Robert Whalen has plans for second term

Mary A. Castillo

Laguna Beach school board candidate Robert Whalen is determined to

finish what he started.

Back in 1997 when he was appointed to a vacancy on the board, the

district was startlingly close to financial insolvency. As a longtime

school volunteer with his wife, Kirsten, and an attorney who

specializes in assisting public agencies to finance building and

improvement projects, Whalen focused his energies to raise funds to

right the ship.

Now, five years later, he is most proud of the district’s $6

million in reserves, the increase in teacher’s salaries, the momentum

generated by the Quest for Excellence Committee and the ongoing

rebuilding of Laguna’s schools. But he’s not about to rest on the

board’s achievements since those dark days.

“I feel a tremendous responsibility to see [the construction]

through,” he said. “I want to make sure it gets done in accordance

with the plan that the community approved.”

Whalen referred to the “R” bond measure that went before the

voters in June 2001 asking for significant improvements to community

schools. As chair of the facilities committee that analyzed and then

created a master plan, they asked the community for $39 million.

Whalen was thrilled when 81% of the voters got behind the measure.

Whalen initially became involved in the schools when his daughter,

Erica (now a sophomore at UCLA), attended kindergarten. He continued

his involvement with his sons Andy and Elliot.

“It was fun,” he recalled. “I helped in the class with reading and

math.”

Whalen also became involved in SchoolPower, serving as its

president from 1995 to 1996. His hands-on class experience, athletics

coaching and fund-raising experience led to his appointment to the

board and, in 1998, his election.

As he looks forward to his second term, Whalen hopes to expand the

breadth of electives available to high school students, create a

foreign language program at the elementary school level and establish

a mentoring program at the middle and high school levels.

To meet the new requirements from the Cal State and UC systems,

Whalen feels that more electives should be offered at the high school

level.

“I want to make sure all students have the opportunity to take the

electives they’d like to take,” he said.

At the elementary level, he hopes to move a foreign language

program into the regular curriculum. In June the board voted to

contract with the Berlitz Language Center to offer Spanish

instruction during zero period.

“In today’s world it’s essential that all students speak two

languages, and the best time to learn is when you’re young,” he said.

Whalen also endorses the whole-child concept refined by the Quest

for Excellence Committee. To continue its emphasis on maximizing each

student’s academic, emotional and social well-being, he hopes to see

the development of a mentoring program that enables direct

interaction between teachers and students.

As the calendar moves toward Nov. 5, Whalen is anxious to return

his focus completely toward district business. However, he foresees

that this might be his final term, as his youngest son, Elliot, will

be a member of the class of 2004.

“By that time I’ll have accomplished what I set out to do,” he

said. “And give someone else a chance.”

* MARY A. CASTILLO is a news assistant for the Coastline Pilot.

She covers education, public safety and City Hall.