Judy Franco: Working to raise the bar for all grade levels

Deirdre Newman

After 22 consecutive years on the Newport-Mesa Unified School

Board, Judy Franco says she is running for re-election because there

are still a variety of challenges facing the district that she is

well-equipped to handle.

Those challenges include dealing with budgetary problems at the

state level and continuing the process of aligning curriculum with

the rigorous requirements contained in the state standards.

The 34-year Newport Beach resident said her background in

education -- she taught for seven years in Los Angeles County --

training and experience working with budgets for the past two decades

will enable her to tackle whatever financial hardships the district

encounters.

“It’s having the patience to go through the budget line item by

line item to see where it is possible to make adjustments within the

budget to not adversely impact the education program,” Franco said.

As for the state standards, Franco said the district is “almost

there” in terms of alignment, but has to continually monitor

progress.

“We have to continue to look at test scores to make sure what we

have done enables our students to be successful, and you evaluate

that yearly,” Franco said.

She also wants to see the Measure A facilities improvement program

come to fruition.

“I was involved in the process of working with the community to

create the Measure A plan itself and to structure the site

committees,” Franco said, of the school bond voters passed in 2000.

“I feel comfortable working with groups from throughout the district

and understand the issues that affect the sites and [the issues] are

different from site to site.”

Franco said it is imperative to make sure the construction goes

smoothly and does not have a negative impact on students throughout

the district.

Franco said her proudest accomplishment in the past four years is

helping to align the district’s budget with its strategic plan.

“We have a budget document that is user-friendly and easy for

someone to come in, pick it up and understand it,” Franco said.

High expectations lead to high achievement, Franco believes, and

she is committed to raising the bar for all grade levels. One of her

goals is to encourage the expansion of the district’s pre-school

program, “which serves as a model for other districts throughout the

state and has led to double digit increases of test scores at

Whittier Elementary.”

She also supports more parent education, the hiring of outstanding

credentialed teachers and providing teacher preparation classes that

focus on curriculum and student success.

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JUDY FRANCO

AGE: 65

FAMILY: husband John, four sons, four grandchildren

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts degree from U.C. Berkeley; Teaching

credential from UC Berkeley; Masters in Boardsmanship and School

Governance

OCCUPATION: retired

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Numerous including serving on three PTA

Boards and Harbor Council; Harbor Area Sailing Programs; California

State YMCA Board of Directors for the Youth and Government Program