Pat Sturges

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Pat Sturges

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Newark, N.J.

Profession

Special Education Teacher

Contact

Campaign website

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Pat Sturges ran for election to the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees to represent Seat No. 5 in California. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Sturges completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Sturges was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her career experience includes working as a special education teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Sturges has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• National Women's Political Caucus - San Fernando Valley, board member
• UTLA (2007-2017), Co-Chapter Chair
• American Federation of Teachers, member
• California Teacher's Association
• NARAL
• Planned Parenthood

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2020)

General election

General election for Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees Seat No. 5

The following candidates ran in the general election for Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees Seat No. 5 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nichelle Henderson (Nonpartisan)	40.0	676,466
	Submit photo	Cynthia Gonzalez (Nonpartisan)	16.9	285,380
	Submit photo	Scott Svonkin (Nonpartisan)	14.7	249,251
		Pat Sturges (Nonpartisan)	7.9	133,173
	Submit photo	Michelle Manos (Nonpartisan)	6.9	116,454
	Submit photo	Sergio Vargas (Nonpartisan)	5.9	99,118
	Submit photo	Nichet James-Gray (Nonpartisan)	5.2	88,802
	Submit photo	Glenn Bailey (Nonpartisan)	2.6	43,711

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,692,355
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Pat Sturges completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sturges' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am running because community college changed my daughter Kendall's life. She said it best: "Mom, community college was a constant during a time when I was uncertain about my life and my future."

Community college changed the course of my daughter's life. She is on track to graduate from University of Connecticut with her early education teaching credential and is currently a successful Assistant Teacher.

I am running for LA Community College Board to change the lives of others and, especially during this time of global uncertainty, community colleges must become the guiding force behind our recovery and a constant for hundreds of thousands of students hoping for a brighter future. I am running as a single mother from a working-class family and if elected, I would be one of only two women on the Board of Trustees and the only current teacher.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• The biggest challenge facing community college students is homelessness. A recent report found that one in five community college students are homeless. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the housing crisis. The LA Community College District should use its bond money to build and provide affordable housing and provide the necessary supports for all our students.
• With a global recession, now is the time to invest in renewable energy which should be less expensive to purchase and build. This is also an excellent opportunity to expand the course offerings and create vocational training opportunities through partnerships with labor unions to train the workforce of the future of solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources. As a Trustee, I would work to achieve the deadline early because as the IPCC Report indicated, we have less than a decade to move to a carbon-free economy.
• For too long, community colleges have neglected the fact that there are more than seven million students with disabilities in the U.S. today - the equivalent of 13.7% of the student population. We have failed to invest in quality transition services for special needs students to enroll in community colleges. These investments today will save us money in the future as these students are more likely to be homeless, more likely to be incarcerated, and find it more challenging to get a steady job. There are currently no board members that are special education certificated or credentialed and these students need an advocate on the LA Community College Board who can fight for funding special needs programs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As an advocate for special needs students in LAUSD, I see firsthand the challenges these students face transitioning to communities. If elected, one of my top priorities would be to fight for funding for programs for special needs students.

For too long, community colleges have neglected the fact that there are more than seven million students with disabilities in the US today - the equivalent of 13.7% of the student population.

Quality transition services for special needs students to both enroll in community colleges and then transition to the work world or to a four-year institution are critical. For the most part, we have failed these students.

By investing today, it will cost us all far less in the future as these students are more likely to be low income, homeless, more likely to be incarcerated, and find it challenging to get a steady job.

There are currently no board members that are special education certificated or credentialed and these students need an advocate on the LA Community College Board who can fight for them.

As a 20+ year veteran special ed teacher with LAUSD, I know the gaps in the system and can fight to ensure that no student falls through the cracks. I created a self-contained high functioning autism program back in 2011 that LAUSD used as a model. All of my students from the first group were accepted to LA Valley College.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility include:

- Listening to the people who voted you into office
- Finding out the needs and wants of your constituents and address these in a timely manner.
- Working with other members of the Board in a civil manner and on significant issues

- Remembering we are all elected to represent the county we serve.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy I would like to leave is to my daughter, that you can do anything you set your mind to and to accept that there will always be challenges that you will have to overcome; try to enjoy the journey because it never ends. You can take a deep breath, center yourself and enjoy the ride.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of John F. Kennedy. I was 10 years old and remember the teacher just told the class we were going home for the day. It wasn't until I was walking up my driveway and I saw my dad crying for the first time. I went over to him and asked what happened. He told me and we went into the house and literally sat in front of the TVfor days, watching everything including the real-time shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby. It left an indelible mark on me.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The last song I got stuck in my head was McCavity from the awful movie Cats I watched last night!

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The Board of Trustees has oversight over billions in dollars in bond money to build and maintain the LA Community College District facilities. This is your money - taxpayer funded dollars that the voter has the right to know is being spent well. I believe this is one area where the current Board of Trustees has fallen short. The District spent over $60 Million on two multi-level parking lots to mostly serve the faculty. These monoliths to driving internal combustion engines literally cemented decades of unnecessary vehicle miles traveled. Why are we building housing for cars when we really need housing for people? As many as one in 5 community college students are homeless. By building affordable, sustainable, and LEED-certified housing near campus, LACCD students no longer need to travel unnecessarily long distances to school and may not need to own a car. Last year, students voted for a fee to subsidize student transit passes for all students to ride any Metro or municipal bus system. As a Trustee, I will work to implement this program as soon as possible to further reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions generated by student, faculty, and staff trips to and from campus in the future after in-person classes return.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that experience in the field of education is critical and a background in politics is necessary as any elected position is "political." I am a dedicated educator who wants to make a difference for all children. This is my first campaign and I am ready to work for students across the county. It is a calling for me, not a job. I may not have the name recognition of the other candidates; still, I have the energy and desire to make a difference, especially for our special needs populations who have been marginalized.

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.

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