Area 3
Alex Zamansky
AlexForSchoolBoard22.com
Sales and marketing, parent
Political support:
No public endorsements listed
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
As a parent with two kids in public school, I am passionate about their success. But more importantly, I have spoken with so many parents, teachers and staff about what they feel is needed to make our schools successful and safe. I am not looking to use this position as a platform for higher politics, so my decisions are truly going to be based on what is best for our kids. A vote for me is a vote for common sense, fiscal discipline, and a never-ending commitment to push our kids to be successful in the classroom, on the sports field or in the concert hall.
Why are you running?
I am running for school board because I believe we can do better than who we currently have in place. I bring critical thinking, an open mind, a non-confrontational outlook and a ’can-do’ attitude.
My platform is very simple: greatly enhance the safety and security of all our schools within the first year, bring back parent and community trust in our school board by bringing transparency and greater communication about decisions made or being proposed and fight for much needed resources to help our kids' and teachers' mental wellness.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
I believe all students should never be made to feel uncomfortable in the classroom. Teaching history accurately without ideology is imperative so we do not make the same mistakes again. In order to achieve equity, we need to examine all schools and see what resources may be needed — or not needed — to give all our kids, teachers and staff the best possible chance for success. Funding is always an issue, but my connections in the community in particular with local, small businesses can help bridge that financial gap.
I have a zero tolerance for any racism, anti-semitism or violence on campus. Schools should be a place of education, a place of safety and a place where kids and teachers can thrive. I am a proponent of bringing back music programs to all our schools as well as ensuring our kids have the newest technology for everyday use.
How are you planning to address the achievement gap?
Looking forward, I believe we need to find different, more creative ways to better engage parents and at the same time hold our teachers accountable. We also need to reexamine what is being taught in our schools and how it is being taught. As we become more diverse in our schools with so many kids from different places, do we need to revisit how we communicate? I would engage parents, teachers and students to get direct feedback on what we can do here to improve our district scores. For example, I will propose that in order to graduate high school, [a student] must pass a financial literacy course. My plan is to take political ideology out and make classes relevant. I will never vote to shut our schools down.
Zima Creason (Incumbent: Currently holds the seat)
VoteForZima.com
Vice President of SJUSD School Board, nonprofit executive, parent
Political support:
Democratic Party of Sacramento County and other groups
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
I serve as the Executive Director of the California EDGE Coalition, and the Vice President of the San Juan Unified Board of Education. I am the only sitting board member with a child attending a district school. I have worked in the policy field since 2001 and much of my work has focused on equity as it relates to mental health policy, as well as community outreach and engagement.
I am dedicated to supporting people to avoid crisis outcomes, uplifting social justice and for all Americans to have access and opportunity to achieve the American dream regardless of their zip code, culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health/mental health status, gender identification or who they love.
Why are you running?
To be helpful and to provide representation. Parent voice is crucial in education and in governance. I’m also the only Black and AAPI woman on the board. Representation matters.
Further, the San Juan Unified School District is going through a lot of change right now. We will hold by-district elections for the first time in November, we are moving from a 5-member to a 7-member board, and our superintendent is retiring this year. It is important that the district continue to have proven leadership and some continuity in its governance team as we go through this time of incredible transition.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
Bias, racism, and discrimination against people of color, LGBTQ and disability communities are real threats in education that can cause detrimental trauma. One tool we can use to address this is education and training. All members of our district community —teachers, staff, administration, students, families, the governing board, and others — would greatly benefit from anti-racism and anti-discrimination training and I will develop a plan to make this learning available to all.
We also need more teachers and staff that come from diverse backgrounds. I will continue to empower our equity department to create a safe work environment for diverse teachers and staff so that we retain diverse staff. I also plan to lead an effort to create education pathway programs, especially in our most diverse schools.
Priorities include:
- Safe school campuses
- Individualized student services and support
- Whole-child approaches that include mental health and nutrition services
- Positive academic outcomes that lead students to economic mobility and good jobs with family-supporting wages and benefits
- A supportive workplace for staff that allows for an enriching educational environment
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
I prefer to call this issue an opportunity gap. To me, ‘achievement gap’ puts too much responsibility on the student when really the system needs to do better.
No matter what we call it, the fact is that many students, including kids from diverse communities, families with low incomes, kids receiving special education services and others are not seeing the same academic outcomes of many white students.
