Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1527898
Ken Tang Garvey Education Association R U N N I N G FO R : Alhambra Unified School Board facebook.com/VoteKenTang Why are you running for reelection? I feel I'm an education expert and therefore the best person to advocate for my students and colleagues. What are your top priorities? The health and well-being of students and staff, espe- cially mental health, school safety, transparency and clear communication. Why is it important to have educators on school boards? Educators are at ground zero, where everything is happening. We are the experts. We know what our students need. We know the real struggles of teach- ers and educators in the school and in the classroom. We need people who understand what goes on and what is needed when it comes to making important decisions that affect our students and educators. What does it mean to you to be part of the movement to protect and defend our public schools? I ran four years ago and became the first Vietnamese refugee immigrant to be elected in the city of Alham- bra. The work continues. In these uncertain times, we need school board members who will protect public education and fight for our students and educators. How important is the November election? Please vote! It's not just school board races, but we need to vote to protect democracy, women's right to choose and public education, and keep the ugly mon- ster out of our White House. Ken Wagman Gavilan College Faculty Association R U N N I N G FO R : Cabrillo College Board of Trustees Why are you running for election? I will be retiring soon and want to keep contributing to community college students. I've been the pres- ident and a negotiator for my union local, and I've been trained to understand the budget over many years. What are your top priorities? The state's current contributions to community col- lege funding are falling far behind the rate of inflation. At times like these, we need to keep any reductions as far away from the classroom as possible, so the college can offer a complete schedule for students to graduate on time. We need to hang on to our excellent part-time faculty so we can grow back the programs when the money returns. Now is the time to tap into college budget reserves that exceed recom- mended levels to keep classes available and faculty able to afford to live near where they teach. Why is it important to have educators on school boards? We teachers have seen the impact to the students and faculty of the cutbacks from the recession 15 years ago. We need to make sure current students and faculty aren't impacted that way again. What does it mean to you to be part of the movement to protect and defend our public schools? The California community college system is a valu- able community resource — we need to make sure it stays that way for future generations. How important is the November election? It has the potential to dismantle this hyper-partisan divide, which is turning off great candidates to run for local public education positions. I'm optimistic that if Kamala Harris is elected, it will begin the long healing process and encourage more folks to run for local trustee seats. Read more interviews with CTA members running for office at cta.org/educator. 27 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 24