Margaret Mary Duncan, better known as Peggy, said she wants to bring new ideas and perspectives to Coronado public schools based on her yearslong experiences centering on youth.
“I’m not here to fight for a particular issue,” said Duncan. “I’m just here to listen to all sides and come at it with an analytic mind and make decisions that make sense for now and for the future.”
Three seats on the board of the Coronado Unified School District, currently held by trustees Alexia Palacios-Peters, Malachy Sandie and Dr. Scot Youngblood, are up for election this fall.
As of March 27, Duncan is the only candidate listed in a campaign finance disclosure portal maintained by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Duncan said the actual filing for the ballot is in July.
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 19. According to the Registrar, certified results will be available on Dec. 3 after the official canvass is completed.
In March, Palacios-Peters and Sandie said they would seek re-election. Youngblood did not respond by the time of publication.
Duncan, wife of Coronado Mayor John Duncan, said she filed preliminary paperwork to move forward with her campaign.
“This has nothing to do with my husband, except for the fact that I’m inspired by his public service and he works harder than anybody I know and that inspires me as well,” said Duncan about her candidacy.
From now through November, Duncan said she plans to meet with district staff, trustees, teachers and people in the community.
“I’m here to just really connect and learn,” she added. “I’ve enjoyed the meetings I’ve had so far.”
Serving youth
Duncan graduated with degrees in journalism and Spanish from the University of New Mexico. She went on to receive her law degree from the University of San Diego.
An online biography says Duncan has worked as an attorney specializing in health care law, and as a judge pro tem in San Diego County Juvenile Court, handling delinquency matters.
“That kind of led me to a really focused effort on volunteering once the rest of my kids were born,” said Duncan. “And I worked for several different nonprofits that had to do with volunteering and helping kids.”
Duncan, 53, is not currently practicing as an attorney. She is president of Friends of Children United Society (FOCUS), a nonprofit in Coronado that raises money and supports other nonprofit organizations that help at-risk children.
Duncan said two years ago she started an internship at Coronado High School through FOCUS that teaches students how to run a nonprofit organization, offering volunteer opportunities such as serving dinner for homeless teens.
“We’re building that kind of empathy and compassion in the context of teaching what it’s like to actually do the work behind the scenes on a board,” said Duncan. “It just makes me want to get even more involved.”
Duncan said her oldest son’s current two-year role teaching special education in a bilingual charter school through Teach for America in Philadelphia also motivates her.
“What he’s doing in that role inspires me so much and I have such respect for teachers in general,” said Duncan. “Just observing him and having conversations with him got me even more dedicated to helping any way I can both kids and the teachers…”
Duncan said the family has lived in Coronado for the past 20 years. She has four children, all of whom graduated from Francis Parker School, a private school in San Diego, where she serves on the Board of Trustees.
“Now that they’re up in college, both my husband and I are really dedicated to service here in the Coronado community,” said Duncan.
Additionally, she considers her perspective as a trustee at Francis Parker will benefit the district.
“A lot of boards and education boards in particular have come around to the knowledge that it’s very helpful to have someone who is not in the system come to your governing board,” said Duncan. “It brings a level of experience and also perspective that is super helpful in good governance.”
Duncan said Coronado Unified staff asked her to join a committee on revising the cell-phone policy due to her prior experience as a Francis Parker trustee and implementing the school’s bell-to-bell cell phone ban.
“I’m not saying everything we do there is going to fit here, it’s not, but we need to have that kind of creative thinking,” said Duncan.
Duncan’s priorities
Duncan said her priorities for Coronado schools include safety, mental health and wellbeing, and academic excellence.
Duncan said she is in the middle of a certificate program from the University of San Diego that specializes in artificial intelligence in education, which she believes will help with addressing technology issues in local schools.
“Francis Parker has been what I consider to be really on the forefront cutting edge of dealing with artificial intelligence and education,” said Duncan. “And we need policies to help guide and contain that. … I feel like I can definitely be a huge help on that.”
Duncan said her focus on the board will also be supporting students’ mental health at the middle school by prioritizing reduced class sizes and addressing the nationwide teacher shortage locally by exploring ways to attract and retain educators.
“I’m here to offer a top-down view and see ways that we can improve and make everything better for our students and our teachers. And then even more importantly, look to the future,” said Duncan.