First, education must consider a whole-child approach. It is hard for kids to focus on their education when they are hungry, live with housing insecurity, don’t have access to technology at home and don’t have access to academic support outside of the school day. It is hard for kids to excel when they are suffering from health challenges, and it is hard for kids to thrive when the adults in their life are struggling.
When I’m re-elected, I will continue my work to bridge resources so that our students and families have access to services and support. For example, there are several community-based organizations s that are funded to provide support in the areas noted above.I will also continue my advocacy at the state level to secure resources for these priorities.
Another critical barrier is how we test competency. Many of the indicators that demonstrate opportunity gaps are based on a single test, which is highly problematic and is not a good indicator of competency. This is recognized through AB 705 and 1705, these bills intend to stop the practice of students being placed in remedial non credit bearing classes based on a single test. We need to reexamine how we determine competency, and I will work with students, families, teachers, staff and others to develop a plan to address this issue and create a work plan to improve academic success for students.
Area 5
Jeffrey Perrine
JeffreyPerrine.com
Parent
Political support:
Proud Boy member, endorsed by former Attorney General candidate Eric Early
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
I am a Sacramento native. I attended Pershing and Thomas Kelley elementary schools, Barrett and Sylvan middle schools and Mesa Verde and San Juan high schools. I am highly active in my community. I volunteer coached at Sacramento State for five years on a club team. I worked with underprivileged kids at F.C. Joyce Elementary in North Highlands for a few years with the program Reading Partners.
I have a B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in Business Administration from Sacramento State, I graduated in 2014. I am a constitutionalist.
Why are you running?
I am running for school board because the people who have been in charge have destroyed everything that was created to make our kids successful. I want to protect the future of our children, not condemn them to servitude.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
I think race and equity are being pushed in schools. We have made our schools so unsafe for free thought. Race and equity have been used to blame certain demographics of people. I think Critical Race Theory is an absolute travesty to the educational system.
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
I think the achievement gap could be filled by education not indoctrination. We are not teaching our kids skills needed to succeed. We are teaching them that race and sex are all that matter. I highly disagree with how we have been teaching our kids.
Michael McKibbin (Incumbent: Currently holds the seat)
MikeMcKibbin.org
San Juan Unified School District Trustee, former teacher and administrator
Political support:
Stonewall Democrats of Sacramento and other groups
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
I have been a teacher and administrator for nearly five decades working in the field of education. I was a parent volunteer in my son's Orangevale public school classrooms for 11 years serving more than 1,000 hours. I have served on the San Juan Unified School District School Board for eight years. Before that, I was an administrator at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.I have two master's degrees and a Doctorate of Education from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. I served in the Peace Corps in India for two years.
Why are you running?
I have been a school board member for the past eight years and am proud of the work that we have done, but there is still much to be done.
The experiences of my lifetime provide me a foundation so that I can ask the tough questions, listen to the educational concerns of our community and make policy decisions that will lead to a world class education in 21st century skills for our students.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
I was part of the team that wrote San Juan Unified’s 8 Point Commitment to Educational Justice. The plan, which I outline below, is solid, but the real test is in the effectiveness of our implementation. I want to help lead our efforts to help break down [some] of the existing barriers, deal with our unconscious, built-in biases, create safe spaces for the marginalized and assure that our plan is manifested in our hiring practices, our financial commitments and the ways we treat each other.
- Improve school culture to be more inclusive and provide diverse representation at all sites
- Build our collective capacity to have courageous conversations and interrupting both implicit and explicit racial inequities
- Expand and prioritize family and student voice
- Embed equity training within robust offerings of professional development
- Integrate anti-racist and anti-bias instruction within our curriculum
- Systematize site and department level conversations around equitable practices as well as anti-racist and anti-bias actions
- Increase workforce diversity through retention, career development and recruitment
- Establish a Networked Improvement Community to create equitable access to schools, programs, and rigorous coursework
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
We have achievement gaps among too many of our subgroups of students. Every child deserves a world class education. Here are some examples of how attack those gaps: recognize that not only do we have achievement gaps, but we also have expectation gaps. We need to make children and young adults aware of [their] own talents.
