How Outside Political Agenda & Project 2025 Threaten Coronado Schools | Mal Sandie

In this episode of Coronado Is Not An Island, host Laura Wilkinson Sinton sits down with Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) Trustee and 30-year Navy veteran Mal Sandie to expose how national political movements, funding freezes, and state policy battles are crossing the bridge into Coronado classrooms. Mal shares his unique background—from growing up in apartheid South Africa to flying carrier-based helicopters for 30 years—and explains why he stepped up to run for the school board to protect public education. In this episode, we break down: ● 🛡️ Defending Public Education: Pushing back against Project 2025, voucher programs, and extremist political groups targeting school boards. ● 📊 The "F" Grade Story: How political groups grade school board trustees and why Mal considers his grade a badge of honor. ● 🏫 4x4 Schedule & Academic Programs: The debate around high school block scheduling and career technical pathways. ● 💰 School District Finances: CUSD’s upcoming transition to Basic Aid, property tax structures, and special education funding realities. ● 📱 Technology in Classrooms: The push to remove cell phones and personal laptops from high schools, dealing with AI cheating, and middle school Esports. ● ⚓ Supporting Military Families: How CUSD supports its 30% military-connected student population. "If you care about our schools, the most useful thing you can do is pay attention and show up at a school board meeting." — Laura Wilkinson Sinton 👉 Learn more and get involved: Visit www.coronadodemocrats.com Timestamps ● 00:00 – "I Got an F Grade from a Political Group" ● 00:40 – Intro: Why Coronado Classrooms Aren't Isolated ● 01:11 – Meet CUSD Trustee & Navy Veteran Mal Sandie ● 01:56 – Childhood in Apartheid South Africa & Naval Academy Journey ● 03:31 – 30 Years in the Navy: Carrier Flights & Historic Events ● 06:36 – Running for CUSD Trustee & Facing Extremist School Board Views ● 09:33 – "We The Parents", Project 2025, and Political Report Cards ● 10:11 – The High School 4x4 Schedule Controversy ● 13:22 – Defending Public Education Against Voucher Programs & Defunding ● 15:22 – CUSD Budget Realities: Special Education & Property Taxes ● 17:56 – Prop 98, Deficit Spending, and the Transition to Basic Aid ● 21:47 – AI, Smartphones, and Smart Glasses in High School Classrooms ● 24:28 – The Middle School Esports Controversy ● 26:16 – Future Outlook: Class Sizes, CTE Programs, and Transfers ● 28:05 – Supporting Military Families at Silver Strand Elementary ● 31:11 – Closing Remarks: Show Up for Your Local Schools #Coronado #CoronadoIsland #PublicEducation #CUSD #CoronadoUnifiedSchoolDistrict #Project2025 #SchoolBoard #EducationMatters #NavyVeteran #SanDiego #LocalPolitics #CoronadoIsNotAnIsland