I’m writing about Paula Perotte, not as a candidate, politician, or Goleta’s Mayor. Instead, I’m writing about my longtime friend whom I knew long before she succumbed to the urging of those who knew she could make a difference on Goleta’s City Council.
In 1996, Brandon School came back to life after being shuttered for 17 years. I know because I became the principal of that treasured school. We had the school, teachers, administrators, but needed to create parental involvement. We needed a Parent Teachers Association (PTA), to create a bridge between parents and teachers.
Then I met Paula Perotte, whose daughter was enrolled in Brandon. She became the “secret sauce” to successfully establishing our own PTA. She worked on Safe Routes to Schools, advocated for increased fines in school zones, and even lay down in a crosswalk for our children’s safety. She listened, collaborated, advocated, and then she led. As principal, I benefitted, but I also gained a lifelong friend, someone to count on whenever she was needed.
My point is we need public officials with leadership skills of people like Paula. As with PTA long ago and her work with Community Action Commission, she has brought to her public service grace, intelligence, and deep commitment to Goleta. And she’s been dedicated not to imposing her policies on the community, but to increasing opportunities for residents to participate in the City’s policy making.
Please vote to keep Paula providing the kind of leadership Goleta needs.
JoAnne Meade Young is a retired principal with Goleta Union School District.