Why does Audrey Yamagata-Noji keep running for the SAUSD School Board, after 20 years?

“Dr. Audrey Yamagata-Noji was first elected to the Santa Ana Unified School District in 1987,” according to the SAUSD website.  In total, she has been in office for twenty years!

Why does Audrey Yamagata-Noji keep running for the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education?  Surely it can’t be because she is delivering good results.

While the district has done a good job, for the most part, with its fundamental schools – and several charter schools are doing well, many of the regular schools are on the State of California’s persistently low performing list, including all of our High Schools – with the exception again of the charter and fundamental schools.

We have a huge problem with dropouts as well – and thousands of our High School seniors have graduated only to walk away without diplomas, after failing the California High School Exit Exam.

And during Yamagata-Noji’s tenure, the SAUSD has undertaken expensive remodeling of district offices, while laying off teachers.  And the district was caught making up enrollment figures – creating phantom students, resulting in fines from the State of California’s Department of Education.

Not exactly the sort of legacy that Yamagata-Noji, who is the current President of the SAUSD School Board, can be proud of.

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