One example is with high school students. We now give the PSAT to all freshman and sophomore students for free. The exam has the capability to determine each student’s academic capabilities particularly related to areas such as Advanced Placement coursework. I was part of the Student Led Conferences at Encina High School. I was filling in for a young man’s caregiver that was not able to attend his conference. He, like so many persons in his peer group, was taking the regular offerings, but it was quite clear in our conversations — as well as being verified by his PSAT data — that he was quite capable of more challenging work. He did not believe me [or] his counselor until he saw the PSAT data. He took his first Advanced Placement course and did quite well.
Tanya Kravchuk
TanyaKravchuk.com
Business owner, parent
Political support:
Sacramento County Republican Party and other groups
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
I've devoted a better part of my life to serving children. I've volunteered and worked for various nonprofits including a domestic violence shelter and an emergency shelter for abused and neglected kids. I've been very involved in my children's schooling and served as vice president of our elementary school’s Site Council. I've also taught Sunday School for over 20 years. In terms of relevant experience, I have worked at a fortune 500 company, a federal government agency and currently own and manage my own business so I understand budgets, people and policies.
Why are you running for the school board?
I'd like to improve the quality of public education so that our children are equipped to compete in the global workforce and be contributing members of society. I want to make schools and communities safer and give parents a voice in education. I will prioritize support for teachers and students with special needs and demand fiscal accountability to ensure better facilities and programs.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
The San Juan Unified School District has many immigrant and refugee groups that are English learners. As an English learner myself, I understand the unique circumstances these students are in. They are not only learning a new language, but also a new culture and customs. I believe the first step is to foster a welcoming classroom environment that encourages students to learn and teaches the fellow students to be compassionate, supportive and helpful. If these English learners have peer support they will thrive. Additionally, we must focus on literacy development, allow some scaffolding with the native language and build in more group work.
I will prioritize support for teachers and students with special needs and demand fiscal accountability to ensure better facilities and programs.
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
Two main ways would be to invest in early education and focus on literacy. Specific interventions could include support for new parents, free or affordable child care, quality pre-K or other early childhood education settings.
Research shows that children who graduate from preschool have improved academic readiness, lower incarceration rates and higher earnings.
Too many of our graduates are not reading at grade level and this is unacceptable. We should be educating teachers in the application of well-researched reading strategies, particularly focused on younger grades. When children transition to reading to learn in higher grades, ingrain quality literacy instruction into other courses such as math and history.
Area 6
Ben Avey
BenAvey.com
Nonprofit administrator, parent
Political support:
San Juan Parents Association and other groups
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
I’m a dad with four school-age kids who is running to represent parents on the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education in Trustee Area 6.
I was born and raised in Fair Oaks attending San Juan Unified School District schools. When COVID-19 emerged, I came together with other families to form the San Juan Parents Association to be a voice for our kids as we navigated the chaos of shutdowns and distance learning. We successfully advocated for a safe return to in-person learning.
Professionally, I have dedicated my career to lifting up local communities through mission driven non-profits, now serving in a leadership role at a large community health system where I’m responsible for community engagement and advocating for the vulnerable people we serve.
Why are you running for the school board?
It started with a simple request in Fall 2020: Please add COVID-19 to the agenda at each Board of Education meeting.
We were months into lockdown distance learning and parents needed a dedicated place where they could hear the latest information on the pandemic and hear Trustees discuss it with the Superintendent. More importantly, we needed a dedicated place where Trustees could hear a parents’ perspective of what was happening with their children at home.
The request was ignored.
COVID-19 was deferred to ad hoc staff reports buried throughout the meeting. If parents wanted to speak, they were relegated to visitor comments, a catchall forum for any item not on the agenda where board and staff are prohibited from responding.
We organized. We spoke up during visitor comment. We wrote e-mails and direct messages. With masks on and safety protocols in place, we protested at the district office and special interest corporate offices.
Eventually, they listened. COVID-19 was placed on the agenda.
The Board adopted a schedule for a safe return to in-person learning, first part-time and then full time.
In each case our argument was simple: parents see firsthand the impact of district policies on our kids. We saw the impact on their mental health, physical health, and learning loss. We saw our teachers, desperate to help, bend and twist in every way allowed to be the educators they knew kids needed. We saw what needed to happen from a student perspective.
I’m running to continue our efforts. I’m running to bring parents into the conversation. I’m running to give my kids, and yours, a voice in their education.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
Transparency is the most significant barrier to race and equity in San Juan Unified School District today. The school board has to have a better line of sight on outcomes, not effort, so we can begin to address the race and equity issues within the district. I would begin with a school-by-school analysis of demographics, test score outcomes, mean teacher tenure, budget and demographics to determine gaps and inequities.
