Letter to the Editor:
After serving thirteen years on the Burbank Board of Education, I came to understand something essential: a strong board requires a balance of skills. Today, as our district faces a genuine fiscal crisis, that balance is missing.
While the teacher’s perspective is absolutely important, our current board already includes two middle school classroom teachers and a college-level instructor. What we lack is deep fiscal expertise, the kind of experience that helps a district navigate complex budgets, long‑term liabilities, and the financial consequences of every contract we approve.
That is precisely why I support Paul Gerard for the Burbank Board of Education.
Paul brings a rare combination of classroom understanding and real‑world financial oversight. He has spent twenty years teaching animation production at USC, while at the same time working as a studio executive with high‑level financial responsibility in film and television, responsible for multi-million dollar projects, managing budgets, teams, and deliverables. This background gives him firsthand knowledge of how to perform the fiscal duties of a school district trustee while also understanding what educators face. He knows how to manage budgets, evaluate risk, and ensure accountability.
I have personally witnessed Paul analyze contracts line by line, identifying issues that others might overlook. He understands that every contract the district approves affects cash flow and liability for years to come. That level of scrutiny and expertise is exactly what our district needs right now.
Paul knows BUSD teachers and staff are doing a great job under very challenging conditions. He also knows that BUSD is in a financial crisis. Our teachers deserve School Board Trustees who trust them to be teachers, and who they can trust to be relentless fiscal stewards of the District’s resources. Paul Gerard will work to find every penny available to pay them a competitive wage. He will lead with integrity and transparency, so they can focus on teaching.
For the sake of our students, our teachers, and our financial future, we need Paul Gerard on the Burbank Board of Education.
Dr. Roberta Reynolds
Burbank Unified School Board 2007-2020
