Gina Clayton-Tarvin was first elected to the OVSD Board of Trustees in 2012. She was recently voted Vice President of the Board, after serving as Vice President, Clerk, and five terms as President of the Board. She is a long-time educator, beginning her teaching career in 1995 in the ABC Unified School District. She first worked as a substitute teacher while attending graduate school at California State University at Long Beach for a Master’s Degree in Applied Anthropology. Trustee Clayton-Tarvin began teaching full time at Fedde Junior High School (now a middle school) in Hawaiian Gardens in 1996. While at Fedde, she held several leadership positions and was instrumental in creating, procuring and implementing the $3.4M Magnet School Assistance Program federal grant. In 2005-2006, she moved to Cerritos Elementary School, where she continues to teach in the sixth grade GATE Program. She has also served for nine years as the school’s ABCFT Site Representative. While at Cerritos Elementary School, she co-authored the successful California Distinguished Schools Recognition Program in 2008 and 2014.
Trustee Clayton-Tarvin holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Anthropology and a California Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential, as well as a California Secondary Single Subject Credential in Biology. She holds an English Learner (EL) Authorization and Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate and is authorized to provide instruction to English learners. She has also worked for Special Education as a home school teacher. She successfully completed the California School Board Association Masters of Governance program and received her certification in 2014.
A resident of Huntington Beach, Trustee Clayton-Tarvin has two school-aged sons. She is proud to serve as a member of the Cerritos Elementary PTA, the Hope View PTO, and the Huntington Beach High School PTSA. She is an active member of the Surf City Optimist Club, serving children in need, as well as a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 133. As a Trustee, she focuses on advocating for lower class sizes, increasing student achievement, modernizing school facilities, providing 21st Century learning environments, expanding the GATE program to more OVSD schools, continuing staff collaboration, and advocating for more innovative school programs, like Golden View's Environmental Science Program and the Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program at Harbour View.
Vice President Clayton-Tarvin’s term ends in December, 2024.
ginaclaytontarvin@gmail.com.