About Us

The Parents for Quality Education (PQE) is an independent, community-based, nonpartisan, non-profit 501 (c )(4) corporation founded by civic-minded parents in 2009 and is run by volunteers.

 

Our Board

David Page – Chairman

My wife Stephanie and I are parents to five boys and one daughter; Ages ranging from 33 to 17.  My children have attended a total of 25 elementary, middle and high schools in this and other districts since 1986.  I currently have one student attending Kearny Digital Media & Design High School.   My college education is in computer programming, accounting, and business administration.  I attended San Diego Mesa College, El Paso Community College, and the University of Maryland.  I served 7 years in the U.S. Army at the end of the Vietnam War.

Most of my time is spent on what my wife calls my Education Hobby.  I have been serving as the Chairperson of the San Diego Unified District Advisory Council for Compensatory Education since December of 2001.  I am the President of the California Association for Compensatory Education, a state wide parent involvement training association.  It is on behalf of this organization (CACE), that I travel around the State providing workshops for parents regarding various parent involvement subjects. I have built working relationships with District, State, and Federal Education staff members in an effort to inform myself, and to support Parent Involvement in the San Diego Unified School District and across the State.  This passion comes from discovering the laws that protect or insure parent involvement are often ignored.  I discovered that there are many unions and associations that assert adult needs in educational spending on behalf of employees, but few effective ones that give parents the capacity to be engaged in the discussion of student needs and best practice in education. 

David Page, Chairman,
District Advisory Council for Compensatory Education
San Diego Unified School District
(858) 232-6246
somepages@gmail.com

 

Debbie O’Toole – President

Debbie was born and raised in the San Carlos area of San Diego. She graduated from Patrick Henry High School and San Diego State University. She and her husband have three children that currently attend San Diego City Schools.

For the last nine years she has volunteered in the classroom, served as room parent, teaches art and is a perpetual field trip driver. She has served as president, vice president, past president on various parent organization boards.

Debbie saw a need for parents in San Diego Unified School District to become connected. In 2009 she started a website www.voiceforourkids.org as away to inform parents about what is happening at the district.  Emails are sent to parents ahead of school board meetings with details and a call to action when necessary. She now would like to take it to the next level; empowering parents to seek reform at the state level.

 

Samly Maat – Treasurer

Dr. Samly Maat came to the U.S. with her family (Laotian and Thai parents) in 1980. Although, all of her five siblings and their families continue to live in Rochester, New York, Samly has been living in California since 1985.

Samly is married to her Navy sweetheart, Eben Maat, since 1989 and live in San Diego, California. She has two sons, 14 and 11 years old.

In 2009, with love and support from her dear families, friends, mentors, and teachers, Samly was able to graduate from University of Phoenix with a D.M. (Doctor of Management) degree in Organizational Leadership.

Since November of 2005, Samly has been involved with the Lao community in San Diego, California, as well as those in Rochester, NY. From this experience, she has gained a deeper understanding of the community achievements and challenges. Her life long study is deep-rooted from her belief in the value of education and thus society as a whole.

Professionally, Samly has been working in the software development industry for over 18 years, holding different positions in the Information System/Technology sector. She continues to work in this industry today. In addition to her full-time work, she volunteers at various community service organizations including Lao PSTA in San Diego, CA; Character Building Committee in Santee School District; Lao American Parent Representative for Lincoln High School Transition Team, CA; Lao American Community Member Representative for the San Diego School Board month meeting, CA; Lao American Scholarship Foundation of Rochester, New York, and Parents for Quality Education.

 

Sandy Spackman – Secretary

Sirivanh ‘Sandy’ Spackman was born in Vientiane, Laos.  At age 10, she immigrated to the United States with her family as a refugee. Sandy graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in education and also earned a teaching credential. For the past 20 years Mrs. Spackman has volunteered in her church and community, and currently serves as president of the Lao American Coalition. Sandy and her husband reside in San Diego and have 4 children.

 

Mitz Lee – Member at Large

Former Vice President of the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Board of Education, Mitz Lee has a long history and distinguished record of service to the greater San Diego community. Presently, Lee serves on the City of San Diego Human Relations Commission.  She is also the President of the Alliance for Quality Education; Co-organizer of the Asian and Pacific American Coalition, and member of the Board of Directors, Pacific Rim Park, Incorporated.

Prior to serving on the SDUSD Board of Education, Lee served on the Board of Directors of a charter school, was appointed by the California State Board of Education to serve on advisory panels for testing and reporting of students’ English/Language Arts performance, was on the Board of Directors of the California Schools Volunteer Partnerships, and was a member of the Steering Committee on Staff Professional Development for the Rockefeller Foundation San Diego Initiative.

Lee earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Financial Management from National University in San Diego. She has made San Diego her home for 27 years together with her husband and two sons. She proudly became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1988.