Meet the School Board

When I retired from Bonita Unified School District, I wanted to become a BUSD board member to ensure that the great work I had witnessed over the years continued into the future. I believe that BUSD staff are uniquely collaborative and benefit from following best practices supported by research and hard data. Additionally, BUSD’s emphasis on superior academics, arts, athletics, intervention, and mental health support gives students a very comprehensive and supportive educational experience.

When I was in high school, my mother asked me to tutor my 7-year-old sister who was having trouble learning to read. I believe this experience set me on a path to make sure that every teacher I work with thoroughly knows the science of reading instruction. Through my years in college and graduate school, I found that the reading instruction information I received was not satisfactory; and before becoming an elementary principal, I did the research myself in order to make sure that teachers I worked with had all the tools they needed to help students who were struggling to read.

I believe that the school board’s most important responsibility is to monitor the efficiency and success of all the district’s departments and schools so that BUSD attracts talented personnel, is a safe place for students to learn, is fiscally sound, and continually works to meet the needs of students and their families.

I think the best advice I can give every student in BUSD as they start the school year is to dream big and work to learn something new every day. They should be confident that BUSD staff will find a way to help them with any challenges they face or any dreams they may want to attain! I also think that everyone benefits from smiling every day. Research shows that smiling improves mood, lowers stress and builds bonds between us!

My hope is that every family finds their child’s school to be a “home away from home.” I want parents to have many opportunities to participate at their children’s schools. They should support PTA, School Site Council, and participate in every school event that they can possibly attend. I am often out in the community and at school events. I can always be reached through the district email and will respond via email or a phone call or a personal meeting.

In the 26-27 school year I will monitor our fiscal outlook and promote continued positive relationships with our classified and certificated unions. I will continue to support the important work the Superintendent does to promote strong leadership skills in our principals and district administration to ensure that the teaching staffs at each school have all they need to do their jobs at an exemplary level.

Growing up, reading and science were my favorite school subjects. I also really loved our cooking and shop classes!

Feedback is important to me. Beyond monitoring student progress data, I know we’ve had a successful school year when I hear positive comments from staff, students and the broader community about how children are excelling in our schools. I know that there will always be challenges, but feel satisfied as we continually work to resolve any issues we face during the school year.

When my daughter started Kindergarten, she had a rough time. She cried the first day of school, and was sent to the office after a while. She cried the 2nd day, and the whole 1st week. What they did with her was leave her in the office where she cried until she fell asleep. I felt the schools do well for those that naturally do well, but leave a lot to be wanted with those who have extra needs. This inspired me to run for the board to emphasis the need for more through mental health support at all levels for all students. I am happy now that much more support has been now in place since I came onto the board.

I love seeing kids with needs succeed. I went through college changing major to major because I couldn’t find my passion. During my 2nd year, 2 of my aunts called me and told me their sons were diagnosed with Autism, about 3 months apart. This was in the mid-90’s, so it wasn’t as commonly understood as it is now. I saw there were psychology classes about Autism, which I took. I enjoyed the subject, changed my major (a 7th time) to psychology, and it felt like the perfect fit. I was able to intern with that professor doing work with students with Autism, which then led me to help develop programs for my cousins, then led me to go to graduate school to become a School Psychologist to help families going through the same concerns. I love what I do.

Our most important responsibility is to make sure the budget works to prioritize the needs of the students and schools. We can bet by on minimums like other districts do, but we know with the right priorities for student success, we can achieve highly. We have seen evidence of this as we outperform districts around us and are one of the leaders statewide.

Besides the obvious academic content and grades, success in schools is partly based on relationships. My advice would be for students to look out for one another. Try to make one new connection early on, whether that’s joining a club, introducing yourself to a classmate sitting alone, or saying hello to a teacher. The friendships and support system you build will carry you through the tough weeks and make the school year positive and memorable.

My email is available on our district website and it is the most common way for messages and concerns to come across. I consider myself easy to talk to and will list listen thoroughly to any concern. I read every single email from parents and community members myself. I might not always agree on every solution, but I will always listen to your perspective. palatto@bonita.k12.ca.us

I am pleased with the improvements to our mental health support and career & technical education we fought for early on. The next big concerns for me are to continue to improve our safety on campus, as well as to improve the basic infrastructure of our school to keep kids in a comfortable setting to be able to show their best.

I was always good in math. I enjoyed figuring out answers to problems logically, however while I was good at it, it was definitely not my favorite. I went to a humanities based high school and we were able to take Philosophy, which I believe was my favorite subject. It involved a bit too much reading and writing for a kid to enjoy in high school, but the content and discussions are things I still remember enjoying the most and still use to this day.

... we see our students growing into compassionate, capable young people who believe in their own potential.

This position combines my deep belief in the value of education with my commitment to our community. My experience in education and community non-profit work gave me a skill set and perspective that I wanted to bring to the board and our community.

Throughout my schooling, I have been involved in so many activities—athletics, theatre, student leadership, yearbook—starting in elementary school and all through college, all the things, often at the same time. I am confident that it is my involvement in these activities and my parents' support that enabled me to go on and graduate first in my class from the University of La Verne. This informs my deep commitment to ensuring the same opportunities for all of our students.

To keep the focus on the kids at all times, to connect the community with the district, to support students and families.

School is like most things in life—you get out what you put in. Get involved, attend events, try your best in everything you do. Remember your school, your teachers, your family and your community are all rooting for you and here to help.

Availability is something I prioritize. I pride myself on responding to emails, on being a board member that offers to set up a phone call or a coffee meeting with anyone who has concerns or ideas that they would like to share. I am also a big proponent of families and community members getting involved so that conversations happen early and community connectivness lays the foundation for effective collaboration. Students benefit from families being involved—it could be being in PTA or site council, volunteering in the classroom, at field trips, for a committee or even a local service organization that in turns partners with the schools. If it is none of those things, it should at least be attending school events and activities--back to school night, conferences, reading nights, open houses, PTAs, games and performances, etc. Communities are strongest when everyone is involved and I truly want to be involved alongside families to cultivate a community where everyone is welcome, and everyone can thrive.

I'd like to focus on connectivity—engaging our families meaningfully, collaborating with the community, and nurturing the opportunities our students have to cultivate community and feel a sense of belonging. I'd also like to see Bonita explore a digital policy that follows the research and best practices in a way that minimizes screen-based activities and maximizes learning outcomes.

English and History

... students have thrived in "the 4 As" (arts, athletics, academics, and activities) while families and students feel a sense of belonging in a connected and collaborative community.