4 Lessons I learned Running for County School Board

If we can agree on nothing else, can we all agree that we are happy to be done with campaign season? As a rookie politician (who never imagined my name would appear on a ballot. Ever. Anywhere.) I am certainly glad to have this season behind me. I have a new appreciation for everyone who steps into the political arena with hopeful and ethical intentions. Here are some random nuggets of wisdom that I picked up along the way....

1. Politics is 100% rigged in favor of people who have money. 

Filing paperwork to get your name on the ballot is actually free. That is about the ONLY thing that will be free during the life of your campaign. Want to have a candidate statement published in the voters guide? $750. Yes, you heard that right. $750 to sell yourself for what is essentially a volunteer position. Lawn signs? $20 each, and significantly more for bigger sizes. Post cards? Buttons? Brochures? Stickers? Those all cost money. Radio, print, or web ads add up even faster. If you've got generous friends and family, this might not be a huge hurdle. For my very small, local campaign, I raised around $1,000 from small donors. Nearly all of my donors were people that I know personally. 

Throughout the process I couldn't help but think about highly qualified candidates who might not have friends who can easily pitch in $50, or those who can't afford to donate their own personal funds for campaign efforts. How do they manage? They have to work a lot harder. Or, they just opt out. 

This is a very small example on a very small scale of how money impacts politics. When you start to look at state or federal races....the money pouring into those campaigns is staggering. It is no wonder why or how the rich stay in power at all levels of government. 

2. The environmental impact of campaigning is staggering. 

Oh man, Mother Earth. I'm really sorry. Millions of postcards, t-shirts, plastic yard signs, magnets, etc are heading to the landfill today. Ugh. 

3. Your voter data is easily accessible by people you would NOT want to know where you live. 

In our county, it costs $40 for any candidate on the ballot to get a list of every registered voter in their jurisdiction. This list includes name, email, phone number, mailing address, physical address and political party affiliation. You can even request voting history to see which people have actually showed up at the polls to cast a ballot during the past few years. I don't know about you, but there are plenty of people in politics who I would prefer NOT have access to my personal information. In the state of CA, there is currently no opt out provision. If you are a registered voter, your information is for sale to any candidate that requests it.  

4. It takes a village. 

When I decided to run for re-election on the County School Board, I didn't anticipate doing much more beyond filing my papers and getting my name on the ballot. When the pool of candidates grew deep with convicted felons and people openly advocating for the destruction systems of support for students, I rolled up my sleeves a bit and put some energy into campaigning. This is not a race that I ran alone. Friends, family, acquaintances, colleagues and total strangers showed up for me in ways that kept optimistic and determined throughout election season. I have deep gratitude for everyone who donated, put up a lawn sign, drove around town with my car magnet on their vehicle, wrote postcards, wore buttons, offered pep talks, designed campaign materials, delivered swag to various locations, talked me up to friends and family, shared social media posts, offered campaign strategy wisdom, and hosted candidate events. Every bit of this support was appreciated and makes me more determined to be a stronger champion for others when they step into the ring to run for public office. 

While the final results are still being tallied, it doesn't look like I will be continuing on the Board of Education past November. I don't view this as a loss. It is a reallocation of my energy to other spaces. There is plenty of good work to be done, maybe after some processing of all the emotions and a long nap. 

If you need me, I'll be working on my campaign swag recycled art project, until I spot the next Bat Signal.

Six Things I'll Remember Besides the W

This tired, but happy kiddo helped his soccer team earn a first place title in their league tonight. To say this win was hard-fought is an understatement. The game was a nail-biter from the beginning, and ended with a tense shoot-out. Our kids came in hungry. After a few lackluster years of games that mostly ended with pep talks instead of victory celebrations, this season of winning was a long-awaited change of scenery. 

After the thrill of winning subsides, what I'll really remember about this night is....

1. A kid who wanted to quit midway through the season, but powered through various frustrations,  found his stride, and became one of the celebrated heroes as goalie in the final game. 

2. Seeing 8th grade boys (and girls!) cry tears of joy with zero embarrassment or shaming.  

3. A sideline full of parents who know nearly every kid by name, because this school IS community. 

4. Players falling over each other to compliment the performance of their teammates after the game, recognizing the team effort and value of each player. 

