Four candidates compete for two seats in school board race
Patti Ackerman School board candidate Patti Ackerman. Photo . Time spent inside a classroom is what pushes Patti Ackerman, currently serving as board president, to campaign for re-election. “I’m running because I’m an educator,” she said at a candidates’ debate last week. “It’s never been about myself, it’s been about student learning.” Ackerman, a previous Manhattan Beach Preschool Teacher of the year, said the Hermosa district’s small size means that teachers are able to build close relationships with students in a way that is not possible with larger districts. “Teachers can really make themselves available, and the administration is also available to them,” Ackerman said in an interview. “The parents are also more involved, it’s almost like a family atmosphere.” At the same time, the district’s character creates financial challenges. Ackerman pointed out that, under California’s new Local Control Funding Formula, Hermosa is the lowest-funded district in Los Angeles County, and is therefore highly reliant on contributions from the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation. She was previously the president of the foundation, and is proud of her recession-era service. There was…
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