Danielle Holley
Fontana Unified School District Board of Education Area 4
Tenure
Term ends
Years in position
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Danielle Holley is a member of the Fontana Unified Board of Education in California, representing Area 4. She assumed office on December 13, 2024. Her current term ends on December 8, 2028.
Holley ran for election to the Fontana Unified Board of Education to represent Area 4 in California. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Holley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Danielle Holley was born in California. She earned a high school diploma from Fontana High School and a graduate degree from Cal State San Bernardino in 2010. Her career experience includes working as a teacher and executive director. She has been affiliated with Fontana Historical Society, Fontana Rotary Club, Fontana Art Association, and Miss Fontana.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Fontana Unified School District, California, elections (2024)
General election
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Holley in this election.
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Danielle Holley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Holley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My roots run deep, as my family began their story here in the 1950’s. In fact, I live in the same house that was built by my great grandparents (over 70 years ago), when they owned acres of orange trees. I am a proud alumna of Fontana High School; a school that all of my family has attended since my grandpa was in FOHI's very first graduating class. My dream came true when I was crowned “Miss Fontana” in 2001, and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to represent the City I love so much. After graduating with honors from Cal State University San Bernardino in 2006 with a BA in Liberal Studies, I earned my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in 2007, and my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2010; being named the top student of my Master’s cohort. From 2007-2009, I was proud to be an elementary school teacher within the Fontana Unified School District. My diverse background spans education, ministry, and public works contracting. I am honored to currently serve as the Executive Director of the Fontana Chamber of Commerce. Fontana holds a special place in my heart, and I am committed to using my diverse experience to support our local businesses, build meaningful partnerships, invest in our future workforce, and drive economic development within our community. Community and relationships are everything to me. I am a proud member of the Fontana Rotary Club, the Fontana Art Association, and serve as the Secretary of the Fontana Historical Society.
- I am proud to say that I am the STUDENT SAFETY candidate. I am endorsed by the Fontana School Police Officers' Association, the Fontana Police Officers' Association, and San Bernardino County Fire Local 935. Students should feel safe on their way to school, at school, and on their way home. This means working alongside the City of Fontana to build better roads and sidewalks for students that walk to and from school, ensuring safe traffic patterns for drop-off and pick-up, and ensuring that our Fontana School Police are fully staffed, and have ample resources and support to make sure that the safety of our students is a top priority.
- I am committed to improving literacy and math skills in our students, which will empower them to succeed academically and in the real world. As literacy is the foundation for all learning, it is critical that our students and teachers are given the resources, curriculum and training necessary to ensure that each student is reading at grade level and has grade level proficiency in mathematics.
This means intervention support and strategies are readily available to each student, regardless of academic ability. I will ensure that each student has equitable access to those resources, which is mandatory for student success.
- When our students thrive, so does our workforce, and in turn, the City of Fontana. I strongly believe in the importance of proactive measures to prepare students for success beyond graduation. Some of our students will choose to attend college, and some will choose another career path. I have already established a great working relationship between our business community and FUSD in my role as Executive Director of the Fontana Chamber of Commerce. I will build upon this foundation to ensure that our students are afforded every opportunity to succeed, which includes further investment into the District's Career and Technical Education programs.
I am personally passionate about public safety, education, infrastructure, and fiscal responsibility. As the “Student Safety Candidate”, I believe that every student deserves the right to be safe at school and on the commute to and from.
A second area of public policy that I am also passionate about is improving our local infrastructure. I believe that this ties into safety as well. When our students walk to and from school, they need to have access to safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and roads. We can only maintain public safety and infrastructure if we are fiscally responsible and accountable. Students will receive a quality education in an environment that is safe, structurally sound, and financially sound.
An elected official represents the members of the public that live in their respective area or district. As such, an elected official should conduct themselves as a model member of society, acting above reproach, with integrity and morality in all that they do.
The main characteristic that makes me a good leader within our City is my diverse experience, my rich history in Fontana, and relationships I’ve formed over years within our community. As a teacher, former Children’s Director, and Executive Director of the Fontana Chamber of Commerce, I have worked to create a foundation of collaboration between the business sector and our school district by successfully creating opportunities for all students.
I am also proud to say that I currently showcase leadership by sitting on multiple community boards, including: Fontana Historical Society, Fontana Art Association, Fontana Rotary Club, and the Miss Fontana Scholarship Pageant. These boards allow me to represent diverse groups within all areas of our community, each with their own unique members, needs, and goals. I believe this experience will allow me to be an advocate for each student and their success.
