Issues
Putting Students First:
The district has updated it’s graduation requirements to meet those of the University of California entrance requirements. I want to ensure that students are getting the support they need to meet these new requirements. This means not simply meeting the academic needs of students, but being prepared to address other social issues impacting the success of students. The impacts of October wildfires of 2017 are just one of various issues that many students are dealing with.
Teacher Recruitment & Retention:
Our district is struggling with the recruitment and retention of teachers. I aim to prioritize internal and external collaboration to address the various issues that are impacting this problem. I also want to increase efforts to recruit bilingual and bicultural teachers that are essential to help meet the demographic needs of our district. Teachers are at the core of our students’ education and we need to make sure we provide the best for them.
Parent Engagement:
Increasing the involvement of parents in our schools and ensuring better communication are essential to providing better educational outcomes and also creating a greater sense of community in our schools. My experience with my mother’s involvement in my school played a significant role and I want to make sure our district is doing more to actively engage parents.
Ethnic Studies:
I’m a strong supporter of ethnic studies. This past year the State passed legislation requiring schools to offer ethnic studies in schools. This past week AB 2772 was just passed, this bill will offer grants to district’s that make ethnic studies a graduation requirement. My goal is to have our district become one of these districts and qualify for this state funding. I want our district to be a leader in the implementation of ethnic studies. As a person of color, I know the impact ethnic studies had on me, and believe that all students can benefit from this subject matter.
There are so many other issues that are important and I have opinions on them all. If you’d like to know more about a specific position, email me: omar[at]omarmedina.com