Fitzhugh “Fitz” Lee, a Coronado Unified parent and retired naval aviator, has announced his plans to run for the Coronado school board this month to encourage the board to listen to parents and encourage participation.
Lee is one of four candidates seeking election to the board, which has two four-year seats open in the 2024 election. He is also one of two community members who filed nomination documents during an extended candidate filing deadline of Aug. 14, after the official deadline on Aug. 9.
The other three candidates running for school board seats are Renee Cavanaugh, Bill Sandke and Shawnee Barton Merriman.
Lee told The Coronado News he is running to make a difference with a proven record of over 30 years of service to country and community as “a highly educated analytical thinker who cares deeply not just in thought but in deed about our kids.”
In the last six months, Lee said, he has worked with CUSD Superintendent Karl Mueller to develop a program that allows parents to opt-in to notifications and stay informed about the books their kids check out at school libraries.
According to Lee, the goal is to foster more parental awareness and involvement with what their kids are reading.
“I’ve demonstrated that I am able to work with people who share maybe a different world view, but in a way that is honoring them and considerate of them, but at the same time having an informed and good dialogue,” said Lee. “I think I can offer a better way to communicate…I’ve talked to a lot of parents that just feel like the board, in some cases, hasn’t been as responsive to some of their concerns. And I think we can do better in that regard.”
Community groups leader
Lee, 55, is a retired Navy captain, squadron commander, little league coach, and board member for youth-focused nonprofits, church boards and leadership teams, including Coronado Young Life and The Britt Foundation where he said he previously managed finances.
Lee attended the University of California San Diego for his undergraduate degree and received a master’s in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Before retiring from the United States Navy in 2017 after 24 years, Lee was an F/A-18 pilot. He now flies Boeing 777s for a major airline.
According to campaign materials, Lee has lived in Coronado since 2011 and his three boys, including one with special needs, have all attended Coronado schools—with one currently enrolled at Coronado High School.
“I bring relevant leadership and experience to address CUSD’s challenges,” wrote Lee in his candidate statement. “A wise person once said, ‘The philosophy in the classroom in one generation becomes the philosophy of government in the next.’ Sadly, today’s polarized discourse and dysfunctional government affirm this truth. But we don’t have to accept this. We can, and must, do better. That’s why I’m running.”
Evaluating instructional material
Lee’s candidate statement said the district faces significant challenges with declining budgets, academic performance and state efforts to diminish local control.
“Parents are increasingly concerned about agenda-driven school policies. These concerns, too often dismissed, contribute to decreasing district enrollments and corresponding state funding,” continues Lee’s statement. “We need someone who can foster critical thinking and civil discourse to inspire our students, teachers, and district officials to relentlessly pursue academic and personal excellence. I believe my life experiences have prepared me to be that person. I humbly ask for your support.”
Lee said a national controversy over school books prompted his involvement with the district’s opt-in program.
“I spent over a hundred hours of research on the issue,” he said. “I was very surprised to find that…the American Library Association actively, actively pursues the goal of having no content restrictions whatsoever for any child of any age and any media…I was shocked to find out that this material is in our public library,…in our schools.”
Lee said the program is “a really good start” in a process he calls critically examining instructional material.
He added that, within the last year, he has seen parents flat-out ignored by district leaders when they raised concerns about books being bad for kids.
“We need to foster that kind of good result,” reiterated Lee about the new program available for parents in the district this upcoming school year. “Those are the kind of things that will help our students, our children and hopefully our community come together.”
Lee said that experience and budget issues opened his eyes to happenings at the board level.
“All of those things made me go, ‘I think I could bring some goodness,’” said Lee.
Beyond parental involvement, Lee said he looks to address the district’s budget finance shortfalls and teacher negotiations.
“I work hard,” he added. “I’m committed to finding ways in which we can compromise and get things done that are in fact in the best interest of our kids and taking the input from all the community.”