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
We cannot address the achievement gap until we begin to focus on outcomes rather than effort. We know that teachers are working incredibly hard, going above and beyond everyone's expectations. But in certain schools, that isn’t translating to improved outcomes. More concretely, I would use data.
Ray Ward
Vote4RayWard.com
Business owner
Political support:
San Juan Teachers Association and other groups
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
I have a long history of finding solutions to problems. My business and non-profit background provide me with budgeting and planning expertise that is important for the short and long-term health of the district. In addition, I will bring marketing expertise which is badly needed so that students and parents can find the best programs for their future.
I know these unique skills will bring a positive perspective to the board to create a better learning environment for our students.
Why are you running for the school board?
As I look around, I see a system that has many strengths to work from but also has the perception that it does not communicate well or listen to opposing views in the community. I understand that to create a better system we must work together with parents, district staff, administrators, community leaders, business people, volunteers and teachers. I would like them to come together to find ways to help and to bring their ideas to improve our school district. If we work together, I know we can find solutions that incorporate traditional concepts and new ideas to produce students that succeed in the future.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
I have learned that race and equity issues cannot move in a positive direction without two things. First, we need to teach the students good communication skills. If students talk, and more importantly listen to one another, they can begin to understand why others feel the way they do. I have found that this must start either on a one-on-one basis or in small groups in an environment of open-mindedness. As a multi-ethnic person, I have found that when a person understands some of the situations I have dealt with, we can have a quality conversation on the issues.
Second, we need educated students. If students are knowledgeable and work together toward academic success, they will realize everyone is similar in many ways. Also, an educated person can learn more on the subject so they can make better decisions.
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
First, we must make sure that our earlier learners are performing at grade level or above. I was taught an important quote that I refer to often when discussing early learners: ‘Up to third grade, students learn to read, after third grade they read to learn.’ Therefore, we cannot let the early learner fall behind or they will rarely ever catch up.
Currently, the state has provided some funds to help teachers with additional aids to deal with the issues caused by the pandemic, but that money will run out soon. So, with large classrooms and a budget that may not increase during the next few years, how do we ensure the students learn at the appropriate level?
One is [that] teachers should ask parents to help in the process. We should have programs where parents can learn how they can help their students. If the students do not have parents that can help them, we should ask the community to help.
Second, we need community and business leaders to join us in evaluating our programs and let us know what skills are needed in the workplace. If they help us create programs where students learn skills that are needed, then our graduates will have a positive future. These relations can be a win-win for the community as well as our students.
Area 7
Murad "Moe" Sarama
Sarama.vote
Business owner, parent
Political support:
Democratic Party of Sacramento County and other groups
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
San Juan Schools educated all four of my children, I have had children in the district since 2002. I am a twenty-year resident of Trustee Area 7. As a businessman and a transportation professional, I understand the importance of operating cost, best budget practices and fiscal responsibility when handling taxpayer money. I will advocate for smarter budgeting, reducing any administrative waste and putting more resources into classrooms.
I will work diligently to ensure our district never runs into any budget crisis or deficits while ensuring that our teachers and staff get a fair deal so our kids can go to the best schools. Making sure teachers and staff have a high quality of life with robust support is what will make this school district retain the highest quality educators and childcare professionals that students deserve.
Why are you running?
I am worried about the safety and security of students in my community. Threats and acts of violence prevent students from feeling a sense of safety which hinders their learning and development.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
The racial disparities in discipline in San Juan are troubling. Black and brown students are more than twice as likely to be suspended and more than 1.5 times more likely to be referred to law enforcement or expelled, relative to their white peers. This disparity means the district’s discipline framework is failing students. I want to develop new models of conflict resolution in this district that focus on the root causes of student antisocial behavior and address educator and administrator biases in disciplinary practices.
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
High quality educators create high quality educational outcomes. For poor and minority students to reach their full potential, this district must create incentives for the best teachers to work in the hardest-to-staff schools, particularly in elementary school settings. When students fall behind at a young age, early intervention is essential to prevent a widening achievement gap.
To close the achievement gap in high school settings, all students need the opportunity to prepare for college regardless of class background. College is more expensive than at any other time in history, thus, fewer poor and minority high school students pursue college preparatory and Advanced Placement courses. I want to expand college affordability counseling and targeted professional development for teachers to make sure there is parity in the educational outcomes among poor and minority students and their more privileged peers.
