Editor's note: This is one in a series of profiles running about candidates for the two open seats on the Vista Unified School District board.

VISTA -- As a college teacher, Patty Anderson said she often sees the successes and failures of public education.

This year, she said, she decided to try to help increase the number of success stories in the Vista Unified School District by running for a seat on the school board.

Anderson, 44, is vying with five other candidates in the Nov. 7 general election for one of two open seats on the district's school board. Trustees are elected to four-year terms.

The Vista resident said she decided to run to ensure that high school graduates have the basic education needed to succeed.

"Nearly 60 percent of VUSD students can't read at grade level," Anderson said. "This must be fixed before any other issue, as all other issues pale when measured against this atrocious statistic."

In order to boost reading comprehension, the district needs to focus on teaching all students to read English, Anderson said.

"The No. 1 for me is getting these kids to learn to speak, read and write English early on," she said. "Because once they can read English, everything opens up to them."

Anderson said she thinks the bilingual program -- or "bi-illiteracy program," as she calls it -- fails to teach students properly in English or Spanish.

"It's keeping these kids back," she said. "It has nothing do with educating the kids. It has everything to do with promoting the Chicano agenda."

In the last 20 years, Anderson has seen many different sides of the education system as a teacher, student and school bus driver. She teaches oceanography and earth sciences at Cal State San Marcos, as well as at Palomar and MiraCosta colleges.

The Vista resident became involved with the district last year when Trustee Stephen Guffanti appointed her to the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee.

She said she is running, in part, to help Guffanti and board Vice President Jim Gibson improve school curriculum and represent taxpayers. The two trustees are frequently on the losing side of 3-2 votes on the board.

Because not all students have a desire to go on to college, Anderson wants to see the district build two magnet high schools that have been in the works for several years. However, she opposes the district plans to build them on 66 acres in eastern Oceanside.

She said she would rather see the high schools built on a smaller piece of land closer to the center of the district.

Having the magnet schools up and running would help the district reduce its dropout rate, Anderson said.

"If we give them an alternative to graduating and going to college, maybe they'll stay in school," she said.

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 631-6622 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.