Election Questionnaire Date completed: 9/20/11 Office sought: Painesville City School Board Political Party: NA Name: Alyea

Barajas Gender: Female Age: 32 Address: 333 Townmill Ct., Painesville Length of residence in that community: Lifelong resident Occupation: Community Services Coordinator Employer: Lake County Council on Aging Marital status: Married Name of Spouse: Alex Barajas Name and age of children: Isla Barajas-3 years Public office experience: None Non-elected experience: Former member of the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) Advisory Board Education: College Graduate School Cleveland State University Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs Years 4 2 Degree Bachelor of Arts Master of Public Administration

Should you be elected, what are the 3 specific areas youd like to change, address, improve or further research, and how specifically would you go about it? One of the most concerning issues is the graduation rate, 76.4% for the 2009-2010 school year. It is deeply saddening to know that almost 24% of our students do not graduate high school. If elected to the Painesville City School Board one of my priorities would be to further research this issue and work with parents, as well as the teachers, staff, and administration of Painesville City Schools to further explore the resources needed to improve the graduation rate putting all students on the path to success. Second, it is my desire that the Board have a greater active presence in the community. It is my belief that parents and members of the community want to be involved with the schools but may be unsure as to how to get involved. With greater community presence the Board can begin to bridge these gaps so the schools function as an active part of the community.

Lastly, I would like to help continue the work involved with closing the achievement gap. This is obviously a complicated issue but as the conversation around this topic continues to develop we can pinpoint areas for improvement. There are many factors that contribute to the achievement gap but I believe that piece by piece we can begin closing this gap. All children, no matter race or socioeconomic status have the ability to learn and developing creative ways for this to work for each individual student is important. Whether for past accomplishments or future goals, why should voters elect you? I respectfully ask for your vote and support in the upcoming election to help bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to the Painesville City School Board. I have the passion and enthusiasm to work as part of a team, encourage ongoing communications, and promote civic engagement for the educational welfare of our children and, ultimately, the success of our community.