I believe we can always do more for our children. I am here to listen and learn what our community wants for our district.
PLATFORM
"If we haven't yet met, I would like to meet you! I have been appointed for the Pacific Grove school board in Area 3 to bring a new parent perspective to the board. My name is Elliott Hazen, and with my wife we are raising two kids - 3rd and 7th grade – in Pacific Grove, both born here on the Peninsula. We moved to PG because of the strong community and importantly, the quality of the school district. I believe in the Pacific Grove Unified School District. I also believe WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE for our children. I have a passion for learning and I am here to listen and learn what our community wants for our children."
LIST OF PRIORITIES
STEM Education
I have a passion for learning and have chosen my career to have a role in the sciences for my entire life. I recognize the role that science plays in inspiring and educating children, especially children growing up within a coastal environment. STEM education reinforces critical thinking skills and a strong science foundation prepares students across all subject areas. I am eager to explore strengthening classroom connections with our marine science leaders including Monterey Peninsula College, Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station, California State University Monterey Bay, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium right here in our backyard. I plan on creating new connections and strengthening existing ones to provide our students access to the amazing STEM research taking place in our backyard.
Community
We live in a small community where the parents, educators, administrators and citizens are mere blocks away from each other and interact frequently. We run into teachers shopping at the local grocery store, or interact with our neighbors at the local coffee shop. I want to provide more opportunities for families to have a more impactful voice in our students’ education. We can continue to improve PG schools by working together towards a goal of graduating students with trades, career, and college, readiness. In PG, where a student lives and their family's income impacts the opportunities they have access to. Every student in PG should be provided the same opportunity to succeed, independent of who they are or where they come from. Our graduates are our future and I want to make sure that they are afforded every opportunity that I have been fortunate to have in my education so they can become the future leaders in our community.
Transparency
Our district could do a better job keeping the community updated on what is happening in our schools. Pacific Grove schools from our elementary schools to our high school are our schools, and every parent or child has a right to easily access information and stay up to date on how best to get involved. School board meetings are only one way for the community to provide input and I look forward to coming up with novel solutions for improving our communication. I want to hear what you think is needed to make our school district better.
Kids first
The most important resource for our future are our kids. Our children are the future do-ers, thinkers, leaders, problem-solvers, and citizens. Providing the next generation with education and learning critical thinking changes our community for the better, and all of us must be involved in that process. The past few years have been difficult for everyone. Our Pacific Grove school board has done a good job addressing the needs as they arose. Nonetheless, we need more parents of K-12 students represented on the board as priorities across PG families can vary considerably. I look to glean lessons learned this past year from distance-learning, such as exploring classroom connection options when children need to learn from home. Programs that support career and college readiness and improve remote learning when needed can only help our children succeed in their ever-changing future.
Accountability
Our school board and administrators should be held accountable to make the changes necessary to succeed. Our taxpayers also should be able to track where their money is going and how it has improved our school district. It is important for the school board to know how the community thinks the district is doing and where it could do better.