Four candidates are vying for two spots on the Garden Grove Unified school board in 2026: two each for Trustee Area 2 and Trustee Area 4.
In Trustee Area 2, incumbent Lan Quoc Nguyen, the board’s vice president, is facing a challenge from Charlene Cuellar, a community volunteer and former president of the Garden Grove Unified Council of PTAs.
Over in Trustee Area 4, voters will decide between two new faces, since Bob Harden, the board president, is not running for reelection: Tracy La, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization VietRISE, and Quan Vuong, an attorney and certified public accountant.
We asked the candidates about what they believe are the top needs in their district, how the district’s schools can better teach or engage students in civil discourse and more. Here are some of their answers to our questions. Find more about what these candidates — and others up and down the ballot — had to say in our 2026 general election voter guide.
Trustee Area 2
Incumbent Lan Quoc Nguyen (left) and Charlene Cuellar (right) are vying for the Trustee Area 2 seat on the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education in this November election. (Courtesy photos)
When asked to identify the top needs of Garden Grove Unified, Nguyen said the board will have to find a way to deal with funding reductions that have been caused by declining enrollment and the “ever-increasing costs in many major components of the operating budget.”
“I’ll open it for discussion and gather input from all stakeholders to look for ways to work smarter, increase efficiency, and review any ineffective tasks. This process would foster understanding and collaboration from all stakeholders,” said Nguyen, a Garden Grove resident who was first elected in 2002.
Cuellar, a Garden Grove resident, said the district needs to do a better job engaging with its students and parents. She said as a mother of three GGUSD students, “I’ve seen firsthand how the district needs to improve with parents in our community.”
“For students, we must get back to the fundamentals — rethinking our kids’ relationship with screens in the classroom, focusing on literacy, building social skills, bolstering student mental health, and investing in resources for every child to succeed. The kids who feel left behind and the parents who can’t speak out need a champion to advocate for them,” she said.
Nguyen said schools could better teach civil discourse by encouraging older students to learn by “engaging in practical experience” in certain courses, “but within the proper guidance of instructors to avoid them from being taken advantage of or being exploited for economic or political purposes.”
“When students are sent out to get practical experiences, they’re there to learn, not to provide free or cheap labor,” he said.
Cuellar, meanwhile, said it’s more important than ever to teach students civil discourse, “especially with social media algorithms saturating their screen time.”
“Students have access to more conflict, violent content, and misinformation than ever before,” she said. “But ultimately it’s up to parents to ensure their children are taught mutual respect, how to listen and share with others, and constructive communication with their peers.”
Trustee Area 4
Tracy La (left) and Quan Vuong (right) are vying for the Trustee Area 4 seat on the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education in this November election. (Courtesy photos)
La and Vuong are vying for to represent Trustee Area 4, a seat which Harden has held since he was first elected in 1994.
Making sure that GGUSD schools remain a place of safety and opportunity for students, parents and school staff is what the school board needs to focus on the most, said La, a Santa Ana resident.
“I will advocate for needed expansions to mental health support and basic needs programs, such as farm-to-school nutrition programs and support for GGUSD families facing immigration issues,” she said. “I believe that all GGUSD students should have what they need to succeed, whether they live in Santa Ana, Westminster, Garden Grove, or Fountain Valley.”
Working to maintain and expand Vietnamese and Spanish dual-language education, college credit opportunities, job training and special needs support will all be top of mind if she is elected, La said.
Vuong, a Fountain Valley resident, said the district first needs to create a greater sense of community throughout all its schools. Then it needs to do a better job ensuring that students graduating high school are prepared for their futures, whether that be “college, vocation, trade, entrepreneurship, or a combination of all four.”
“Strong schools are built when families feel connected, informed, and empowered to participate,” he said. “The future is uncertain with new changes and the introduction of AI, so it is important to connect classroom learning to real-world skills and opportunities.”
Vuong, too, would push to expand career training pathways, as well as internship, mentorship and college credit opportunities for students in Garden Grove high schools, he said.
To teach and engage students in civil discourse, La said she would push the district to foster safe and inclusive campuses so students are encouraged to engage in conversations about important issues with their peers. The district can do that by better supporting teachers, she said.
“Garden Grove Unified teachers are already doing the work of not just teaching government and history classes, but also serving as advisors for a variety of student clubs like debate, civics, and culture clubs where students learn to engage in civil discourse and respect one another,” La said. “We should make sure that teachers have the resources, support, and training they need to continue to promote civil discourse at our schools.”
Vuong, similarly, said he would like to see the district “intentionally create opportunities” for civil discourse in the classroom, so students can practice developing these skills at all grade levels.
“Through classroom discussions, debates, and collaborative projects, students can learn how to express their ideas while considering different viewpoints,” he said. “Our goal should not be to teach students what to think, but how to think, communicate and listen respectfully.”
Learn more from these candidates on various issues, in their own words, in our voter guide.
Every registered voter in California has already been mailed a ballot, and voting is underway. Election Day is Nov. 3.