Get to know the school board candidates (Continued)

Andre Lucas, Co-Copy Editor
November 3, 2020

Hosted by the Downey Patriot and the Downey Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 29, the 2020 Downey School Board Candidate Forum allowed residents in Downey to learn about each candidate, their vision, and why they are the best choice to represent the trustee areas that they are running for.

Running for re-election for Trustee Area 3, Giggy Perez-Saab believes that her involvement in the community through the Assistance League, the YMCA, PTA, and other organizations, is why she should be re-elected. She is also running on her record of helping to ensure that modern technology is implemented, school buildings are modernized, parent communication is increased, and that budgets are balanced, just to name several of her accomplishments on the school board.

Also running for Trustee Area 3, Ethan Rodriguez wants students in the district to not only pass but to also succeed. He recognized that since students have had to adjust to a new reality due to issues, such as Covid-19 and civil unrest, it is incumbent upon the district to supply students with the resources they need and lead them into a brighter future for the City of Downey, and he believes he is the candidate who can do that.

Running unopposed for Trustee Area 4, Linda Salomon Saldana believes that a parent should have a say in decisions being made for their children, which is why she is running. As the executive director of the Downey Foundation, she recognizes that education is changing for the first time in over a century due to the pandemic, but she still believes that education is a right, and she will strive to ensure that every student receives the best education possible.

Running for re-election for Trustee Area 6 unopposed, D. Mark Morris still believes that while education has forever changed, every student still deserves an education. If re-elected, he intends to focus on reopening schools as plans to return that follow safety guidelines have been introduced and continuing the district’s partnership with teacher unions.

The DUSD Board of Education elections are on Nov. 3. All information was obtained from the DUSD School Board Candidates Forum.

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About the Writer

Andre Lucas, Co-Copy Editor

Co- Copy Editor and Writer of The Downey Legend, Andre Lucas, 12, plans to achieve his goal of going to a UC by making the most of his time in his 2nd year of Newspaper and last year high school. Andre joined in hopes to get out of his comfort zone and to satisfy his need to write. Andre participates in many community service activities such as the Make A Wish Foundation he’s been a part of since freshman year. He is very active in school activities and he is even the president of the club, Junior State of America (JSA). Andre hopes that all his efforts in school and newspaper will amount to his success in his future.

As a Co- Copy Editor and Writer in The Downey Legend, Andre Lucas, 12, has a great fondness for writing. “My mom once handed me a journal and just told me that I should start writing more often,” Lucas said. “That's pretty much how I came to love writing.”