City of San FranciscoCandidate for Board of Education

I am running for Board of Education because our public schools impact generations and we need strong leaders who will do what it takes to make sure all children in SFUSD are safe, supported and have all the tools they need to graduate. I am a mother and a fighter. I will move heaven and earth for my child and for the children in this district, because they matter. As the first in my family to finish high school and go to college, I relate to the challenges many of our students face. I am a child of working class parents who struggled to provide me with a good education. As a Latina and a mother, I bring a perspective that has been missing from the Board of Education for a long time. I hear and see the fear many of our immigrant families face everyday. I also believe that it is important to build unity and multicultural coalitions to tackle the issues of education, because no one is going to save us but us.

Teacher Support -- livable wages so that our educators can live and work in San Francisco. I will advocate for teacher housing, teacher stipends, and other housing programs that will address the current housing crisis. I am also working on various initiatives to bring more funds into the district so we can pay our teachers a wage comparable to our police officers and firefighters. Options include: shifting larger portion of SFUSD budget to school sites for teacher salaries, 1% tax on large corporations to fund teachers salaries and reduce class sizes, working with state legislators to get greater investment for high cost of living districts like SF.

Strong Start -- building a solid foundation for all children by prioritizing PK-3rd grade education. Many of our children are not hitting the marks in math and reading by 3rd grade. This makes graduation all the more unlikely. I am committed to providing early support so that we can create lifelong learners who can graduate and go to college. Focus will be around early identification of learning disabilities, reclassification of english language learners and literacy coaches.

Community Schools -- integrating support services for families onsite so that our kids will be ready to learn when they enter the classroom. I am looking to expand the partnerships with DCYF, DPH and other local organizations to make sure our kids are taken care of and know that there is a community invested in their success.