Union educators up and down the Golden State are among those running for the opportunity to serve on more than 2,000 school board seats this November – an election with significant implications for our students and communities.

CTA President David Goldberg commends members who serve as elected officials and those taking the leap for the first time this year. He says it’s up to all members to work together to elect fellow educators and union siblings to school boards.

“People trust us – showing up on their doorstep matters to them. Every one of us has a role to play,” Goldberg says, asking CTA members to get involved in their local union’s election efforts.

Meet a few of the members running for election this fall and join our movement to win for our public schools and students. Visit cta.org/election to read about other members running for office and how you can be a part of our winning team on Election Day.

Pat Carpio-Aguilar
Sunnyvale Education Association
Running for: Fremont Union High School District School Board
www.pat2fuhsd.com

Why are you running for election?
In my career, I have taught at every grade level, from kindergarten to adult education. This will be the district’s first election by trustee areas instead of at-large, and if elected, I would be the first Latina to sit on the dais in the history of this school board. Representation matters; representation is important; and representation makes a difference. As a teacher, I am an advocate, and I want to bring my advocacy skills to the policy-making level so that we can elevate ALL students through education.

What are your top priorities?
My three priorities are the following:

• Elevate student voices in our board discussions and policy decisions.
• Remove barriers so every student can thrive at school, regardless of family income or home language.
• Promote safety and a sense of belonging for ALL students so they can reach their unique potential and we can build our community’s future.

Why is it so important to have educators on school boards?
Bringing a teacher’s lens to the school board is imperative because we are in the classroom, implementing the programs and policies that are board approved. With a teacher’s voice on the dais, students remain at the center of the conversation because of the connections that inevitably surface during board discussions. We are informed through our training, practice and our interactions with students and their families. We are a familiar face in the community, and people gravitate to us to get their questions answered because teachers are approachable and trustworthy. The stories that are shared in these encounters, plus the professional lens of a teacher, help shape the policy decisions that are critical to positive student outcomes.

What does it mean to you to be part of the movement to protect and defend our public schools?

This is a very important election year for school boards because governing board members are the “hands on deck” that defend the ideals of democracy and free public education. As a teacher, I hold education in the highest regard, and I want my students to have the best possible opportunities in life. This requires them to have access to reliable and coherent information about the workings of the world that they will inherit. Teachers can help our students elevate themselves to higher levels of thinking and being. We must protect the liberating and transformational power of education.

How important is the November election?

My call to action for all our colleagues is that we take this November vote very seriously because our freedoms are in jeopardy under the MAGA movement. All that we take for granted in education may look drastically different under another Trump presidency. We all have to work with our friends and neighbors to disseminate accurate information about the candidates that are willing to stand up and defend our civil liberties and public education.