"My goal is to drive the public school systems to once and for all address the core needs of our children and their families that will have a direct effect on their learning and lifelong purpose."
- Dr. Rocio Rivas
Map of Board District 2. To find your LAUSD Board District visit: lavote.gov/apps/precinctsmaps.
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In an attempt to maintain the status quo, Garcia hand-picked Maria Brenes to be her successor. Her efforts to put her fingers on the scale for Brenes have included appointing the candidate's husband to the redistricting commission so that he could redraw the district in a way that was favorable to his wife. SEIU-99, the union that has been caught in the past legally laundering campaign money for the California Charter School Association (CCSA), has hired Sheriff Alex Villanueva's campaign manager to create ads supporting Brenes. There are also persistent reports that Brenes has agreed to hire Garcia as her Chief of Staff if she wins the election.
Other than being able to corral parents to speak at LAUSD Board Meetings in favor of charter-school-friendly policies, little is known about Brenes. Her website is devoid of information that is useful to voters trying to make a decision and she has refused to answer any questions that I have sent to her over the course of the campaign.
In comparison, her opponent, LAUSD parent Dr. Rocio Rivas, has replied to almost every set of questions in my Ask The Candidate series. These answers can be found in the following links:
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Unpaid Charter School Debt Hurts Students
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Removing Barriers For Children With Special Education Needs
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: A Commitment To Parent Engagement
- These Two Candidates Want Your Vote
As ballots are mailed to the voters, I gave the candidates one last chance to make their positions known to the voters along with the opportunity to make a final appeal to the voters. The 20 questions covered a variety of topics and, in an effort to respect the candidate's time constraints during the final days of campaigning, were designed so that they could be answered with a "yes" or a "no." I also left room so the candidates could expand on those answers if they wanted to.
As could be predicted, Maria Brenes refused to answer. Rosio Rivas' answers can be found below along with her appeal for your vote:
Representation:
1. The Los Angeles City Council has 15 seats. The LAUSD covers a larger geographic area but only has seven representatives. Would you support an effort to increase the number of seats on the LAUSD School Board?
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Yes
2. Many LAUSD schools have rules that prohibit students from having their cell phones out during school hours. Should the LAUSD Board have the same rule during Public Comment?
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Yes, Public Comment is the time for Board Members to be listening to the concerns, input, lived experiences and questions from all stakeholders and constituents of LA County.
3. The Brown act does not require general public comment during "special" meetings but does not prohibit it. Should the LAUSD maintain a public comment period during every board meeting?
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Yes, public comment should be available at all board meetings.
4. The Superintendent announced that there would be four "accelerated days" in the 2022-23 school year without getting input or buy-in from the community. Should there be a requirement that major changes like this one have a community comment period before being implemented?
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Yes, all affected stakeholders must have opportunity to provide input.
5. If the Superintendent position becomes vacant during your term do you commit to an open process that complies with the Brown Act and gives parents a voice before a final vote is taken to extend a contract to the selected candidate?
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Yes
6. If you vacate your position before the end of your term to assume office for another elected position would you agree to reimburse the district for the cost of a special election to pick your replacement?
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Yes
Charter Schools:
7. The North Valley Military Institute settled a lawsuit alleging "abhorrent child sex abuse" without notifying parents on the campus where they are co-located under PROP-39. Does transparency need to be increased for charter schools operating on public school campuses?
- Dr. Rocio Rivas: Yes
8. Would you vote to authorize a charter school that plans to operate in a building that is not compliant with the Field Act that protects students in an earthquake?
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