Dear Editor

Dear Editor,

Karlo Silbiger has won my endorsement. Now that I am finally of legal age to vote, I am proud to cast my first ballot in support of his reelection and I urge fellow Culver Citizens to do the same on November 5.

In my time at Culver City High School, I witnessed an embarrassing absence of the student voice in the Culver City community. Critical issues have passed through the school board, meeting after meeting, without CCUSD reaching out for student perspectives or seriously investigating feedback from students after significant changes were made in the schools.

Culver City High School is a fantastic institution, but as a student there, I often felt the district officials lost touch with who they were really working for: the students.

Before I graduated from Culver City High School this past spring, I was one of the more politically active students.. Additionally, I was a student representative in helping the Frost architects understand how CCUSD and the AVPA use the space and which ideas might be most effective for improving the facility with capital funds.

Unofficially, I became the student master electrician for the theatre spaces in my junior and senior years of high school, as there is no full time faculty or staff oversight of the lighting equipment or day‐to‐day use of the space (a topic for another conversation). Off campus, I had already begun working professionally as a technician and designer in Los Angeles theatres and other performance spaces;

I had legitimate experience and knowledge of the Robert Frost that I tried to offer to the former district staff, but my concerns were not seriously considered until the Frost architects brought them to attention.

There is one exeption.

Karlo Silbiger has always shown that his priority is with the students by talking to them. I served as a student representative on his Education Advisory Committee, a small group that includes the full spectrum of involved members in CCUSD who give Karlo the opportunity to have real conversations about current issues in the district with members of the community. It always has been clear to me that Karlo listens to my input with as much consideration as any other individual.

Karlo invests time in researching issues presented to the board and using the information learned to make educated, grounded decisions that are in the best interest of the students, schools, and community. His poise and professionalism are invaluable to our community.

This is the type of leader I want to see on our board of education.

Eric A. Mitchell

Culver City HS ‘13