5. Socks, cleats and shin guards that miraculously made their way into my son's backpack on game day, without a single reminder. (Soccer moms know....this is celebration-worthy)

6. Pride, joy and excitement in abundance. Parents, coaches, players, and even salty older siblings, all caught up in the celebration. 

Victory on the field is awesome. But the wins of character, growth, responsibility and teamwork are the ones that I will savor the most. 

What I'm Doing This Election Season

Many years ago, when my kids were very small, there was a kind woman at our church who, on more than one occasion, suggested that I should consider running for a spot on the County Board of Education. 

I didn't exactly laugh in her face. It was more of a polite chuckle. 

I was young(ish). Tired. Raising babies. Working. Sitting on the Board of Eduction was most definitely not on my bucket list. 

Fast forward 10+ years and I began to come out of the foggy haze of raising little people into the (still somewhat foggy) season of raising teenagers. While this season comes with it's own set of challenges, it is also, in my experience, somewhat easier to take a deep breath and look around once in a while. And what I was seeing in the world of education was unsettling. 

School board meetings had become contentious as we struggled through COVID and the related fallout of learning loss, chronic absenteeism and ongoing debates about health and safety. Public comment periods stretched for hours and included airing of grievances frequently outside the jurisdiction of the Board. Big feelings and loud discussions about book bans, religion, transgender rights, and "woke" curriculum further fueled the fire resulting in lengthy and boisterous Board meetings that nobody (at least nobody who values their personal peace) would voluntarily attend. 

I watched most of this drama from the sidelines, safely reading news reports from from the comfort of my living room couch.  I had no desire to jump into the circus I was witnessing, but I also saw signs of weariness from friends who were serving on school boards. Quietly, people were quitting or not running for re-election. School Board membership has never been glamorous, but it had become thoroughly uninviting. 

This is when I decided it was my turn. 

Since I joined the Shasta County Board of Education in May, many have commented that it is something they would never do in this political climate. Some question my sanity for volunteering to attend lengthy monthly meetings and spend hours reviewing thick board packets prior to each meeting. (My first board packet was 140 pages which seemed insane, until a few months later when the 400 page board packet arrived in my inbox). 

I joined because I'm a strong believer in the adage, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." Board membership is important. It is also time consuming, sometimes uncomfortable and often thankless. It is not the most glamorous work, but it is essential work for the functioning of our public school system. I joined because at some point good leaders need to tap out and take a breather. It is incumbent up on each of us to keep our eyes open for these opportunities and get off the bench once in a while. We've got to share the load. 

The County School Board is a non-partisan position. Each of us bring our own set of ideas and values to the role, but ultimately our political party is (or should be) irrelevant. It's not politics. It's not pushing an agenda. It's citizens supporting the education of children, and ensuring the strength of our future workforce. Grandstanding, bickering and extremist agendas only distract attention from the very important work of ensuring our schools are properly equipped to nurture competent, capable and kind humans. 

This is a bit about me, and why I'm running for the Shasta County Board of Education. Since I've joined the board I have learned a lot about what a county school board does....and even more about what it doesn't do. I've also learned a lot about politics and the irony of a non-partisan position being filled by a public election. On the November ballot, you will see six candidates vying for two open seats in Area 2. Without getting into the weeds and straying from my own anti-bickering agenda....I will say that this is a race worth paying attention to if you live in Shasta County.

If you're moved to support my campaign to maintain decorum and support quality education for all students, here are some suggestions...

1. I've never run an election before, and it turns out you can't really do much without money. So financial support is greatly appreciated. 

2. Educate yourself about the various candidates and make sure your friends are aware that this normally unremarkable section of the ballot could pack a punch this November. 

Area 1 Candidates:

Michael Orlicky

Michele Tyson

Area 2 Candidates (4-year term):

Amy Cavalleri*

Dolores Lucero

Don Aust

Jackie LaBarbera

Jessica French 

Richard Gallardo

Area 2 Candidates (2-year term):
Cindy Vogt*

Teresa Roberts

*Incumbent Candidates

3. Make sure you are registered to vote. (Californians can check status here) 

Oh, and keep your eye out for your turn to get off the bench.