LYDIA GUTIERREZ

ANALYSIS:

Lydia Gutierrez is a Non-partisan candidate for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. For the past 20 years, Gutierrez has been in the classroom. She has been an elementary school and a middle school teacher. Apart from being a teacher, she has also been a Department Accounting Clerk at UCLA and Administrator/Acting Supervisor Cost Estimating at Hughes Aircraft. As to her education, she has a Masters in multi-Cultural Bilingual Education from CSU Dominguez Hills and her Bachelors in liberal arts from Pepperdine University. Apart from having a professional careers, Gutierrez has political experience. In 2008 she was the candidate for California State Senate, District 25. Once appointed as Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lydia Gutierrez plans to put children first by using her ABS’s: Achieve Academic Excellence, Building Fiscal Responsibility, and Cultivating Success after Graduation.

POSITION AND PLATFORM:

As a candidate for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lydia Gutierrez plans to do a lot with her power. She wants to give vocational training an active role in graduation requirements. Along with this, she will ensure that tax dollars are used effectively to educate and not increase the bureaucracy and attempt to make schools safe from gangs and sexual predators. Gutierrez also wants to prioritize core academic courses with qualified teachers and extend class room time and also provide accurate textbooks and secure parents an active role in their child’s success. She believes that by doing so, she will be able to help children get the motivation and help they need to succeed in life after graduation. One bill that Gutierrez wants to pass is bill AB2446 which will bring back Vocational Training as a high school graduation requirement and not an elective.

SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION:

Lydia Gutierrez has the support and endorsements from many groups such as National Latino Republican Coalition, Los Angeles County Educator Deryth Daspit, and Republican Los Angeles County Central Committee. There are several more groups and counsel members that support Lydia Gutierrez and her campaign to be the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction.