by Rebecca Norden-Bright | intern@claremont-courier.com

On November 3, three candidates—Kathy Archer, Bob Fass and Chris Naticchia—will compete for two open seats on the Claremont School Board. The elected candidates will serve four-year terms. 

Kathy Archer is a history teacher at Charter Oak High School in Covina, though she has lived in the Claremont community for over 20 years and has a daughter at Claremont High School. According to her campaign website, she has served on the Claremont Educational Foundation board of directors since 2016 and was a member of the successful Measure G bond campaign.

Ms. Archer’s website lists four key issues: educational equity, responsible fiscal management, community conversation, and safety and wellness. 

“Kathy brings her experience and passion for working with students, along with an educational leadership and management background to the CUSD board,” her website reads. “She intends to use her collaborative leadership style to positively impact Claremont Schools and ensure student opportunities for success.”

Bob Fass is the senior director of development for leadership and planned giving at the Webb Schools. A Claremont native who attended Sycamore, El Roble and Claremont High School, Mr. Fass’s family has lived in Claremont for 50 years. He has two kids, a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old. In addition to his career, Mr. Fass has volunteered for the Claremont Educational Foundation and the Sycamore Governance Council.

Priorities listed on his campaign website include responsible management of taxpayer dollars; health and safety; equity and inclusion; academic success for all students; advocacy for increased public-school funding; parent and community connections; teaching excellence, support services and professional development; and promoting success beyond the classroom.

“CUSD is fortunate to have a track record of stability and a supportive community that has demonstrated a commitment to invest in capital needs and infrastructure,” the website reads. “Building on the success and progress of recent years, I intend to strengthen those relationships and provide continuity through collaboration and thoughtful governance.”

Mr. Fass’s platform proposes expanding current curricula to include, for example, an optional International Baccalaureate program for seventh through 10th grades, increased vocational training and dual language immersion programs. 

“I believe that a strong public school system is the single greatest asset any community can have for its youth,” a personal statement on his website reads. “Our strength as a community depends on our constant vigilance to both the current and future sustainability of our schools.”

Chris Naticchia is a professor of political philosophy at California State University, San Bernardino. In Claremont, he is a member of the community and human services commission, and has served on the school district’s parent advisory committee for the Local Control Accountability Plan. 

Mr. Naticchia has lived in Claremont since 1995, and has a daughter entering high school this year. His campaign website lists four key issues: bolstering mental health, strengthening critical thinking, improving equity and engaging parents. 

For bolstering mental health, he proposes investing in resources beginning in elementary school so that students can learn coping and resiliency skills early on. To improve equity, Mr. Naticchia’s platform proposes requiring ethnic studies to be taught in classrooms, expanding outreach to parents to bridge the achievement gap, and re-examining school safety.

“It’s time for us to ask some tough questions about what school safety means in a world where the presence of armed officers impacts different groups of students in very different ways,” his website reads. 

The website also notes Mr. Naticchia’s focus on expanding STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education, supporting teachers, and responsibly managing the district’s tax dollars.

“My dad began his career as a public school teacher and principal in an inner-city elementary school,” Mr. Naticchia’s bio reads. “For his students to succeed, he learned early that he had to fight for the resources they needed and deserved. Later, he became field staff in his labor union, where he continued to fight for and champion public education. This is his legacy. I want to build on his legacy as a defender and champion of public education. I want to use my own experience in public education to stand up and speak up for Claremont students.”