Education
Make Education Our Top Priority: Get kids back on Track. Most public schools were closed during COVID shutdowns while private schools serving the wealthy were open. As a result, kids have fallen behind. We need a historic investment to help kids in public schools and we need it now.
It’s time to make our kids' education a top priority and get back on track
Our kids are suffering after more than a year of distance learning, and schools are struggling to give them the help they need to catch up. Because most public schools were closed and private schools serving the wealthy were open, the achievement gap has only widened during the pandemic. We need to ensure that our public K-12 schools stay open. Sacramento needs to provide the support our families and teachers require to keep our schools open, remain safe, and help our kids catch up.
It’s time to make sure parents are involved in schools to help their kids learn
Parents need to be involved for schools to be successful, but it is difficult for parents who perhaps don’t speak English or never went to college to know how best to help. The pandemic, which has restricted access to campuses, means that it is more important than ever for schools to have involved and supportive parents. Unfortunately, the State of California offers no dedicated funding for schools to engage parents. I served as the president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at my kid’s elementary school, and we had to fundraise $5,000 in order to pay for a nine-week class to help parents learn how to advocate for their kids and prepare them for college.
It’s time to bring a University to Chula Vista
The State must invest in the vision that Chula Vista and South County residents have promoted for many years. Chula Vista has designated a 375-acre site to accommodate a Higher Education Center which would allow more kids from Chula Vista, National City and the South Bay to go to college. By collaborating with Sweetwater Union High School District and Southwestern College, we can convince California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) to offer four-year degrees that are focused on our unique bi-national economy and population. There is no reason why the South Bay and a city the size of Chula Vista should not have a campus of one of our public university systems. There are more than half a million people within minutes-not accounting for Baja California residents-and many places in California have a much smaller population with a university campus.
