BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR PVPUSD SCHOOLS
Vote for Mr. Harley!
Lou Harley for PV School Board
30 Years of Classroom Experience
I am running a self-funded campaign focused solely on enhancing the PVPUSD experience for every student and educator. I will not accept any campaign donations or funds from any source including PACs, political parties and unions.
In addition, I am not seeking the endorsements of elected officials because I want to keep politics out of this local election and away from the PV School Board.
I am a teacher, not a politician, and it is my belief that local school board election campaigns should focus on what is best for the kids and should not waste thousands of dollars on campaigning and advertising. Thank you for your support.
Summary of My Campaign
100% Independent. No donations. No outside funding.
No irrelevant endorsements from politicians. No strings attached.
Low-Cost Campaigning. No junk-mail flyers and no annoying phone calls or texts. I believe a school board campaign should be about ideas and public service, not spending a lot of money.
I’m a Teacher, not a Politician. I’m running for the PVPUSD School Board for one reason: to make our schools better for students and teachers. PVPUSD is an excellent school district, but we can—and must—do better.
My Priorities
1. Air-Conditioning in Every PVPUSD Classroom by the Start of the 2027 School Year.
Students and teachers deserve safe, comfortable classrooms where learning can thrive. I support installing air-conditioning in every PVPUSD classroom by the start of the 2027 school year.
2. Keep Our Schools Open and Protect Public School Funding
I do not support the closing any PVPUSD school. I also strongly oppose school-choice voucher programs that divert state funding away from public schools to help pay for private-school education. Public education funding should support our public schools, our students, and our teachers.
Classroom Experience Meets Dedication
I am a first generation American born in Redondo Beach and have been a lifelong resident of the South Bay. My deep roots in the community, combined with my professional experience in education and law, have given me a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing our local schools.
For 30 years, I served as a high school teacher, educating more than 5,000 students. During that time, I gained extensive firsthand experience with K–12 public education and developed a deep understanding of the needs of students, teachers, parents, administrators, and school communities.
My connection to the Palos Verdes Peninsula is also deeply personal. My two daughters are graduates of Palos Verdes High School, giving me the perspective of both an educator and a parent who has experienced the local school system firsthand.
In addition to my career in education, I am an attorney with more than three decades of legal experience. My legal background has strengthened my ability to analyze complex issues, understand governance and accountability, evaluate policies, and make thoughtful decisions based on facts and evidence.
I believe this combination of 30 years of teaching experience, more than 30 years of legal experience, firsthand knowledge of K–12 public education, and lifelong roots in the South Bay makes me highly qualified to serve on the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Board of Education.
My Goals
Fight Declining Enrollment
Almost every school district in California is facing declining enrollment and this has caused budget difficulties throughout the state. Although PVPUSD has taken action to prevent declining enrollment, more needs to be done to address this threat to our current and future budget issues.
Make all school campuses safer and cleaner immediately
Despite the generosity of the Palos Verdes community and the passage of Measure SOS, many of our schools are still in a terrible state almost two years after the passage of the large bond. I will work immediately to make all school campuses free of vermin, rats, and cockroaches. Overgrown trees will be trimmed, and immediate repairs will be made to anything that puts our children in danger. We have seen during these recent heat waves that students and teachers are suffering in many of our schools. I will fight to ensure that every PVPUSD classroom has air conditioning by the start of the 2027–28 school year.
Help to recruit and maintain new
teachers and staff
Recently, more than 40 PVPUSD teachers, along with many veteran staff members, including myself, accepted the school district’s early retirement incentive. These experienced educators and staff members will need to be replaced, and we must make PVPUSD an attractive place for talented new professionals to build long-term careers. I will work to provide stronger support, mentorship, and resources for new teachers so they feel valued, succeed in the classroom, and choose to remain with PVPUSD for many years.
There is no place for A.I. in the K-12 classroom
Classroom technology is an important part of a successful modern classroom. While artificial intelligence can be a useful tool for adults and college students, I believe our children need to develop the ability to think critically, solve problems, and learn independently. I will work to prohibit student use of artificial intelligence in PVPUSD schools so that students develop these essential skills without relying on A.I. to do their thinking for them.