Kate Bishop, a former costume designer, is running for re-election to Seat 4 on the Chula Vista Elementary 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 Bishop told us about hers. Why are you running for school board? What makes you a good candidate? I’m running for re-election to seat 4 because I believe that my voice is an important part of our board. Kate Bishop (2024 Erica Steele Photography) As the parent of a child with special needs, I have intimate knowledge of how difficult it can be to navigate the school system for my child, and I advocate on behalf of the special education community to push back against barriers to services. As an arts professional (and chair of the Chula Vista Cultural Arts Commission), I understand the incredible benefits to students in having real access to arts enrichment, and I fight hard to protect funding for our award winning visual and performing arts program. And as a former executive board member for the Chula Vista Council of PTAs, I know how vital parent involvement is to student success, and I push for better parent engagement opportunities in our district. What is the most important issue currently facing your school district? We, like most school districts, are still facing the devastating effects of COVID-19 on our students. We have all experienced a shared trauma of a seeming apocalyptic event, and trying to recalibrate the learning process can be very challenging. Not only is it critical to address the mental health and well-being of our students in order to make sure that every child is supported and ready to learn, but we are also re-assessing everything we do as a district to make us better. Our five-year academic plan, which we have just introduced, is taking a hard look at our programs and curriculum and figuring out what is working and what is not, and is fixing what needs to be fixed. We have a duty to set up every student for success. What are the top three specific things you would seek to accomplish on the school board? I want to continue in my efforts to strengthen the school-home partnership through parent outreach and support. I fought hard to bolster our parent engagement and will continue to fight to empower the parent voice in our district. I want to create more community partnerships and actively chase more grants so that we can give our students as many opportunities as possible. Our LEAD program, which provides free after-school enrichment to all students, is the product of a very generous state grant. I would love to be able to offer even more to our students. I want to work to address the mental health of our students, including anti-bullying efforts and behavioral support in classrooms. Kids need to feel safe in schools, not just from outside threats but with their peers as well. What would your approach be to district budget planning and spending? What would you do if your district had a budget shortfall? With the end of COVID funds as of July 1 of this year, enrollment levels lower than expected and a statewide budget shortfall, we are very much looking at the reality of cuts to our budget in the coming year. Budgets are moral documents. You can see what the district cares about based on what we spend our money on. My priority is, was and will always be keeping cuts as far from our classrooms as possible, and making sure that student mental health and safety are at the forefront. How should your school district raise student academic achievement, and what would you do as a school board member to accomplish that? School board members create policy and the guidance that superintendents use to create educational plans. We have been actively addressing student academic needs by supporting this new vision for Chula Vista Elementary School District and our five-year academic plan. So much of past practice included building upon failed approaches and making minor adjustments when things aren’t working. This plan will be a top-to-bottom overhaul of our academic approach, which keeps what is working, fixes what can be fixed and takes a hard look at what isn’t working and addresses it honestly. It is a bold approach and requires board support. Do you think anything currently offered in school curricula or libraries should be removed? If yes, what, and why? If no, why not? Our curriculum and libraries do not contain anything that is inappropriate for children. Our teachers and librarians are skilled in understanding age-appropriate material and are able to help students find what they need. There is nothing that needs to be removed.  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 absenteeism stems from the thing I have touched on in previous questions: post-COVID shift. There are several outcomes from that. First, COVID (and other illnesses) have been on the rise, and people are doing a better job at not sending their child to school sick. Also, many students (and families) experiencing the pandemic shutdown felt the de-prioritization of education in general. In a traumatic survival situation, long-term planning (which includes education in order to build a strong future) can get left behind. It’s difficult to then re-adjust the mindset when we get back to “normal.” However, this is changing, and people are realizing more and more how very important it is for children to be at school every day. Do you think schools should notify parents if their child’s gender identity or presentation at school changes? Why or why not? California law dictates that parents are not to be notified if their child changes their name or pronouns at school, and as district leaders who have made an oath to uphold the constitutions of the United States and California, we are obliged to follow the law. But beyond that, it is important to remember that these laws are not in place to punish parents or to get involved with a family dynamic. These laws are to protect children. Not every child has a parent who will be safe for them to know about their identity. This law is in place to protect THAT child from mental, emotional or physical harm. That is the priority.