Erika Simmons, a principal in San Diego Unified School District, is running for a seat on the Alpine Union 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 Simmons told us about hers. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? The Alpine school board needs a fresh perspective and experience in education to create positive change. I have met with and heard from dozens of parents who are looking for improvement in our schools. Erika Simmons (Courtesy Erika Simmons) I have over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher and principal, and I have a doctorate in educational leadership. I also spent 4 1/2 years as the director of assessment services for San Diego Unified School District, California’s second-largest school district. In my role as a director, I led school principals and superintendents in the process of analyzing data related to what students need to be successful. With that information, I created actionable plans principals used while supporting their teachers that directly impacted student achievement and growth. What is the most important issue currently facing your school district? Alpine schools need to retain students and increase enrollment to have the resources necessary to provide the education that students need. Alpine schools receive $22,500 per student per enrollment year from state, federal and local funds (www.ed-data.org). Alpine schools have experienced a significant decrease in enrollment, limiting the resources we need to provide our students’ education. With increased resources, Alpine schools could broadly institute individualized instruction, which has been shown in numerous studies to drastically improve educational outcomes. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? Schools are the epicenter of every community. As a school board member, I will work with our community and local businesses to support the needs of schools. This includes developing more resources for families and establishing community school hubs. As a board member, I will spend time in the schools and work with district leadership to understand how current instructional routines directly impact our students and provide insights on how we can improve education. I will focus on using the budget for long-term learning that brings children back to our schools and provides unique learning experiences for our students during the school day. While after-school programs provide additional support for families, they should not be used as an extension of the school day. What would your approach be to district budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? Unfortunately, Alpine has experienced budget shortfalls. Long-term capital budgeting is one of the first keys to a successful budget process. Budgets must look out five years or more and plan for scenarios that include mechanisms to adjust spending based on resources associated with attendance. In addition to long-term capital budgeting, my focus will be on instituting systems that prevent budget shortfalls, including taking deliberate actions to retain students, retain qualified teachers, and increase enrollment. As an educator, I know firsthand that an increase of 10 students in Alpine schools is an increase of $225,000 in the budget. We must allocate funds where it is most impactful. The National Institute for School Leadership studies shows that when the budget is used to empower and train teachers, students benefit. The more we empower and train our teachers, the greater the outcomes for our students, which increases the budget through increased attendance. How should your school district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? As a school board member, I will implement a range of successful practices that I have used in the schools I have led. The key to improving education is understanding each student’s individual needs and empowering teachers to meet those needs. This is just as important for high-performing students as it is for underperforming students or students with an individualized education program for specialized services. As a board member, I will invest in programs that empower teachers through professional learning and support them through feedback that provides information so teachers can meet students where they are and help them improve. This would include giving broad assessments to students to determine specified needs, allowing educators to know their students by name and by need. Do you think anything currently offered in school curricula or libraries should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? I have reviewed the curriculum and library books in our schools. Alpine schools have a fairly conservative approach to traditional education that focuses on reading, writing and math skills. School districts serve children and should always have their best interests in mind. As a parent, current principal, and advocate for my children, I believe it is important that parents are aware of what their children are being exposed to and parents should have the right to remove or allow their child access. Parents must have a seat at the table when we make decisions for their children.  What do you think is driving student absenteeism in your district, and what would you as a school board member do to reduce it? There is a simple answer that has been demonstrated in numerous studies. Children who feel safe, seen, heard and understood want to be in school. This has a positive ripple effect within schools, creating an environment where students want to be. As a principal, I have increased attendance and decreased tardies by setting high expectations and working with parents to build systems for success. To fix issues related to attendance, schools must address students and families individually. As a school board member, I would support programs and practices that ensure students feel safe, seen and heard, which will undoubtedly lead to reduced absenteeism. Do you think schools should notify parents if their child’s gender identity or presentation at school changes? Why or why not? Parents must be part of their child’s education and overall success. Recent California law is clear that schools are not allowed to provide gender-identify-related information to parents and guardians. This is not an issue that school districts have any control over. Schools must build open lines of communication with parents related to all aspects of student success, including social interactions that impact children and the choices they make. By engaging parents to be true partners in schools, we give parents multiple and frequent opportunities to see their children for who they are and engage with them while in school in various settings.