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Former schools trustee Collier seeks to reclaim position

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Former Newport-Mesa Unified trustee Michael Collier has been away from the school board for four years, but he’s eager to reclaim his previous spot in the November election.

Collier, 59, was first elected to the board in 2006 to represent Area 2, which encompasses Costa Mesa High and the surrounding elementary schools. He was defeated by 3,000 votes while running for re-election against current trustee Katrina Foley.

While the total number of votes he received was more than in his first run, it wasn’t enough to defeat Foley.

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“She has a better political machine working for her,” he said. “I’m just a dad that does stuff with my kids.”

Although he said that losing his seat was especially difficult, he vowed to stay involved in Newport-Mesa schools through the Parent Teacher Assn. and as part of the booster club for the band at Costa Mesa High.

In November, Collier will battle former principal Charlene Metoyer to represent the Costa Mesa High School zone.

Collier, a father of four, has one son still attending Costa Mesa High. The rest of his kids have graduated from Newport-Mesa schools.

With a son still in school, Collier said he would bring a unique perspective to the board.

“I’m a stakeholder in this community,” he said. “The kids discuss things with me. They’re comfortable enough to do that.”

Collier spent years as a band director at Estancia and Monte Vista high schools. While his career has since changed, he’s never lost his passion for music.

He advocated for the district to create a magnet school that centered on the arts during his last stint on the school board. It’s something he hopes to pursue once again as a trustee.

The former teacher also wants to continue to help raise test scores and improve the image of some of Costa Mesa’s Westside schools in an attempt to keep families in the area.

“The issues are the same as they always have been in this zone,” he said. “We need to find new ways to address them.”

He suggests increasing the district’s presence on social media to showcase the success of local schools.

Still, his main focus is maintaining a high-quality learning environment for students that embrace technology in the classroom.

“It’s all about the kids,” he said. “I don’t get caught up in the distractions.”

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