Monique Silver, a retired educator, is running for the Area 4 seat on the Santee School District board of trustees. The San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates running for school board in districts around San Diego County about their policies, plans and priorities. Here’s what Silver told us about hers. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? I am running for the Santee School Board to make a difference and to be a strong voice for our children. As a retired credentialed educator with over 20 years of experience in both general and special education classrooms and a longtime Santee resident with children and a grandchild in the district, I will ensure our teachers are respected and parental input is valued. Monique Silver (Courtesy Monique Silver) I am proud of the relationships I have developed with parents, students and former colleagues, many of whom are still teaching. We need a board that will work with our community to help our children thrive academically and encourage them to become their best future selves. Additionally, we need to ensure our schools continue to be a safe environment for staff and students in order to give our families peace of mind. What is the most important issue currently facing your school district? The most important issue facing our district and many others across the county is the significant drop in learning outcomes we’ve witnessed since 2020. Our students and staff have been through so much, including a global pandemic, school shutdowns and the news of violence in schools across the country. As a result, we face declining enrollment and student mental health crises because their basic needs aren’t being met, which hinders their ability to learn and grow. Some ways to address these issues are to partner with local agencies, including the County Office of Education, and to expand access to on-site support services for students, which will help raise academic achievement and put them back on track for success. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? I’m passionate about academic excellence, community outreach and school safety. I’ll ensure our children receive an excellent education and have access to books that will help them thrive. Students also need background context that can be provided by supplemental learning activities, such as science fairs and field trips. I would seek help from parent and community volunteers so our teachers have the support they need to provide these opportunities. For example, in 2023 the after-school programs put together a cultural fair at an offsite venue. Fewer students could participate because it wasn’t held at their own school. I would encourage each school to hold their own event or for the district to provide transportation for students that would like to attend. Finally, students and staff deserve to feel safe while learning and teaching. One solution I would champion is to implement anti-bullying programs so students learn not to be bystanders. What would your approach be to district budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? Santee’s people are our No. 1 asset, so my first priority is to students, teachers and staff. Budget planning is significant because we need to ensure all students receive what they need to succeed, including protecting the teachers and staff who contribute the most to our childrens’ education. If there are budget shortfalls, I will work with the board, district, teachers and administrators to ensure student needs aren’t affected and that the wellbeing of our teachers and staff is protected in the face of budget concerns. While state funding often fails to meet our district’s needs, I would still encourage the board to work more closely with county and state representatives to find potential sources of funding to help cover shortfalls. How should your school district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? Raising student achievement will be a top focus for me. I will work with teachers to ensure they have what they need to prepare students for the future, investigate methods to provide high-quality tutoring services to our struggling students, and ensure that our students’ mental health needs are met through robust counseling and other programs that will help our most marginalized kids. Our kids can’t learn effectively if they don’t feel safe in school, which is why I place such a high priority on taking care of their mental health. Home life also affects learning outcomes, so I will maintain open communication with parents to make sure our students’ basic needs are being met. Do you think anything currently offered in school curricula or libraries should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? I support what is being taught in the schools and provided in the libraries and am against censorship in all forms. Access to books is a significant part of growth and education, and I trust our parents to decide what is appropriate for their own children without denying others access to available materials. I respect the fact that every family is different and every child has different needs, and I will fight to ensure the board respects each family’s decisions as well. I also support the implementation of a curriculum that fully educates our students about the world of today and our past. What do you think is driving student absenteeism in your district, and what would you as a school board member do to reduce it? Student attendance is key for their success. When students’ needs aren’t being met at home, it can lead to higher levels of absenteeism from school. I believe in open communication with parents and teachers and providing support for our students. Students thrive with academic, social and mental health support. I believe in school counselors and working to teach coping skills that students can use daily, as well as other less conventional means of support such as pet therapy. I would also support the implementation of programs such as Care Closets (like the ones currently in place in Ramona) at our schools to help our underserved students who might not have enough to get by at home. Do you think schools should notify parents if their child’s gender identity or presentation at school changes? Why or why not? Students who trust their teachers have an outlet for mental health issues, peer challenges and self-esteem issues. I believe in our students and their right to self-advocate. Parents should be notified if there is a concern for their safety. Last year, the district decided to remove safe-space signs from classroom windows; however, it is important for students who feel bullied, alone, shy or excluded to have a place to go when they need to. I will support parents and their input for their children’s education while making sure all children feel seen and heard.