able to serve on the Board, I would focus on the following issues:

1.     Strengthen the financial self-sufficiency of the District by increasing revenues and promoting the efficient use of existing funding. The District is continuing to operate at a deficit, and it is clearly subject to the vagaries of State funding. Our goals should be to continue the parcel tax and to take a hard look at our current use of resources to make sure the limited revenues we have are spent wisely.

2.     Support the school teachers and administrators in the implementation of the Common Core. Adopting Common Core is the most fundamental change to national education in a generation. We need to make sure our teachers, administrators and students are prepared and properly trained to deal with this transition.

3.     Support the extracurricular programs at our schools and increase participation. Music, drama, sports, art and journalism create a rich environment for students outside of the classroom and need to be supported.

4.     Incorporate the “Sagebrush” area into the current LCUSD District. La Canada Flintridge is one community and citizens in all areas of the City should be afforded the same benefits and opportunities.

Community service is a great tradition in our City, and since I moved to La Canada ten years ago, I have enjoyed becoming active in a number of community organizations. I am currently a Director on the La Canada Flintridge Educational Foundation. I am also currently President of the LCHS Music Parents’ Association, and my wife is currently President of the LCHS Choir Parents’ Association. Clearly, there is a lot of music going on in the Sagal house thanks to the great school programs. I have been active with the Boy Scouts of America, previously serving as the Scoutmaster of Troop 509, where my son, Bo, became an Eagle Scout, and currently as Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 507, where my son, Finn, hopes to become an Eagle Scout one day. In addition, I have served on the Board of Verdugo Hills Hospital as Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee, and I am currently serving on the Governing Board of the USC - Verdugo Hills Hospital. I also coached basketball at the YMCA for a couple of seasons, although I am fairly sure I didn’t help the teams much.

I believe my professional background qualifies me to help with the issues, particularly financial, facing the School District. For the past 20 years I have served as a business executive and attorney at Warner Bros., where I have been primarily involved with financial and legal matters relating to the operation of Warner’s various businesses. I believe I could use my experience in finance and law to help the District run efficiently and to help navigate the myriad of laws and regulations promulgated under the education code of the State of California.

La Canada Flintridge is a great community and its greatness emanates from its world class school system. If elected I would work to maintain the high standards in our schools.

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