School Boards Matter: 2026 Candidate Guide

Chelsea Gastelum

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

This is a very broad question. School districts' challenges can be different in various areas. For some the biggest challenge is the political atmosphere. We also need to start really thinking about educational days and climate change. We are seeing more heat, heavier rains, and in some places freezing temperatures. This makes it harder for teachers and for students. Nobody should be sitting in classrooms with no air conditioning, or braving dangerous weather conditions to try to get to schools. Every system in play in our educational system is designed to make someone money. Historically these are contracts businesses want to have because of that. Yet educational materials are still lacking and many teachers are paying out of pocket for classroom supplies, in an environment where it is impossible to pay enough to keep up with the cost of living without hurting money that goes to schools. Campuses need an overhaul for modern students. Many students spend more waking hours in a day on our school campuses (due to working parents), so our campuses need to be more adaptive to student mental and physical health. We need more nature areas and nature play. We need expanded playgrounds, less blacktop and cement, and more green canopy.  Many people are having fewer children, especially with the economy as it is. Less students in a seat means less funding for our schools. I feel less students in a classroom allows for more personalized teaching. Not every student is an honor student, or needs to be. Not every student will go to college, or needs to, especially if it starts them off in life saddled to debt. We need to make sure education is designed for all students. Innovators, artists, dancers, technicians and so on. Real world scenarios in educational materials are needed. Give meaning as part of education. Make it so students love to learn, and teachers are supported for teaching. 

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?

How they should act is non-partisan. How they are acting is not always the case. We see people getting on school boards just to be able to do those things. 

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?

I feel our school district does a pretty good job with inclusivity. The truth of the matter is that our schools often reflect our communities, so being involved in a higher level of overall civic engagement can be important. School Boards should make sure ALL students are safe, felt supported, and have a good learning environment. But we cannot control what goes on at home. That is true for the child that didn't get much sleep last night because mom's live-in boyfriend was being physically violent, the child with a racist parent that rants about all of it at home in front of the child, the child whose parent is slipping away due to cancer, the child who takes care of their younger siblings because a parent was deported so the other one is working two jobs, or the child who was just removed from a home and placed with strangers in a foster care situation. What we can try to help with is making sure that schools have support systems on campuses. Trying to make sure teachers aren't overwhelmed by the student that needs extra attention to work through these traumatic situations, and speaking up with how we want politicians to utilize tax money for our children. It is also difficult to control how our school boards are used as political weapons. Lots of money is being thrown around these days to get people elected in these positions to further political agendas. School boards should be a reflective representation of the student enrollment.

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?

Money directly affects a lot of that, and there is not always enough money to go around. We are living in a tough economy. People need to accept jobs that help keep up with the cost of living. The idea of having affordable housing for teachers on school lands that are not being utilized is smart. Making sure that the working environment is safe and pleasant is important. Right now we do not have a political climate that is supporting neutral educational decision making from the very top of where money starts getting allocated towards education. Funds were cut for mental health on school campuses. The costs for benefits like health care are shooting up, so even though teacher pay isn't, the cost of teachers and staff is. i don't think there is an easy, wave a wand solution, but it doesn't mean we don't keep trying. For some districts that is a lot harder than it is for others.

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?

I feel there needs to be student areas that can be set up as comfortable homelike areas. Sofas, kitchen tables, soft colors on the walls, and soft lighting. Some place that kids can go after school to help them decompress. Some place with games and puzzles in there that just gives a relaxing vibe, and the home-like environment they should have. For many kids the food provided on a school campus is the only food they will get for the day. For some kids that is the place they feel the safest. For some it is the most consistent environment they will be in. I support more gardens growing foods on school campuses. Even a co-op style garden where families can put in some time and then take fresh food home. I feel there should be food distributions on campuses where we know there is a greater need for it, and partnerships with groups that provide free basic needs. Districts can look for these partnerships and find ways to work together to benefit our students. I feel we can even find underutilized spaces for free clothing closets, laundry facilities, and even study areas on school campuses. Language access is probably one of the easiest issues to address because of modern technology. Translation can be a lot easier. It is making those families feel welcome as part of the school community that can be more challenging. Some districts connect parents to ESL classes. Kindness also goes a long way. But again, a lot of it comes down to money, and how to make tough decisions on how to spend. Looking for outside collaborations and funding is important. Race is tough. In some areas it isn't an issue, and in others it is leaders that lead the negative charge. It shows how important it is for everyone to be involved in other civic engagement in their communities, and to learn to do it in a productive manner. 

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 am honestly still sitting with this question myself. School computers don't need access to every part of the internet. We don't really need to issue computers in kindergarten, and maybe not even before 2nd grade. Student online safety needs to include teaching kids what to be weary of. How grooming can start. What red flags there are. Many predatory people aren't using regular computers; they use video games and platforms designed for kids. Many kids have access to the entire web at their fingertips on a phone provided by parents. However, there can be workshops for parents to discuss phones that are safer and programs that help make phones safer for their kids to use, like being able to control who can call a student and when they can access phone features. That also relies on parents wanting to be involved, and many don't, and some have no time around work schedules. Guiding principles should always start with, "What is best for the students. How can we keep them safe." But these discussions are still fluid, and I feel all feedback from parents regarding the topic should be considered before making blanket decisions.

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?

They need to have at least one grant writer on staff, and need to be constantly looking for additional funding sources. The money isn't there in many school districts to cover all needs without looking for outside funding sources. What partnerships can be made? What programs are out there to direct our students towards? Parents that are able to join PTA's and volunteer on campuses need to step up as well. Right now, in this political climate, there is just not enough funding resources, and the competition for outside sources is highly competitive. There also needs to be a tone set by the District and by the Board that is followed all the way through every person on payroll in a district. But the reality is that people are purposefully running in elections for school boards to disrupt those tones. 

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?

You have to listen to people. You have to get in front of them and hear their concerns. You need to encourage people to come to Board meetings for open discussions. But there are also a lot of layers to the handling process of many problems. Making sure people understand the workflow of issues is also important. We have to be investigators. We have to ask to review the various programs at the district. We need to take the time to look over financials, read reports, and ask for verification. Misuse of money in one area could mean the lack of support needed for students in another area. But we also know some funds can only be spent a certain way. You can't always move funds from one area to another. You can at least make sure they are all being used properly.