Kelly Gonez is a former teacher and the incoming LAUSD school board member for District 6, which covers eastern San Fernando Valley.
Gonez's term begins July 6, and her win was cast as a victory by those who back charter schools.
In a sit-down interview with KPCC education reporter Kyle Stokes, Gonez addresses her commitment to charter schools and what's on her agenda for Day 1.
Interview highlights
During the campaign you had written to KPCC that, "I am concerned that many charter operators are finding the renewal or approval process to be much more negative than it has been in the past." Could people read that as your desire to relax standards for charter applications?
Some have read a lot into the four-vote majority of people on the board, including yourself, who have been supported by California Charter School Association. What if this is a signal to charter operators that they could find a more welcome environment for applications?
What are your priorities when you take office?
This school board election has been framed as a rejection of the status quo. But the status quo is that test scores are up, graduation rates are up and the district projects a budget surplus. So what wrong with the way things are?
Just weeks before you take office, the school board voted to renew the contract of LAUSD Superintendent Michelle King. Should they have offered that extension?
