Submitted by Peggy Duncan
Hello Neighbors,
I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the Coronado Unified School District Board of Trustees.
My husband, John, and I have lived in Coronado for 20 years and raised our four children here. Now that they are successfully launched to college, I am excited to devote more of my time and energy to serving our remarkable community.
Working on behalf of children has been the focus of my personal and professional life for the past 30 years. I currently serve on the Board of Trustees at Francis Parker School. Prior to serving on the school board, I spent five years on the Parent Association Board, including a term as president. My current three-year term as a trustee will conclude this June. Rather than seek another term, I have decided to bring my time and experience back home to serve the Coronado Unified School District.
My commitment to children’s issues began early in my legal career as an attorney specializing in health care law at a large law firm. I worked extensively with Children’s Hospital in San Diego, gaining a deep understanding of the complex laws that govern the care and treatment of children.
After our first son was born, I served as a specially appointed judge in juvenile court, overseeing delinquency matters. There, I saw firsthand how easily young people can fall through the cracks without the support of an engaged family and school community. It was heartbreaking to see kids pulled toward crime and gang life, and from the bench, I did everything I could to bring them a sense of hope and direction.
Since then, I have served on six nonprofit boards that support children in various ways, including as president of four of them. I am currently the President of Friends of Children United Society (FOCUS), based here in Coronado. In that role, I had the privilege of co-founding an internship program for Coronado High School students. Through hands-on community service, we teach students compassion while also giving them practical experience in leadership, nonprofit governance, and board operations. Working with these talented young leaders has been incredibly inspiring and further drove my desire to serve CUSD as a trustee.
Our Coronado schools face important challenges in the years ahead. My priority will always be to ensure the strongest possible academic experience, while also supporting the health and well-being of our students. To achieve this, we must:
- Invest time and resources in strengthening student mental health, especially during the critical middle school years.
- Develop thoughtful policies to address rapidly evolving technology, including cell phones and artificial intelligence.
- Think creatively about attracting and retaining exceptional teachers.
- Uphold strong governance through prudent financial stewardship, common-sense decision-making, and forward-looking leadership.
With my experience as a trustee, I will bring valuable perspective as Coronado addresses these challenges. In addition, because artificial intelligence is already transforming education, I am currently obtaining a specialized certificate in Artificial Intelligence in Education at the University of San Diego (my law school alma mater). This training will further allow me to bring current, practical knowledge to the important and urgent conversations our school board must have about how emerging technologies will shape teaching and learning in our schools.
My experience as an attorney, trustee, judge, nonprofit leader, and community volunteer has prepared me well for service on the CUSD Board. But just as important is my experience as a mom to four incredible children who grew up in Coronado and have developed into thoughtful, successful young university students, who value education with empathy and a commitment to service.
I am a graduate of the California public school system, having attended middle school and high school in San Diego. I have the additional important perspective of attending five schools in three different states growing up as the child of an active duty military officer.
I would be honored to serve the students, parents, teachers, and community of Coronado.
Peggy Duncan
