Dear PGUSD Community Members,
I am writing this letter to address concerns that have been raised in some parts of our community about my married name and its connection to my brother-in-law, who has his own reputation within our school district. I want to be clear that I am not my brother-in-law. I am a mother, a wife and a medical professional, proud to live and raise my family in this beautiful community.
The psychological and physical safety of our students is paramount. I believe that all students should have the right to feel and be emotionally and physically safe in our schools. If elected as your board member, my message to the district will be loud and clear - inappropriate behavior of district or school staff toward students in any form will NOT be tolerated. Ever. We have an absolute obligation to protect every single student in our district, without exception.
Creating growth and cohesiveness in our district and community begins with opening up communication, creating two-way channels for people to dialogue and problem solve. We cannot grow our district and our community if we are not able to have challenging conversations and truly engage with one another.
I welcome our community’s questions and invite you to reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Laura Ottmar
Candidate for Pacific Grove Unified School District,Trustee Area 1
831.272.4725