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On the Issues
"We need present and reliable leadership to push the San Leandro community forward. Together, we can walk out of the COVID-19 pandemic together, ensure our students have twenty-first century learning environments, provide the support our teachers need, and work to implement districtwide anti-racist frameworks."
San Leandro Unified School District is the place where our scholars dream big, strike gold, invent the impossible, tell their stories, and make history - one class at a time. But, this city is best, and most importantly, known as a place open to all people who wish to call it home - a place for people to be free and true to themselves
This is the roadmap I will continue to use as a school board member in our beautiful community. - James
Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
We need to continue to address site COVID contact tracing and immediate action protocols, ensuring that our families get the thoughtful communication they deserve, and ensuring staff are not overwhelmed by the doubled (often tripled) workload through hiring and monitoring staff supports.
Previous Accomplishments: hiring of COVID support staff, school re-opening, mask and vaccination mandates.
COVD
School Site Campus Safety
Address issues with student and staff safety on school sites - through internal and community partnerships - ensuring that the district adequately responds to immediate situations and ongoing challenges, without restricting the academic experience.
Previous Accomplishments: redefining relationship with San Leandro's Chief of Police, efficient safety procedure.
Safety
Advocacy for Correcting School Funding
Address k-12 funding and legislative issues facing our district and student success, ensuring the Board remain a lobbying force in the State of California. It is rare to see School Boards (and student trustees) consistently advocating and strengthening partnerships with the state.
Previous Accomplishments: election to CSBA Board of Directors, active presence in the State Legislature.
Funding
Getting Scholars to School
Address student need for equitable transit solutions, ensuring they get so school through safe and free methods of transportation - in partnering with AC Transit, BART, and other agencies - and encouraging alternatives to use of polluting cars.
Previous Accomplishments: active partnerships with Bay Area Rapid Transit and Alameda/Contra Costa County Transit Boards, maintaining free transit
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Transi
Power to the Student Board Members
Address student voice through the role of the Student Board Member, ensuring their voice is heard in all School Board decision making, elevating the role to committee work (as well as academic incentive), and providing them with the same professional development as trustees. The Board should also consider retaining services of the California Student Board Members Association for professional development.
Previous Accomplishments: reform of BP9150 - student members can make motions, preferential vote.
SBM
Raising Student Voice
Address student voice through enhancing district engagement opportunities, ensuring their voice is heard in decision making processes through Board committee work (for policy construction and advocacy), trustee school site visits, and student leadership classes.
Previous Accomplishments: recurring visits to student leadership classes, partnering with student board member.
Studet Voice
Raising Teacher Voice
Address teacher voice through enhancing outreach and participatory efforts, ensuring their voice is heard in decision making processes through expanding union partnerships, trustee school site visits, and districtwide engagement efforts (i.e., focus groups, LCAP).
Teaher Voice
Retaining Union Partnerships
Address district-union relationships and project development, ensuring union voice is respected and utilized in decision making processes, and ensuring certificated and classified right to organize is not hindered in any way.
Previous Accomplishments: consistent voting with union recommendations, support for PLA agreements.
Unions
Exploring Community Partnerships
Address school site issues such as lack of funding in certain areas through community partners, ensuring local nonprofits and probable grant/financial opportunities are utilized for the benefit of students, families, and school site staff.
Previous Accomplishments: developing network of local nonprofits, working alongside SLED (for grants).
Partners
Promoting Environmental Justice
Address the ongoing threat of the Climate Crisis in the educational setting, ensuring students, staff, and communities understand the threat the Climate Crisis has on our world, and ensuring the district lead the way in green facility improvements.
Previous Accomplishments: climate issues made a cornerstone of strategic plan, climate resolutions.
Env Justice
Being Leaders in Social Justice
Address the school to prison pipeline and social justice issues, ensuring underserved communities have a voice at the table, and ensuring that we are setting up all of our students for academic success during and after their education in San Leandro.
Previous Accomplishments: open space in committees for social justice advocacy/resolutions, resolution passage.
Socal Justice
Being Present in the School District
Address lack of leadership presence and listening with stakeholders, ensuring the Board attend productive school site visits, and ensuring staff and students are given a safe space to discuss frustrations and give input for the direction of the district.
Previous Accomplishments: consistent visits to school sites, presence at school events and participation.
Presence

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