Meet the LAUSD university board candidates: Rocio Rivas is operating for the reason that she is ‘deeply passionate about general public education’

This post is part of a collaboration involving The 74 and the USC Annenberg Faculty for Conversation and Journalism. 

This profile is part of “Meet the LAUSD college board candidates,” a collection concentrating on the 17 candidates running for a few open seats on the seven-member university board. LAUSD is the major college district in the place with an elected college board. The major is June 7. Candidates have until March 9 to qualify for the ballot by distributing signatures. Examine all the items in the series as they are released in this article. Profiles have been edited for size and clarity.

Title: Rocio Rivas

District: 2

Background/career: Investigation and Coverage Deputy, LAUSD University Board, BD5

Why are you running?

I am running… due to the fact I am a community education leader, experienced, advocate and mum or dad with a Ph.D. in education and learning. I am deeply passionate about general public schooling and have worked… to provide the… community very good. I obtained the best educational practical experience as an LAUSD college student and as a mother to a scholar thriving in LAUSD universities, I want the exact same for ALL students…As the only LAUSD energetic guardian on the board I (want to) … to handle all the requirements of LAUSD students…(with) schools… thoroughly staffed with whole time counselors, psychiatric social staff, librarians, nurses, supervising aides, and paraprofessionals.

How are you different from other candidates?

I realize the complexities of Los Angeles’ public schooling landscape. I have a prosperity of awareness and encounter with the privatization of education and charter schools…I have immediate understanding of the recent requirements and predicaments of community community educational facilities by serving LAUSD’s Board District 5…I am actively working on problem-resolving, coverage evaluation and growth to enhance district wide coverage, advocating… connecting assets and setting up partnerships and coalitions.

What is the most important concern in your district?

The existing pandemic traumatized college students to relating to degrees that are turning into obvious in school rooms in a lot of colleges all through the BD2. Our community universities need certified psychiatric social staff and psychological wellbeing resources to tackle this trauma…I thoroughly assistance the expansion of the local community school model…(to deal with) the holistic requires of BD2… as a result of authentic neighborhood involvement…green area, which consists of gardens, trees and grass, is linked to children’s healthy bodily and cognitive development… the necessity to tackle the absence of eco-friendly area equity in BD2 our educational institutions is essential…

What ought to be Superintendent Carvalho’s leading priority?

Superintendent Carvalho is having all the vital steps to gather the details that will arrive from listening to all stakeholders… He is going through the important district extensive institutional assessments and investigation that will manual his comprehensive motion approach. I am hunting forward to finding out extra about his specific strategies to address declining enrollment, trainer and crucial college staff members shortages, and classroom enrichment innovations. I am extremely glad he is instituting a father or mother acAdemy, strategic data and evaluation department and the cultural enrichment passport.

What capabilities or earlier ordeals have prepared you to serve as a board member? 

I am at present the Investigation and Policy Deputy for Board Member Jackie Goldberg and serve as liaison to more than 60 faculties inside of BD5…. I have an understanding of LAUSD and community universities from various perspectives as a grassroots activist, educational researcher, father or mother educator, coverage analyst and most importantly as a guardian I have held a variety of management positions: Chair of College Web-site Council President of Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council… (HHPNC) Vice-President of a regional PTA. My expert history consists of: International Researcher for the Earth Institute, Columbia College Task Researcher for Lecturers University and Annenberg Foundation.

If you gain, what do you hope to reach for the LAUSD? 

I prepare on establishing a committee focusing on District related environmental and local climate difficulties, initiatives and curriculum…I hope to address the difficulties that both of those neighborhood public colleges and charter universities come across, notably as the impression of COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates financial and social problems throughout Los Angeles. Addressing the problems that particular education families and schools deal with is important to emphasis on, these as completion of IEPs, adhere to-as a result of for provision of products and services and adequate funding… I would unquestionably get the job done to address the reduction of course dimensions and caseloads.