I’m writing about Paula Perotte, not as a candidate, politician, or Goleta’s Mayor. Instead, I’m writing about my longtime friend whom I knew long before she succumbed to the urging of those who knew she could make a difference on Goleta’s City Council.
In 1996, Brandon School came back to life after being shuttered for 17 years. I know because I became the principal of that treasured school. We had the school, teachers, administrators, but needed to create parental involvement. We needed a Parent Teachers Association (PTA), to create a bridge between parents and teachers.
Then I met Paula Perotte, whose daughter was enrolled in Brandon. She became the “secret sauce” to successfully establishing our own PTA. She worked on Safe Routes to Schools, advocated for increased fines in school zones, and even lay down in a crosswalk for our children’s safety. She listened, collaborated, advocated, and then she led. As principal, I benefitted, but I also gained a lifelong friend, someone to count on whenever she was needed.