Originally published in The Fresno Bee and on FresnoBee.com on August 11, 2006.
Veteran educator Michelle Arax-Asadoorian announced her candidacy for the Fresno Unified school board on Thursday, promising to bring enthusiasm and vision as a trustee to the region's largest school district.
Standing on a sidewalk with about 100 supporters near Bullard High School's Mike Noakes baseball field, Arax-Asadoorian said she is committed to all students and parents.
"My goal is twofold," Arax-Asadoorian said. "For every child to be able to walk on a campus that is clean and free from violence. And for every teacher to have the resources he or she needs to perform those everyday miracles."
Arax-Asadoorian is seeking to represent the Bullard area in northwest Fresno. District trustees are elected citywide but represent a specific area.
Bullard-area incumbent Pat Barr is running for her second four-year term. Other Bullard-area candidates, according to the Fresno County Elections Office Web site, are Jim Barr and John H. Lester. Pat Barr and Jim Barr are not related.
Gene Tavernetti said in a statement Thursday that he has withdrawn as a Bullard-area candidate, but did not give a reason.
Arax-Asadoorian made clear that she intends to run an aggressive campaign, with Pat Barr's record as a key issue. Arax-Asadoorian said Barr "has done little to improve the state" of Fresno Unified facilities.
Arax-Asadoorian said Bullard is plagued with old gym lockers, bad plumbing in bathrooms and poor campus drainage when it rains.
"The saddest part is that Bullard is far from alone," said Arax-Asadoorian, a 1977 Bullard graduate. "I've toured more than a dozen campuses across town, and the picture is the same."
Pat Barr said she welcomes a campaign that spotlights her performance as a trustee. She said she is proud that the board "got the community involved in choosing the future" for the district. She also said the board "hired an outstanding superintendent" in Michael Hanson, added more vocational classes and worked to improve school facilities.
"I'll run on my record," Barr said.
In a prepared statement, Arax-Asadoorian said she oversees the reading intervention program at Bullard Talent Elementary School and has 16 years of experience as a teacher. The 47-year-old mother of three is married to grape grower Alan Asadoorian.
Arax-Asadoorian is the sister of author and Los Angeles Times reporter Mark Arax and Bullard High varsity football coach Don Arax.
The election is in November.
The reporter can be reached at ghostetter@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6272.
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