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Social Studies curriculum and the availability of stratified “tracks” in core academic classes for ninth graders have been the focus of the upcoming election for the Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees. Those two items have been at the center of every profile I’ve read of our candidates, in some cases appearing as the impetus for a candidacy itself.
You might wonder if these two topics are predominant with community members at Sequoia commensurate to how it might appear based on the framing of this election. Not really. I respect that for many constituents in our community, these items are indeed top of mind. From my vantage, as a loving parent who puts on a principal hat every morning to go to work, we have many other more urgent matters to be addressed at the Trustee-level. People might disagree. Know that I don’t want to diminish anyone’s passion or identity. Healthy disagreement and common cause are essential elements of any enduring democracy, something we teach in social studies classes every day. The more civility, the better — something else we teach. Frustratingly, I haven’t heard much from our candidates or our local media illustrating much overlap in our respective priorities for governance.
So, what should candidates be talking about in this local election? Here’s my take:
Measure W: District voters have entrusted their staff with the responsibility of modernizing our campuses. They allocated the resources to do so through a substantial majority vote in a 2022 election, likely because our district stewarded its last two facilities bonds so successfully. This success had much to do with the thoughtful and engaged participation of our trustees, one of whom (Alan Sarver), is back as leader of the Measure W Oversight Committee. Voters should be asking how candidates see modernization efforts playing out over the next four years: what will community engagement look like? How will we set priorities? What compromises can we live with? What kind of value-engineering can we expect these upgrades to ensure in the long-term? These are big questions, with multi-generational ramifications. At Sequoia High School, for instance, we are still (for the most part) benefiting from facilities decisions made over a century ago.
Student Wellness: It’s remarkable how well teenagers navigate the day-to-day onslaught to their mental health from toxic forces such as social media, tobacco products, and normalized violence. These forces compound the expectations, choices, and demands that characterize adolescence. Now take neurodiversity, socio-economic, and interpersonal factors into account. That such a vast majority of our kids emerge as functional adults equipped with the skills and confidence to thrive despite life’s stressors deserves more celebration, in part because of the support that it requires – in some cases daily. Parents know what I’m talking about…maybe we’re too tired to celebrate what we’ve done! An understanding of the ongoing efforts our schools are making to provide the targeted resources our students need to grow in their ability to manage stress is vital. Relying on research and expertise rather than anecdotal or personal narrative to reason through these issues strategically should be a prerequisite to serving in education in any capacity. Being able to further enhance the partnership between the adults at home and the adults in schools who make this possible should be the aspiration of any future trustee. What’s more important than healthy, joyful kids?
Emerging Technologies: When I peer around the corner and think about school and technology in, say, 2030, language-generative AI is only the tip of the iceberg. The ubiquity of personal devices and our ossifying tether to digital tools signal a fundamental shift in the nature of learning and knowledge. If SUHSD is to be on the vanguard of this shift (and why shouldn’t we be?), it will be because we were able to facilitate mature, thoughtful conversations with stakeholders, identify and marginalize fads and hucksters from these conversations, and engage honestly and authentically with our values in the changing world. Time is of the essence and a lack of action is a path to obsolescence.
Migrant Education: So far this year, Sequoia High School has enrolled 24 migrant students since the first day of school. This trend will likely continue throughout the year, as it has in previous years. Other schools in our district experience a similar phenomenon. Though imperfect, the Bay Area remains a safe and prosperous place for migrant families to settle relative to other parts of the country. This isn’t going to change any time soon. Identifying ways we can use our resources efficiently and strategically to serve our migrant families with the same urgency we serve all families in our district, is a privilege we justly embrace. The role of public education in this mission is not only about language acquisition but also academic and career skills that speak to the experience and assets brought by “newcomer” students. My leadership team and I are surrounded by colleagues, students, and families with whom we share this duty proudly. Buy a ticket to this year’s Dream Club Dinner at Sequoia if you want to see first hand what I’m talking about. We should be asking candidates for the board how they envision our district continuing to serve migrant families in innovative and relevant ways.
Our district does many things very well. We have demonstrated fiscal responsibility while offering highly competitive salary and benefit packages to our staff. We attract, hire, orient, and retain diverse and talented teams across departments. We reflect on our practice and strive towards continuous improvement. Through strong partnerships with families, we help develop some of the most engaged, insightful, and inspiring young people you’ll ever meet. They are nationally recognized for their achievements but, more importantly, pick themselves up when they get knocked off their feet. It is a privilege to be the one to award the diplomas earned by Sequoia grads every June on behalf of the SUHSD Trustees.
In my 14 years in our district, we’ve been at our best when we aim high with our expectations, learn from our mistakes, and persevere. Our values have made us a place others look to for inspiration. Instead of amplifying polarizing but isolated incidents into protracted and divisive public static, we should be talking about how we are going to remain leaders in preparing a diverse community for success in the 21st Century. Our trustees should be at the forefront of those efforts.
The good news is that the SUHSD, like most districts, has developed a comprehensive strategic plan. With input from parents, students, staff, and leaders, a roadmap for the next four years has been developed. The document is publicly available. I wonder how familiar the candidates are with it. It’s a rich plan but any path to it bearing the fruit of its promise will require discipline and focus. The governance system in public schools, optimally, helps maintain that discipline through stewardship, celebration, and accountability. Sidestepping the public discourse, I hope the candidates are genuinely interested in rolling up their sleeves to partner with staff, students, and families on what is most urgent in our district once the election is behind us. I hope voters take seriously their responsibility to choose the best candidates to orient us forward.
Best,
Sean
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