Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1525262
Karla Griego United Teachers Los Angeles Running for: Los Angeles Unified School Board karlagriegoforschoolboard.com Why are you running? I was inspired to run because of my daughter Romy, who is an 11th grader at our local high school. I watched Romy grow as a student organizer and witnessed time and time again how the school board dismisses young people's voices. I want to be a part of a school board that not only reflects the community that it serves but also listens, makes decisions and sets policy based on real community input. What are your top priorities? • Protecting and expanding programs that support our most marginalized students, such as the Black Student Achievement Plan and community schools; • Building transparency and accountability around school budget development and charter schools; • Expanding mental health support staffing and school-based safety programs that address the needs of our most vulnerable students including special education, LGBTQ+, and Black and brown students. Why is it impor tant to have educators on school boards? As an educator that has been working in schools for 19 years in various positions, including special education, I understand the high levels of need of our students and their families. Working with pregnant and parenting teens has taught me about the unique and varied needs of our student population but also about the resiliency of our students and the com- munities that we serve. As a union representative, I have organized alongside thousands of educators who not only continue to fight to better their own working conditions, but also the learning conditions of their students. Understanding all these dynamics is essential when making decisions for such a large school district. What does it mean to you to be par t of the movement to protect and defend our public schools? Public education has been under attack for decades through privatization and defunding, but now we are seeing attacks on our academic freedom and attacks on students' rights from right-wing white supremacists. These attacks must be challenged on many fronts, including electing people who will not let homophobia, transphobia or anti-Black racism rule our school systems. We also have to continue to put forward a different vision for pub- lic schools, one that brings joy and transformative teaching and learning to the classroom so that our students may thrive and become powerful agents of change. How impor tant is the November election? Local races impact our livelihood and those of our students more immediately and directly. They can determine to what extent the community, students and teachers are heard around the issues that matter to them the most. Furthermore, the networks that are built amongst locally elected leaders can have a powerful impact at the state and national level. I look forward to building coalitions to fight for public education at all levels. 34 cta.org Election 2024