Irvine Unified Council PTA to hold forum for trio of Board of Education candidates

With three hopefuls vying for two open seats on the IUSD Board of Education, the Irvine Unified Council PTA will host a special Candidate Forum beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. The event, which is open to the public, will be held at the District Office, located at 5050 Barranca Parkway. It will also air locally for Cox cable subscribers on IUSD’s channel 39 and via AT&T U-verse’s government and public television menu.

Irvine voters will head to the polls on Nov. 4 to fill two at-large posts on the five-person school board. Seeking a four-year term are incumbent Ira Glasky, an attorney; Bob Vu, an educator, scientist and entrepreneur; and Sharon Wallin, an incumbent who currently serves as board president. At the forum, each candidate will have an opportunity to make a statement and answer questions presented by an impartial moderator from the League of Women Voters. The questions, developed by the Irvine Council PTA Executive Board, will be the same for all three candidates, and there will also be a limited amount of time for questions from the audience. “The Candidate Forum has become an Irvine Council PTA tradition and helps us connect our families with the district and the issues we face in public education,” Irvine Council PTA President Connie Stone said. “We face challenges and opportunities with increases in school populations throughout Irvine as well as implementation of Common Core,"  Stone said. "We are excited to hear what our candidates have to say about these issues and opportunities.” No RSVP is necessary to attend, but organizers recommend arriving by 6 p.m. to ensure a seat. There may also be time at the end of the forum to chat with the candidates.