Dear Friends,
I taught in a California public school for decades. I’ve graded papers at my kitchen table late into the night, attended more back-to-school nights than I can count, and watched generations of kids grow up and go out into the world. Teaching is not a job you do for the recognition. You do it because you believe in something.
That’s exactly why I’m writing to you today about Josh Fryday.
I’ve met a lot of candidates over the years. Most of them are good people who care about the right things. But every once in a while you meet someone and you think: this person actually gets it. Josh is that person.
His wife Mollye is a second-grade public school teacher. Right now, today, she has a classroom full of kids she is showing up for every morning. When Josh talks about public education, he is talking about his family. That means something to me as a retired teacher, and I think it will mean something to you too.
The California Teachers Association endorsed Josh for Lieutenant Governor because they did their homework and reached the same conclusion I did. He doesn’t just talk about supporting teachers and students. He builds things that last. He took California’s Service Corps and grew it into the largest state service program in the entire country, with over 10,000 paid positions for young Californians. That took years of hard, patient work. That’s who he is.
And right now, that matters more than ever. Our public schools are facing real threats from Washington. Teachers are being scapegoated. Funding is on the line. California needs leaders in every statewide office who understand what educators are up against and have the backbone to fight back.
I believe our party should stand for the people doing the real work in this state. Josh Fryday is one of those people, and he has spent his career lifting up others who are too.
I will be proud to support him this weekend at the convention, and I hope you will join me.
With warmth and solidarity,
Bonnie Shatun
Retired Teacher
CADem Delegate from Los Angeles County