Wendy Leece: Sticking with her convictions

Deirdre Newman

Wendy Leece has been a passionate champion of schools on the

Westside during her eight-year tenure on the school board. She is

running for re-election primarily to continue the battle against

“white flight” from the area and help convince Westside parents to

send their children to neighborhood schools.

“When we just accept the ‘white flight’ and ignore it and say we

can’t do anything about it, we don’t care,” Leece said, “then I think

we do a disservice to the whole community and to families and kids in

general ....I am willing to work for another four years to see our

Westside schools measure up to the other schools.”

As a 30-year Westside resident, Leece has sent all five of her

kids to district schools at some point while they were growing up.

She also taught high school in Arizona for two years and substituted

in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District in the early 1970s.

Leece touts her credentials as a parent advocate. Over the past

few years, Leece said she has helped parents deal with problems

involving principals, teachers, books, special education and

expulsions.

“Frustrated, angry parents do not help the district’s public

image,” Leece said. “I help parents regardless of their agreement

with me on controversial issues, to figure out how to solve the

unique problem they have with the district.”

Her back-to-basics approach to curriculum has been validated by

the district’s choices, Leece asserts.

“Parents want the best, and when it comes to holding the highest

standards for textbooks and materials, [they] can count on me to do

my research, listen to parents and vote for what is best, not just

popular or serving a particular political agenda,” Leece said. “Many

of the ideas that I supported in 1994, such as phonics, spelling

tests and traditional math, are now part of our classroom

instruction.”

Leece has been ostracized in the past by school board trustees

because of her controversial opinions. She has supported teaching

creationism in schools and banning certain literature she finds

offensive.

And she has been steadfast in speaking her mind. She was the only

trustee to reprimand Jim Ferryman for not resigning after he was

convicted for drunk driving.

Leece makes no apologies for her beliefs.

“I am not ashamed of any of the controversial stands I have

taken,” Leece said. “Why should people be upset with constructive

criticism or opposition to a proposal? We aren’t perfect people and

our schools aren’t perfect. This is America, not Russia. We don’t all

think alike, and thankfully we don’t have to.”