Responses of Maria Loya

Signed CEPS "Excellent Public School Pledge"

1. What is the significance for our community of ensuring adequate funding for our school district, its programs, early childhood education and after school programs?
   
   As a product of the public school system, I know that access to a quality education is one of the most important investments we can make as a community. I believe it is our responsibility as a City to ensure that we are providing adequate support for our children to help them succeed in the future. In order to contribute to their success we need to provide a quality education along with the support mechanisms that are offered by early childhood education and after school programs.
   
   As a Council member, I plan to use my experience in creating community- school partnerships to strengthen and expand before and after school support services in Santa Monica to ensure that our students succeed in school.
   
   
2. What priority would you attach to ensuring adequate funding for our schools, after-school programs, and early childhood development in the city budget?
   
   I attach a high priority to ensuring adequate funding for our schools, after-school programs and early childhood development programs in the city budget. After all, strong schools lead to strong communities.
   
   
3. Are you familiar with and do you fully support the agreement negotiated for the City to provide funding to the School District?
   
   The agreement negotiated between the City and the School District was key in safeguarding the quality education for our students. Without the funding that was provided by the City, the school district would have had to cut programs and layoff teachers that are crucial to maintaining the quality schools our residents have come to expect. Furthermore, the agreement is based on an ability to pay formula that will safeguard the City in case of a major decline in City revenue.
   
   
4. Do you fully support providing the maximum level of funding for our schools under City-School District agreement? Under what circumstances would you not be willing to do so?
   
   The only circumstance that I would not be willing to provide the maximum level of funding for our schools under the City-School District agreement is if jobs and or social programs would be threaten and there would be no other funding source available.
   
   
5. If the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District faced a budget crisis brought on by circumstances outside the District’s control, such as by funding cuts from the State of California, would you be willing to support crisis funding to the District even beyond the City-School District funding agreement?
   
   I consider education as an equalizer to remedy the impacts of poverty. Therefore, I consider education a priority. I believe it is a travesty that California is 43 rd in the nation in per-pupil spending. In order to protect a quality education we need to be proactive in preparing for any future budget crisis. As a City Council member I will work with the School District and State Legislators to develop an emergency fund to sustain adequate funding to support quality education for all students and create a long-term benefit and investment for our children.
   
   
6. Please provide specific examples of how you have supported the district and the education of our youth? How have you shown leadership to ensure adequate city funding for our schools? As a council member, what kind of leadership will you show to address school funding?
   
   I have worked to engage parents to address issues of inequity in the public school system, by advocating to close the achievement gap. As a founding Board member of the Pico Youth & Family Center I have worked to support after school programs for our students. In addition, I have worked with parents in our community to ensure that equity becomes a principle in practice throughout our school district.
   
   I have also worked with parents and School Board Members to change school discipline policy in order to protect students from police interrogations by creating protocols that has ensured parental involvement or supervision during any police interrogation.
   
   During the recent budget crisis I worked to secure adequate funding for our schools by encouraging voters through phone banking and precinct walking to support school funding measures such as Measure S and EE.
   
   As a City Council member I will work with the School District to ensure that Santa Monica continues to provide a quality education and is successful in closing the achievement gap.