Trustee, Trustee Area 1 — Stockton Unified School District

Dear Neighbor,

As I look forward to the next four years my commitment is and always will be the success of our students and families.

I will continue to work diligently to assure that our students education and safety are our Districts top priority.

We will continue to work through the pandemic by providing all students with ALL of the resources they need to be successful. As we have learned, it goes beyond technology. Our students continue to need direct instruction and support. They also continue to require mental health services.

Dear Neighbor,

As I look forward to the next four years my commitment is and always will be the success of our students and families.

I will continue to work diligently to assure that our students education and safety are our Districts top priority.

We will continue to work through the pandemic by providing all students with ALL of the resources they need to be successful. As we have learned, it goes beyond technology. Our students continue to need direct instruction and support. They also continue to require mental health services.

While we specialize our approach and support to provide what all students need during the pandemic, we need the same level of planning and supports for our teachers. It is our responsibility to equip our teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support our students and their families academic and social emotional needs.

During my first term as Trustee, I have served in many capacities including Board Clerk. As an officer of the Board, I have worked with my colleagues to keep our District financially solvent. In fact, the 2020-21 school year is the first year since my tenure that we opened with a balanced budget.

I also serve as the Chair of the Stockton Unified 1852 Foundation where we have raised thousands of dollars to provide our students financial support to participate in academic competitions. In addition, I serve as a delegate for the California School Boards Association (CSBA).

CSBA is focused on improving board governance and defining education policy to ensure a high-quality education for every student. As an elected delegate, I work diligently to impact CSBA’s direction to be inclusive of the needs of our region. CSBA has been instrumental in guiding the direction of the Governor and State Superintendent through the COVID-19 pandemic to assure the safety of our students.

College and Career readiness is another priority as our students are below the state average in this area.

We will address these gaps by assuring that we meet the goals that our set in our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) which include equitable instruction at grade level from qualified teachers.

The plan also includes after school programs, career technical education training and technology.

Our school district is in transition and focusing on progress amid great change and uncertainty.

As your Trustee, our children’s education and safety are my top priorities.

I would be grateful to continue to serve you.

Cecilia Mendez

Cecilia Mendez, SUSD Board Member Trustee Area 1

Estimados vecinos,

Estoy sumamente emocionada anticipando estos cuatro anos que entran sabiendo que dedico todo al exito de nuestros estudiantes y sus familias.

Seguire trabajando para asegurar que la educacion y seguridad de nuestros estudiantes sea la primera prioridad de nuestro distrito escolar.

Continuaremos a trabajar por medio de esta pandemia proveendo TODAS las materias necesarias para que los estudiantes sigan adelante y sean exitos en sus estudios.  Como hemos aprendido, se require mas que  los instrumentos de tecnologia.  Nuestros estudiantes necesitan instruccion y apoyo de los maestros.  Tambien, sabemos que se requieren los servicios de salud mental.

Mientras especializamos nuestro apoyo para los estudiantes durante la pandemia, necesitamos hacer lo mismo para nuestros maestros. Es la responsabilidad del distrito de educar a nuestros maestros en como ayudar y apoyar a nuestros estudiantes y sus familias con las demandas educacionales,igual a las emocionales en que se encuentran durante esta pandemia.

Durante mi primer termino como Trustee( Oficial electa), servi en varias capacidades, incluso la puesta de Board Clerk.  Como official de la mesa directive e colaborado con mis colegas para mantener las cuentas financieras del distrito escolar, estable y fijas. De hecho, este ano escolar, 2020-2021 fue el primer ano de mi termino que se abrieron los prosupuestos financieros con las cuentas balanceadas.

Tambien, sirvo en la Silla Directiva de la fundacion “Stockton Unified 1852” en donde hemos recaudado miles de dolares, que se utilizaron para proveer a las competencias deportivas de los estudiantes en nuestro distrito. Ademas, sirvo como delegada para “California School Boards Association(CSBA).”

CSBA, se enfoca en mejorar en como se gobierna la mesa directiva y en como se definan las polizas educativas para asegurar la mas alta calidad de educacion para cada uno de nuestros estudiantes. Como un delegada electa, trabajo diligentemente para influenzar que la direccion incluya las necesidades de la comunidad y nuestra region.  La mesa directive de CSBA a impactado en gran parte y a sido instrumental en guiando la direccion que ha tomado el gobernador y el superintendente durante la pandemia de COVID-19 para la seguridad de nuestros estudiantes.

Preparando a nuestros estudiantes para la universidad y careras tambien, toma precedencia. Especialmente, cuando los resultados de los examenes del estado resultaron bajo del promedio en nuestra region.

Juntos vamos a enfrentar los resultados bajos para lograr las metas que se han puesto  por el “Local Control Accountability Plan(LCAP), que incluye la igualdad de educacion formado de maestros calificados por el estado.

El plan incluye, programas despues de escuela, entrenamiento para careras y clases de tecnologia.

Nuestro distrito escolar esta en transicion, pero seguimos positivos y nos enfocamos en el progreso en medio de estos tiempos de cambio e incertidumbre.

Como su Trustee(oficial), la educacion y seguridad de nuestros estudiantes es mi mas alta prioridad.

Seria un placer y siguiera muy agradecida sirviendolos.

My name is Viola Shackleford. I am a nutrition educator with the Edible Schoolyard Project, an in-home caregiver, and active local parent and grandparent. I’m running for Stockton Unified School Board because as a grandparent of two children who attend Stockton public schools, preparing our students for a brighter future is personal.

Our public schools are failing too many children in our community. Just 25% of our students are proficient in reading and only 30% graduate with the skills or knowledge needed to go to college. Put simply, our schools aren’t doing any better for our young people today than they were when I attended Alonzo Stagg High School. We can and must do better.

We didn’t have a name for what we now call the “school to prison” pipeline back then. But that’s what I experienced after I dropped out. Not getting a high school diploma set me on a challenging path in life. I struggled with substance abuse and encountered all the consequences that come with it. But thanks to the power of education, and the support of my church, family, and community, I am proud to work as a force for good in my community today. After earning a GED, two associates degrees and a bachelor’s degree, helping others has become the driving mission of my life.

While going back to school, I volunteered with my church teaching bible study, and worked as a tutor with Stocktonians Taking a Stand to Neutralize Drugs (S.T.A.N.D.). I also work as an in-home caregiver for the elderly in our community and am active in Trustee Area 1 as a nutrition educator with the Edible Schoolyard Project.

I want to serve on the Stockton Unified School Board because we need leaders who understand the unique needs of our historically underserved youth. If I have the honor of serving as your school board member, I will work my heart out to make sure our school district prepares all students for college and career, including students who may not currently be on track to graduate, like me at 16.