Kristine Pagsuyoin: A Candidate Promising To Serve Students, Parents And Teachers

For more than 25 years, I have worked in the fields of education, corporate training and management, as a non-profit consultant, and have served on several boards within the Lakewood community working on behalf of kids and families. My husband, Art, and I have lived in Lakewood since 1998 and have two children who attend Lakewood City Schools. In addition, I’ve had the privilege to serve as a Lakewood volunteer as a coordinator of the Phase 3 Steering Committee for the Lakewood City Schools, as a member of the education committee for the City of Lakewood Community Vision Committee, I co-organized the first “Welcome to Lakewood,” co-founded the "Brake-4-Kids" Speed Awareness Initiative, and served for over 4 years as a member of the Lakewood Family Collaborative leadership team.  

Serving as a member of the Lakewood Board of Education will allow me to continue to serve Lakewood with the expertise to understand issues from the perspective of teachers, parents and students.

First, I’m an educator. I have over 10 years of classroom experience teaching in diverse urban school districts and I currently teach in the College of Education at Cleveland State University. In my job, I teach new teachers how to navigate the current educational landscape so that they can be effective teachers. Teachers need the support of their community, not just financially, but must be given opportunities to share their knowledge and to be an integral part of the decision-making process. As president of the Lakewood Council of PTAs, I worked closely with the Lakewood Teachers Association to pass a joint resolution, “Time2Teach/Time2Learn to End the Overuse and Misuse of Standardized Testing.” Education is my passion—I will bring a fresh enthusiasm along with an extensive background in teaching.

Secondly, I understand parents and the challenges families face today as they try raise and educate their kids. I’ve been a PTA member for 15 years and recently ended my term as president of the Lakewood Council of PTAs. During my term, we served over 1200 parents and teachers, and as president, I worked directly with our superintendent to identify parent issues and to solve problems. Parents have shared with me that they want engaged board members who are responsive to their concerns. Simply, they want to be an active partner in the educational process. I have a proven record of listening and then responding by working with the administration for positive solutions. For example, I co-wrote the “Parent-School Partner Survey” which led to the successful passage of the “Resolution to Increase Parent Involvement in the Lakewood City Schools,” resulting in ending early release days. I have a proven record of leadership that is action-oriented and that results in policies that are best for kids and families.  

Third, and most importantly, I know kids. Sure, my kids attend Lakewood City Schools, but I understand how students learn. Lakewood students are serious about their education and make positive contributions to the Lakewood community. Although funding issues will continue to pose challenges for our district, I believe spending ought to reflect the values of the community we serve to guide programming and board policy. Resources are limited and so we must prioritize what is important to the Lakewood community, such as growing the music and arts programs and ensuring courses are offered that prepare graduates to compete in a global market. As a school board member, I will work with the financial team toward balancing Lakewood priorities with resources while being a good steward of the resources entrusted to me by the residents of Lakewood. 

Overall, I am close to the school community with a proven record in being a leading voice and an action-oriented representative for students, parents, and teachers.

I humbly ask for your vote this November to represent you, and serve Lakewood, as the next member of the Lakewood Board of Education.