As someone who lives, works, and plays here in Fontana, I have a pulse on the needs and desires of our residents because they mirror the desires that I have for our community. I believe that I have the knowledge, experience, and empathy to be a leader and advocate our students and parents need on the school board. The core responsibilities for someone elected to this office are managing the district's budget, ensuring accountability of District staff including the partner unions of FUSD. A school board member acts on behalf of the residents they represent acting as their voice and advocate.
I love Fontana and believe that is evident in everything that I do. As a proud resident, Fontana High School graduate, 2001 Miss Fontana, Fontana teacher, and Executive Director of the Fontana Chamber, I take such pride in our community and the foundation that it has provided for me. I want to lay an even better foundation for every single Fontana student.
I want to build an education system within our Fontana School District that allows students to break barriers, surpass standards, and thrive beyond graduation in any career of their choosing. When students look back on their K-12 education, I want them to take pride in their experience and ultimately give back to the Fontana community for the next generation of Fontana residents after them.
The primary job of a school board member is to work with Fontana District employees and partners to provide Fontana students from every background and ability with a quality, equitable education that will lead to life-long success.
This includes, but is not limited to, maintaining a responsible budget, providing accountability for programming and staff, ensuring the maintenance of our facilities, and working with union and community partners.
My constituents in Fontana Unified School District, Area 4, are a diverse group of students, parents, citizens, and district employees. They are what make our community the beautiful, culturally rich, and thriving city we are.
Being a fourth-generation Fontana resident, I consider this district my extended Fontana family that I get the privilege of advocating for.
In my extensive career as a teacher and business leader, I have had the privilege of working with, supporting, and advocating on behalf of many diverse groups within the community.
Through this work, I have learned one of the best ways to support individuals is to be open to listen to feedback, both positive and negative. I am a firm believer in the use of public comment and plan to make myself available beyond public forums. This will allow me to make informed decisions that best benefit our students, faculty, and staff.
Building and maintaining relationships is a key part of my platform and plan for my time on the school board. I have spent my life being involved in the community. I am an active board member of the Fontana Historical Society, an active member of the Fontana Rotary Club, an active member of the Fontana Art Association, serve as the Secretary of the Fontana Historical Society, and have been on the board of the Miss Fontana Pageant for over 20 years. I have also worked with numerous non-profits within the community that have done great work to improve the lives of veterans, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. I plan to use these relationships to create effective partnerships between our district and community.
I am also proud to say that I have worked with numerous labor unions and partners and have forged great relationships with them leading to nine labor endorsements. I plan to continue my existing work with them to create apprenticeship programs and job shadow opportunities, which will create more career pathways and improve our Career and Technical Education Curriculum.
As an educator myself, I believe there is always room to improve our curriculum for our students, that is why I sit on a curriculum advisory committee that oversees curriculum for Career Technical Education in Fontana. I have been a firm believer of creating numerous and diverse career pathways that meet the interests and needs of our students for many years, and have dedicated the past few years of my career to make that happen for our Fontana students. When I am elected, I will continue that work at a higher level and build upon the foundation and relationships I have already established.
The first and most important strategy is to maintain a responsible budget. I plan to use my business experience to ensure we are maximizing our funds to their fullest potential with transparency and accountability.
The next key strategy is to ensure we work closely with our local elected officials/offices to utilize grants and funding. I am proud to say I have been endorsed by Second District Supervisor Jesse Armendarez who has secured funding for numerous projects within Fontana Unified.
The next strategy is to advocate for funding at the State and Federal level. Through my work at the Fontana Chamber of Commerce, I have formed great partnerships with our leaders, and plan to use these relationships to advocate for more funding for our students. I am proud to say that I'm the only candidate in this race endorsed by public safety, including the Fontana School Police Officers Association, the Fontana Police Officers Association, and San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Local 935. Students cannot learn in an environment where they feel unsafe. I plan to continue the partnership and relationship with public safety to ensure that our agencies have the adequate manpower and resources to ensure the safety of every student.
The well-being of our students, faculty, and staff must be a top priority. I believe that our district’s student services department has done a great job at dedicating resources to ensuring the mental health and wellness of our students. I think increasing the visibility and use of these resources is key to improving mental health for our students and staff. How great are programs if students and families don’t hear about them?
