September 25, 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great pleasure that I endorse incumbent Kathy Moffat for the position of school board member for the Orange Unified School District.  

I have been a teacher in OUSD since 1978, first at El Rancho Middle School and currently at Villa Park High School.

My experience with Kathy is in four areas.  First, as an instructor of three of her children in both language arts and the GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program, I had the opportunity to experience first-hand her knowledge, focus, and integrity in parenting, program support, and curriculum design. Second, as a focus group leader in accreditation, I observed her commitment, candor, and concern in setting goals, reflecting on the evidence of meeting those goals, and assessing the final outcomes based on concrete and specific evidence. Third, as an active member over the years of Villa Park's School Site Council and PFSO, I witnessed her tact, diplomacy and tolerance in facilitating budget allocations, mediating disputes and/or disagreements in setting policies, and revising proposals and programs to effectively meet student needs.  Finally, as a current member of the OUSD's School Board, Kathy's integrity, dedication, and focus on facilitating what is in the best interest of students are synthesized in the programs and policies OUSD has implemented in the past five years.

Kathy is a person who is at all times the consummate professional: she knows that strength is best measured in level-headed yet open--minded decision-making; she listens to all points of view before sharing her own perceptions and opinions; when questioned, if she does not have the answer, she admits it and researches to obtain the information she desires; she is never influenced or guided by political trends and personal agendas.  Most importantly, Kathy is a lifelong learner, and in that sense is a model to all of the students, parents, teachers, administrators, and staff in the Orange Unified School District.

Sincerely,

Carol B. Mooney

English Teacher and Department Chairperson (GATE, Language Arts) Villa Park High School BTSA Support Provider/Consulting Teacher, Orange Unified School District

Stanford University Wallace Sterling Teaching Award 2006

Orange County Teacher of the Year 2000 (Villa Park High School)

Orange County Teacher of the Year 1983 (El Rancho Junior High School)

Trustee Professor, Chapman University

Teacher/Consultant, UCI