Sara Pelly and Stephen Glass were chosen as the new Orange Unified School District trustees to fill the seats left vacant in the wake of a successful recall effort earlier this year.
OUSD trustees unanimously chose both Glass and Pelly Thursday evening, May 2, during a special board meeting after hearing from more than a dozen applicants. Trustees pointed to both of their backgrounds in education as why they were chosen for the positions.
Pelly, a recently retired principal in the district, was picked by OUSD trustees to fill the Area 4 seat. She has lived in the district for more than 35 years, she said, and most recently served as the principal at Fletcher Academy.
Parent involvement, Pelly told board members Thursday, is “crucial to the success of every child.”
“I have always felt the responsibility to advocate for students and families who are fearful or feel like they do not have a voice,” Pelly said. “Our school is a place where everyone should feel welcomed, and as a board trustee, I’ll make sure all parents feel heard and safe.”
From her application, Pelly said OUSD needs to improve efforts to “close the achievement gap.”
“Although OUSD has seen an increase in student achievement, there has not been the consistency needed to close the achievement gap,” she said. “Systems must be put in place in all district schools, along with accountability for implementation and success. Resources must be allocated with the intention of closing the gap.”
Pelly helped start the Mandarin immersion program at Fletcher, trustees said, and was an active member of various OUSD educational committees.
“Her understanding of marginalized communities helps her understand a lot of our students in our district, which was important to me,” Trustee Andrea Yamasaki said. “She will advocate for those who do not have a voice.
Glass, a resident in the district for 12 years, was selected to fill the Trustee Area 7 seat.
Glass serves as a faculty member at Cal…
Read the full article here