The second piece of improving mental health and wellness within our district is to remove negative stigmas surrounding this issue, especially within the community that is predominantly Latino. I believe a large portion of this will be solved through Senate Bill 224 that was signed into law in October 2021. This bill will require school districts to use and/or create a comprehensive educational component on mental health for grades 1-12. This will allow students to identify mental health issues early and obtain the resources necessary to combat them.
As a school board member, I will make sure we go beyond just hiring professionals or only putting in place the basic requirements put forward. Instead, I will work to ensure we are a board of action on improving mental health. One thing that I've noticed since attending board meetings for over a year is that our parents and guardians of students with disabilities need more support. Whether that is implementing existing policies, or creating new ones, our district can grow and work towards increasing transparency and accessibility to this community.
Fontana Police Officers Association, Fontana School Police Officers Association, SB Co. Fire 935, Inland Labor Council AFL-CIO, Teamsters Local 1932, IBEW Local 47, Carpenters Local 909, SEBA, San Bernardino County Supervisors Jesse Armendarez, Dawn Rowe, Curt Hagman, & Paul Cook, Fontana City Council: Mayor Warren, Roberts, Cothran and Garcia, FUSD Board Members Armendarez & Perez, West Valley Water District Board Members: Garcia, Moore and Jenkins, Upland Mayor Bill Velto, Rialto Councilmember Ed Scott, Rialto Clerk Barbara McGee, Hesperia Unified Board Member Eric Swanson, Etiwanda School Board Member Matt Gordon, Rancho Councilman Ryan Hutchison, Former Supervisor Josie Gonzales, Chino Valley Unified Board Member James Na.
My ideal learning environment is one where students feel safe, included, engaged, and given accessibility to programs that enhance their learning.
Students are diverse learners and therefore our educational approaches must utilize a curriculum that provides students with a strong foundation and the opportunity to thrive in college, a trade program, or the workforce.
Another component of my ideal learning environment is one where literacy is a top priority for all students. We know that literacy is the foundation of all learning and understanding. It must be our duty to ensure that Fontana Unified graduates can read at or above grade level.
Lastly, our learning environment must incorporate the teaching of real-world skills, and career and technical education. That is why I have dedicated the past few years of my career to creating multiple Career and Technical Education pathways for Fontana students by connecting our educational partners and our local business community. It's not something I plan to start once elected. I have laid a firm foundation to build upon once in office. Parents and guardians play the most important role in our students’ education.They want to know that their children have an advocate that will fight each and every one of them. I plan to be that advocate for all our students, including our students with disabilities, multi-language learners, and at-risk youth. The relationships that I build with families in our district will be built on that foundation of earned trust.
I also believe that I have common ground with many of the families in our district. I am a graduate of Fontana schools, have taught in the North, South, and core of our city, live here and work here. Like many parents and guardians in the City, I desire the same positive outcomes and future for our students and local community.
Lastly, communication is and always has been a top priority for me. That is why I have given out hundreds of business cards with my personal cell phone printed on them. I want families to feel free and able to contact me for any reason at any time. Retaining quality faculty, staff, and administration is a key component in ensuring that our Fontana students are provided a quality educational experience. As a teacher myself, one of the main deciding factors for me to remain at a school/district was the safety of my students and myself. Our Fontana Unified School District employees deserve to work in an environment that is safe and secure. I am proud to say that I am endorsed by the Fontana School Police Officers Association, Fontana Police Officers Association, and San Bernardino County Fire, Local 935. These key relationships will allow me to ensure that our public safety partners have access to essential modern equipment and onboard qualified staff; creating an environment that our employees feel safe to thrive in. The next key strategy is ensuring our employees feel valued and appreciated. In my business and management experience, this can be done in various ways. The first is to provide livable compensation, including a competitive salary/benefits package. California is an expensive place to live, and our quality employees deserve to live comfortably. The second is to ensure our employees are working in well-kept schools, offices, and facilities. Employees should have pride in their workplace. Lastly is prioritizing the physical and mental health of our employees. This means creating a workspace and environment that allows for resources for employees to make their wellness a priority. Another key strategy is ensuring that we are in constant communication with our employee unions. Collaboration and relationships are a major part of my platform and plan to improve education for our Fontana students, and working with the voices of our employees is no different. I am honored to be supported by the Inland Empire Labor Council and eight other union partners, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 1932. Having this open line of communication will allow us to work together more seamlessly.
Serving on the school board is such a huge responsibility. As a board member, I will be responsible for responsibly managing massive amounts of money, staff and resources. The taxpayers of FUSD Area 4 are trusting that my decisions will be in their best interest. That being said, I believe in complete financial transparency and government accountability.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2024
