Dear Editor,

James Mousalimas, current Deputy Superintendent of Schools at the San Joaquin County Office of Education, clearly stands out as the best candidate for County Superintendent of Schools in the November 4 election.

His distinguished 29 years of experience in education as a teacher, coach, Peace Corps volunteer and administrator, combined with a reputation of integrity, collaborative decision making and sound financial management is unmatched by any other candidate.

James Mousalimas has been endorsed by District Attorney-elect Tori Verber-Salazar; Sheriff Steve Moore; Michael Gillespie; over 6000 San Joaquin County teachers; over 4000 classified school employees (school bus drivers, custodians, instructional assistants, etc.); business leaders including Fritz Grupe and the AG Spanos Company; law enforcement agencies including the SJC Deputy Sheriffs, SJC Probation Officers and Stockton Police Officers; 12 out of 14 local school district Superintendents; three Board of Supervisors members – Ken Vogel, Steve Bestolarides and Carlos Villapudua; former State Senator and Assemblyman Patrick Johnston; and former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. This speaks to his ability to build broad-based partnerships and manage the complex programs provided by the County Office of Education.

James is a person of integrity and high ethical standards; he makes decisions that are in the best interests of our students. He is the only candidate who has the necessary experience to lead our county schools. I strongly recommend James Mousalimas as our next Superintendent of Schools in San Joaquin County.

John Largent,

Board Member

Escalon Unified School District