I finally had a chance to hear SAUSD School Board candidate Gloria Alvarado in action last night, at the NAACP’s candidates forum. She was terrific. She truly empahtizes with the parents and children in our school district. She may not have the graduate degree that fellow candidate Gregory Barraza has – but she does have compassion and wisdom. You can’t earn those qualities in college.
Alvarado is a longtime employee of the City of Santa Ana. She works at a senior center. I met some of her supporters last night as well. They all love her and are very dedicated to helping her. One of them hails from Argentina. I could tell right away as her Spanish was Castillian – the Spanish spoken in Spain. She met Alvarado at the senior center. She had nothing but great things to say about her.
Here are the issues Alvarado is championing, according to her Smart Voter website:
- Quality Education – with emphasis in Pre-school and early introduction to College Education
- Parent involvement by providing a respectful and welcoming environment
- Budget transparency by ensuring oversight of district spending
Alvarado is endorsed by Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero. She is also endorsed by Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez but after last night’s latest evil performance by Alvarez she may want to toss that endorsement back. Click here to see the rest of Alvarado’s endorsements. She has a lot of support from the local labor community, including the SAUSD classified employees union.
Here are a few excerpts from Alvarado’s biography:
A native of Mexico, she immigrated with her family as a young woman. She is a long-time resident of Santa Ana; Alvarado has dedicated her life to ensuring that the city’s youth receive the best opportunities for growth and development. She has achieved success in reaching her goals through dedication, respect and constant involvement in community issues. She serves actively in several neighborhood associations, church, and community advocacy groups.
Add to her resume the invaluable experience of parenthood. Her four children are shining examples of the success of the Santa Ana school system; her oldest, Mario, 26, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts. Her 24-year-old daughter, Denisse, is a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, and her youngest, Jonathan and Joann, are currently attending Godinez High School.
Speaking personally, Alvarado recalls her youth, facing the challenges of not having the benefits of technology and computers at home. “In my time of need, a teacher came to my rescue and guided me to local programs and community services where I could find assistance. His involvement in these programs showed me that to succeed one must get involved. His example gave me something to hold onto and gave me the tools to become a part of the solution and learn the meaning of progressive leadership and community advocacy.”
The Focus on SAUSD School Board Candidates series now includes posts on Irene Ibarra, Gregory Barraza, and Roman Reyna. Up next: Mike Gonzalez.
She is the kind of “grass-roots” individual this board NEEDS. She has worked through the SA system…successfully, and made sure that her children did too.
“The only real training for leadership is leadership.”
– Anthony Jay
VOTE FOR GLORIA ALVARADO ON NOVEMBER 4.
Vote for Valeria Amezcua on November 2.
Vote for Gloria Alvarado. I know her since I was 8 years old. Met her at Salvador Park when my mother would take me there for after school activities. Every day she would help me out on my homework, teach me life lessons, and would help my mother get government assistance in order to eat at least 3 times a week. She taught me that with hard work and sacrifice anything is possible. Voting for Gloria will assure our city a member who is for the people and by the people. Her civic duty are the citizens of our great city. Vote for Gloria Alvarado.