Dr. Vicki Calhoun for Orange County Board of Education, 4th District

Dr. Vicki Calhoun, easily the best choice for OC Board of Education.

Matthew Leslie

The Fullerton Rag endorses Dr. Vicki Calhoun for the 4th District seat on the Orange County Board of Education. Despite a field of four candidates for this often overlooked office, the choice of Dr. Calhoun should be an easy one for voters, by process of elimination alone. We will consider the many reasons not to vote for her competitors below, but let’s begin with a little background about why Dr. Calhoun is the best candidate for this important post.

Born and raised in Fullerton, Dr. Calhoun attended local schools, including Maple Elementary and Fullerton College, before earning her B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University. She also did something most people can only dream about—she toured with a major rock and roll band, singing backup for, among others, the Red Hot Chili Peppers (look, and listen, for her in the Knock Me Down video).

She went back to school, ultimately earning a doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. Her dedication to education has lead her to her current occupations of counseling students at the community college level and at-risk youth for a prominent local non-profit. She has held seats on the Fullerton College Foundation and the Fullerton Public Library Board of Trustees.

Dr. Calhoun’s candidacy is motivated by her commitment to help provide the best public education possible to the children of Orange County. I’m not sure the same can be said for the other three candidates in the race. Let’s take a look at who else is running…

Paulette Chaffee (a.k.a. Paulette Marshall Chaffee), wife of 4th District Supervisor Doug Chaffee. A lawyer, Ms. Chaffee made national news in 2018 when she was caught on video and subsequently charged with stealing campaign signs (from private property) critical of her carpetbagging run for Fullerton City Council. Can anyone seriously claim that she set a good example for children with her behavior (and why is she even running for this office anyway)?

Tim Shaw, member of the LaHabra City Council, his ballot designation includes “Professor,” but his website lists his profession as “the Government Affairs Director for the Pacific West Association of REALTORS®” (as well as teaching at Rio Hondo college). If you want more charter schools, vote for Tim Shaw, because The California Charter Schools PAC is sending out numerous mailers supporting his candidacy, with major funding from members of the uber rich Walton family, better known for paying starvation wages to their Wal-Mart employees, then sending them to apply for taxpayer funded benefits. Want your schools to look more like Wal-Mart?

Jordan Brandman, member of the Anaheim City Council, previously served as an Anaheim Union High School District Board member. On the Anaheim City Council he is well known for stalling the transition to district-based elections for years, at the expense of millions in taxpayer legal fees. A pittance, however, compared to his support for huge local tax subsidies for hotels and a rock bottom price for a sale of Anaheim Stadium to Angels owner Arte Moreno.

Vote Dr. Vicki instead.

The best choice.