School Boards Matter: 2026 Candidate Guide

Rebecca Tweedle

What do you see as the greatest challenges facing public school districts over the next several years? 

The greatest challenges are safety, including mitigating climate change issues and social-emotional pressures, staff retention and budget strains.

How should school boards respond to increasing political polarization, censorship efforts, attacks on policies/programs aimed at supporting marginalized students, and declining trust in public education?

School boards’ first priority should be to the children regardless of political affiliation. This is a position that serves all students. Boards should respond by actively engaging with the community to address the needs of families. It is the duty of school boards to protect and welcome all students, regardless of race, color, national origin, legal status, sex, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religion. The board should take measures to protect students and staff from bias, harassment and unequal treatment. This is regardless of what is happening on the federal level, and LMSVSD has pushed back on loosening protections at the federal level. I would continue to uphold LMSVSD’s policy that aims to ensure every student is safe and supported.

In the case of censorship, as LMSV is not a unified district, educators mainly need to be aware of age-appropriate content. Educators and the board need to be aware of outdated science, inaccuracies of historical texts and flawed data. We should be cognizant of the pejoration of language when selecting resources and, if continuing to use text with antiquated/offensive language, context would need to be given (i.e. explaining that certain terms are now considered offensive, deconstructing the context in literature).

How would you work to ensure that all students, including students from historically marginalized communities, feel safe, supported, respected, and able to fully participate in school? What role should school boards play in creating inclusive school cultures?

LMSVSD has done well to be inclusive and is following the California state policy to protect students, even in the face of federal pressure to reduce student protections. I would like to see anti-bullying and anti-racist trainings put in place. The middle schools should be given the resources for gun violence prevention training and encouraged to form clubs such as SAVE Promise Club. I would like to bring the social workers back on campus 5 days a week.

Educator burnout, staffing shortages, and retention challenges continue to affect schools across California. What do you believe districts should do to better support and retain teachers, counselors, classified staff, and other school employees?

Every full-time employee deserves a salary that would afford them a dignified quality of life in the community they serve. I support equitable pay ratios among all members of the staff and between the teachers and executives. Teachers and staff should be given the resources and training they need to do their jobs and implement the curriculums that align with the districts’ values. The district needs to evaluate the working environments and conditions to see where improvements can be made, especially in the last few years in changes with students post-COVID and access to social media and so many screens.

Student achievement data often reflects persistent disparities based on race, income, disability, language access, housing instability, and other factors. What strategies or priorities would you support to improve student outcomes while also addressing underlying inequities?

Unfortunately achievement is mostly tied to parental incomes. I would like to see more resources given to areas in need. I think the board should step in to help bridge those gaps by applying for more grants, creating partnerships within the community (both with private companies and local universities). LMSVSD has California Community Schools in place, and once funding is exhausted, there should be a review of the most beneficial and utilized programs. The district should then continue to fund and board members can help lobby at the state level for financing.

Schools are increasingly navigating questions related to technology, artificial intelligence, social media, student privacy, and digital safety. What principles should guide district decisions around technology use while ensuring students are both prepared for the future and protected from harm?

I support a phone-free school to support less distraction in academics and more socialization during breaks. AI is still emerging, but at this time, there is little evidence it would benefit to teach AI at the elementary and middle school levels (the school district I am running for serves students up to grade 8). Research shows that students learn foundational skills better through physical and hands-on materials versus on laptops, especially for reading. Screens should be limited to areas in which evidence shows more growth over traditional teaching methods. However, children need human connection in order to learn and to socially and emotionally grow. The board also needs to be cognizant of who/which companies are pushing forth the use of AI. The track record shows that tech companies do not put the wellbeing of students over profits and any policy aimed at increasing the use of AI and screens in the classroom needs to be taken with a lot of consideration. If AI is ever used, the basis first needs to be mastered before a child should be given access.

How should school districts ensure that all students, regardless of background, identity, ability, or zip code, have equitable access to high-quality academic programs, mental health supports, extracurricular opportunities, and pathways to college and careers?

School districts should direct student and teacher funding equitably, by sending extra funding resources to low-income students, those with disabilities and ESL learners. We should partner with organizations to bring in advanced programs and extracurricular programs. If an extracurricular program will not provide a grant, the district should attempt to bridge the gap so it does not fall on the families of the students. A lot of organizations offer grants or Title I schools, or cover a percentage based on the number of socio-economically disadvantaged students. I have already been in contact with a music non-profit that would cover part of a music program based on the percentage reported of socially-economically disadvantaged regardless of Title I status, and another that provides grants to cover overnight field trips for Title 1 schools.

The district should also strive to meet (and surpass) nationally recommended ratios of staff and mental health services. LMSVSD currently partners with local community organizations and utilizes the California Community Schools Partnership Program grants, which focuses on 60% of the schools in the district. CA Community Schools Partnership Program integrates student support, family and community engagement by creating centralized hubs at the campus. The program provides wrap-around services such as health and wellness, academic intervention and parent education classes. Programs are planned to run at least through the end of the school year and the district should continue to create partnerships if it were to lose funding.

School board members must balance their duty to act in the best interest of students and the families they represent with the practical realities of overseeing a district's operations and finances. How do you plan to communicate with your constituents to understand their needs and priorities? What steps will you take to follow through and verify that what the district reports is actually being implemented as promised?

I plan on being an active board member and see members as problem-solvers. Our current board has been criticized for not bringing forth issues or researching items before making decisions. In order to follow through with what is actually being implemented, board members will need to be out in the community, conduct site visits, meet with teachers, union representatives, parent groups and staff. I think it is important to follow up with constituents and obtain records and data (quantitative, not just qualitative) to make sure that reports and conclusions are supported. I also have a website and personal email available for school board issues not tied to the district email if a community member does not feel confident approaching through formal challenges.

Fore more about Rebecca, visit: www.rebeccatweedle.com