ERICA LEE SHARES HER THOUGHTS: Why I am the best candidate for Harris County School Board Trustee Position 6, Precinct #1

by Erica Lee
For Your Thought Matters Readers

I seek to serve as a Trustee on the Harris County Board of Education because I believe all children deserve a quality education. I am committed to bringing quality education to Harris County Precinct 1 and plan to use my experiences within local, state, and federal levels of government to do so.

I am committed to improving the education quality for students in Harris County. I truly believe that none of our children are throwaways and they all deserve opportunity. If elected to serve as a Trustee on the Harris County Board of Education, I plan to ensure that our system focuses on:

 • Quality professional development and support for our teachers and school leaders in Harris County.

 • Quality implementation of educational services and enrichment programs for students.
 • Quality management of the community's financial resources.

 • Quality outreach to and partnerships throughout our communities including the 26 ISDs and charter schools in Harris County.

In addition to being a former HISD teacher, I have worked for the state government finance contributing to the development of a $21 Billion education budget and navigated the complex federal legislative process. My educational background includes a Masters of Public Policy, Duke University, Terry Sanford School of Public Policy and B.A. with Honors, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I have expertise in the legislative process and how the state and federal government work with local school boards like the County Board to institute education policy. As Trustee, I will apply all of this expertise and know-how to improve the delivery of education services for our children.

For those who are unfamiliar with the board, the Harris County Board of Education Board ensures accountability for our public tax dollars. The Department saves districts money through sharing resources, improved efficiency and collaborating on best practices. Students benefit from high quality services like early intervention, after schooling and continued education. As a Trustee, it would be my mission to expand the outreach, accessibility and quality service delivery of the Harris County Department of Education beyond its traditional targets to ensure our highest needs communities benefit from its services and resources.

I believe I am the most qualified candidate because I combine high-level policy-making and budget expertise with a deep passion for changing education outcomes for our children. I am the only candidate with federal, state and local policy-making experience. I have worked as a budget analyst for one of the nation's largest democratic states- New York. In this role, I created complex budget formulas for the state's public schools and supported the drafting of key legislation to expand pre-kindergarten and protect high needs districts. I am a passionate advocate for children who will bring my skills, expertise and democratic values to my role as a Harris County Board of Education Trustee.

AUBREY R. TAYLOR: This comment was provided by Erica Lee for Your Thought Matters Newspaper readers heading into her 2012 Democratic Primary runoff race for the Harris County School Board Trustee Position 6, Precinct 1 Position.