Alma Sarmiento, 70, a retired job development specialist, is running for re-election as National School District trustee representing Area B.
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I’m a current school board member running for re-election. I feel I’m the best candidate based on my years of experience already completed as a sitting board member. Throughout my involvement on the board, I have shared several ideas with which to ensure the safety of our students. Every one of them have been implemented, and several are still in effect. I have put six of my own children through our National School District schools, and I currently have a grandchild attending school in the district. Therefore I have a vested interest in our students and their ultimate success.
Enrollment, budget and families affected by ICE.
I plan to focus on working with our assistant superintendent of business services to save money in our budget wherever possible. Secondly, I would concentrate on keeping any reductions as far from the classroom as I can. That focus would include NO layoffs. Third, I would like to continue our music program. This is a promise I made to voters many years ago, and it has continued without interruption all these years.
Choosing the best curriculum possible that focuses on results at every grade level. I have continuously emphasized over the years during superintendents’ evaluations that student achievement should be a priority. It’s no secret where I stand on this issue.
The onset of ICE involvement in our community has created fear in our parents. To be honest, I don’t know the answer to keeping them out of our schools and out of our neighborhoods. It’s an ongoing problem that I don’t have the answer to. In the past I’ve shared one story about a teacher who had continuous perfect attendance in her classroom. I made it a point to visit her and find out what her secret was. I then shared her secret with our superintendent in an effort to decrease absenteeism districtwide. It seemed to help at that time.
That’s an ongoing problem. I attended a talk on that problem at our annual CSBA (California School Boards Association) conference. They shared posting billboards throughout our community to share the positive things happening in each individual district. They also encouraged mailing out literature to let parents know these positive things as well.
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Our district has already formed a budget committee to take a detailed look at planning and spending. I would ask our superintendent and assistant superintendent to host regular budget workshops to help board members better understand the problems and how we, as a team, could improve on it.
Starting at the top, we would need to send a coalition of experts in the field to the powers that be to advocate for our special needs children. This is also something that could happen statewide. Locally, it would help to encourage parent volunteers to help in the classroom on a rotating basis.
This topic is crucial to our students and families in our district. The state Department of Education has been very helpful in addressing these concerns. Our district has initiated specific policies to deal with these concerns as well. Signage helps; employee training helps as well. I noticed several Facebook post recently where parents have been alerting other parents regarding immigration enforcement activities. Years ago one principal referred to them as the “mamacitas brigade” — simply put, students’ mothers notified one another whenever there was a concern that needed to be shared with other mothers.
For several years our district has issued Chromebooks and iPads to every student in grades K-6. Yes, there are times when they are lost or damaged, but the ends far outweigh the means. In our predominantly low-income community we have received much positive feedback from parents who cannot afford to provide internet access in the home, which in turn limits our students’ abilities to keep up with the rest of the learners in other areas.
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