Photo courtesy of Michael Parham, Photo by Mia Tickell
Candidates Michael Parham and Kira Davis are running in the November 8 election to fill the School Board Trustee vacancy in Area 2.
Area 2 Election: Meet the Candidates
October 21, 2022
Three of seven seats on CUSD’s School Board are up for grabs this Nov. 8, with some early mail-in ballots already being cast. Board members are elected to serve four-year terms. In Area 2, encompassing Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Coto de Caza, and portions of San Juan Capistrano (including SJHHS), candidates Michael Parham and Kira Davis are vying to fill the seat vacated by Pamela Braunstein.
Michael Parham
Michael Parham, born and raised in California, has lived in Area 2 for the past four years with his family. He has a Bachelors degree from Dartmouth College in Russian Language and Economics, a Masters of Business Association from the New York University, and a Certificate in Data Analytics from UC Irvine.
Parham is a CPA and Investment Banker and has specialized in advising companies in Mergers and Acquisitions for the past 25 years. Parham served on the Irvine Unified School District school board for 12 years of which he served as board president there twice. Now, as an Area 2 resident, he wants to share his experience with CUSD.
“CUSD leadership can have a strong impact by investing in efficient approaches to education, including prioritizing best teaching practices across the district. It can also encourage new ideas and subject matter that engages students and better prepares them for a job market that is vastly different today than it was when the Ed Code was written,” said Parham.
Biggest Issue Facing CUSD
Parham says he stresses the quality of education for students and parental satisfaction in the district.
“Maintaining a fair and equitable educational experience for all children is the top concern, particularly as public schools are under attack and enrollment is declining in CUSD. It is important to make the educational experience competitive with private schools, and parents need to feel confident that their children will be well prepared for life after high school,” said Parham.
Top Priorities if Elected
- Create teacher-led groups to identify best practices across key subject areas and levels districtwide.
- Identify a funding and communication strategy to cope with looming facility needs.
- Strengthen ROP and elective course offerings that are relevant to today’s workforce needs.
Kira Davis
Kira Davis has lived in the Area 2 district for 15 years with her husband and two children. She has a Bachelors Degree in Theatre from Northwestern College of Iowa.
As the Deputy Managing Editor for RedState, a conservative political blog, Davis is an opinion journalist and writer. She has a podcast, “Just Listen to Yourself”, and Davis has appeared on Fox News and is a regular guest host at Los Angeles’s KABC radio. In the past, she was also the Executive Director of the Spirit of God Accelerated Education, an after-school Program in Gary, Indiana that offers tutoring and mentoring to students.
Biggest Issue Facing CUSD
“I am a parent who made the choice to send my kids to CUSD. We moved here on purpose because we know that CUSD has potential to be an amazing district. I have been disappointed to see the lack of transparency and accountability, but these can be fixed. It is of more concern that when parents, like me, speak up, we are ignored or shut down. It is time we all get on the same page for the students,” said Davis.
Davis says parent opinion is not considered enough by the school board.
“The biggest issue facing CUSD is that it seems no one is considering students in the decision making process. When parents speak up, they are ignored or told to stop. This has to change,” said Davis.
Top Priorities if Elected
- Students
- Transparency
- Accountability