Please allow me to introduce you to Dean Nevins and to let you know why I am supporting Dean!

Dean Nevins is a member of the Goleta Union School District School Board running for the Santa Barbara School District School Board. He is an active parent of an eighth-grader at Goleta Valley Junior High and a sixth-grader who is at Kellogg School. He has been a computer science professor at SBCC for more than 13 years and has a passion for education.

While Dean has been on the board, Goleta has made great strides with test scores that have improved an average of more than 45 points districtwide, with English learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged students doing even better. Goleta is closing the achievement gap! The food is better with more fresh, locally sourced ingredients without taking any money from the classroom. The board has also increased equity at the schools by reducing the financial burden on parents and funding technology, science and PE. These achievements and many others were accomplished by leadership and working with teachers, parents, classified staff and administrators. Dean will bring that same strong, caring leadership to Santa Barbara. Dean has proven that he will listen to educators and represent their voices with his votes on the board.

If Dean were on the Santa Barbara school board, he would be only one of two parents on the board who has children in the school district. This gives parents a voice in their school district, and he is in touch with what is going on with children today. His experience as a board member allows him to start working for our children immediately rather than taking one to two years to get up to speed.

Dean is supported by many people in the education community, with endorsements from the entire Goleta board and members of the Santa Barbara, Hope and Montecito boards. Finally, Dean is endorsed by those who work with Santa Barbara’s children every day: Santa Barbara’s teachers and classified staff.

I would encourage you to learn more about Dean at www.DeanNevins.com.

Please join me in voting for Dean on Nov. 2.

Layne Wheeler
Santa Barbara

[Noozhawk’s note: Layne Wheeler is president of the Santa Barbara Teachers Association.