San Juan Unified School District’s classrooms need to be staffed and supplied to educate students. This means expanding classroom budgets, increasing instructional assistant pay beyond minimum wage, and building in more paid prep time. There is an instructional assistant shortage in the district because compensation is so low, this needs to change. Teachers need all hands on deck so they can stay focused on providing the excellent standard of education for which this district is known.
Career and technical education (CTE) programs can prepare our students for careers in construction, manufacturing, transportation, energy production, and information technology without saddling them with decades of college debt. San Juan must expand CTE and apprenticeship programs for their students by training and hiring more CTE program educators. I will work with regional industry partners including community colleges, labor unions and local businesses to implement this intervention and build fulfilling career pathways for students.
Oleg Shishko
VoteOleg.com
Business consultant, parent
Political support:
Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
During the 2020 election, I joined a broad coalition to fight against and ultimately defeat a regressive sales tax increase in Citrus Heights, Measure M. I am on the board and serve as the Treasurer of the Sunrise Ranch Neighborhood Association in Citrus Heights.
Most importantly, I am a concerned parent who loves his children. This is the most important qualification. The balance of power in our school board needs to shift towards the parents. Parents have been ignored for far too long!
Why are you running?
I am a parent of 2 young boys. In just a few years, my oldest will be of school age.
Recent events have shocked my wife and I. Children are coerced into medical decisions without the knowledge or consent of their parents. These practices are discriminatory and anti inclusive as they explicitly go against the religious beliefs and traditions of so many families, including my own.
We love our boys so much! They are our life! We will not give them over to the manipulations and brainwashing of the current system! It simply needs to be reformed.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
I believe a factor to the unfortunate trend of lower scores is that our government schools have given themselves the role of teaching ethics and values to our children. Our society is highly diverse and polarized on many issues. We need to keep our schools separate from politics. If we refocus our schools on academics, we can start chipping away at this problem. We also need to look for more ways to get parents involved in the education of their children.
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
As in all other areas of our economy, a monopoly will lead to higher prices and lower quality. In education, we need to allow for parents to have more educational options for their children. If parents [are] more able to move their kids away from failing schools and into more successful schools, our schools will be forced to compete and become more efficient and successful at producing academically successful students. Our school district cannot be a monopoly on local public education. We must allow for competition in order to see progress in our public schools.
Steve Miller
Citrus Heights City Council Member, electrician
Political support:
No public endorsements listed
What makes you a qualified candidate for school board?
My experience as a community activist and city council member makes me well qualified for this school board position. I have long established relationships with school district administrators, residents and community groups, community non-profits and service clubs, our business community and law enforcement. I believe I am the most qualified candidate to step in and properly represent students and families throughout the San Juan Unified School District, especially in Citrus Heights.
Why are you running?
I am running because a new district that represents Citrus Heights is a great opportunity to speak for our city residents on the school board. There is a sentiment that schools in our city have not received their fair share in funding for education and facility maintenance, security, and improvements through the current and past school bond measures. I want our parents, residents and businesses to support and engage with our schools so we can collaborate on clear shared goals for the district, thereby improving student achievement.
What are your views on race and equity issues?
I believe the district has done a good job with their commitment to educational justice. During my tenure I would emphasize increasing dialog with students, parents, community members and district leadership regarding inclusive and equitable representation at all sites.
My biggest concern is the equitable treatment of schools within Citrus Heights, including adequate funding for education, facilities, and safe campuses on par with schools in Fair Oaks, Carmichael and Orangevale.
How do you plan to address the achievement gap?
I would address the open enrollment policy, revise school enrollment areas, and make certain that funding provided throughout the district is equitable to all students.
Another way to effectively increase positive outcomes in our school district is to bring in the community. Schools do better when volunteers, local businesses, nonprofits and service clubs work together with families to support our students. An invested community and dedicated parental base make for high achieving schools.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Zima Creason's occupation. She is a nonprofit executive. It also incorrectly identified Jeffrey Perrine and Oleg Shishko's endorsements. Perrine is endorsed by former Attorney General candidate Eric Early and Shishko is endorsed by Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer.
Srishti Prabha is an education reporter and Report For America corps member in collaboration with CapRadio and The Sacramento Observer. Their focus is K-12 education in Sacramento’s Black communities.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
