FEATURE
Members Win Elections
CSEA Members Win Crucial School Board Elections
Newly elected Visalia Unified School District board member Kenneth DeJonge and members of Visalia Chapter 83.
Kenneth DeJonge, chapter president of Terra Bella Chapter 764 and IT Technician is a self-proclaimed “regular guy.”
“Well, I am just an average normal person, really,” DeJonge said. “If you take a look at my ballot designation, it summed me up perfectly in that I am an educator, father, and a student.”
In the November 6th election for the school board in Visalia Unified School District, DeJonge—an educator, father, student, fellow union sibling, and regular guy—won a seat on the board by a 20% margin over his opponent.
DeJonge is one of five CSEA members and retired members who won school board seats across the state in the November election:
Kenneth DeJonge
Chapter president of Terra Bella Chapter 764, representative for Area D on the Education Committee and his Region’s Webmaster. DeJonge won a seat on the school board of Visalia Unified School District.
David Gaboni
A member of Monterey COE Chapter 35 and leader in his community. Gaboni won a seat on the school board of South Monterey County Joint Union High School District.
Mindy Hunt
A member and Greenfield Classified Chapter 526 secretary. Hunt won a seat on the school board of South Monterey County Joint Union High School District.
Bea Mora
A retired member and president of Imperial Valley Retiree Council 5044, Retiree Executive Board member of District K, and former member of Central Union High Chapter 726. Mora won a seat on the school board of Central Unified School District.
Anna Ramirez
A retired member of Turlock Retiree Council 5060, Alternate Area E Director, and a longtime leader in Chatom Chapter 585 when she was an active member. Ramirez won a seat on the school board of Turlock Joint Unified School District.
As the governing body of public education, school boards have a tremendous impact on schools. Their roles include advocating for students and the community, creating structure and direction, and providing leadership and accountability.
Mindy Hunt’s belief in public service and the importance of local elections is one of the primary reasons she ran for school board.
David Gaboni and Mindy Hunt with the South Monterey County Joint Union High School District school board.
“[Community members] are the people who are familiar with the unique strengths and challenges of this specific area,” said Hunt. “It is this local control that is fundamental to meeting the unique needs of our local community and stands as the heart of how schools and districts are governed.”
Anna Ramirez has similar views on the importance of local elections and her driving force behind running for a school board seat.
“I heard it said that working conditions are learning conditions for students. If there are concerns, being on the school board ensures good practices for classified members, teachers, and students.”
With around 1,000 school districts in California and 5,000 school board members governing more than 6 million students, this means that school boards fit into a governmental system that is larger than the total population of many states, according to the California School Board Association.
Having CSEA members in these seats ensures member experiences are shared and understood in the vast public education system.
Bea Mora explained, “It’s very important to have the voice of someone who understands and has experienced what it takes to work day in and day out with our students.”
During his long tenure on the South Monterey County Joint School Board, David Gaboni has expressed his priority to support his community and fellow classified employees, once describing them as "the essential workers who keep our district sites operating safely," as quoted in the King City Rustler, a local newspaper.
“I will focus on all our unsung heroes and their dedication to our district and assure parents that their children’s education and safety is of high priority,” he said.
This is also what motivated DeJonge to run.
“Being classified staff and from a small school district that has not always shown the proper respect to their staff and even students, has pushed me to want to enact change for our members.”
How do you prepare and run for school board?
Most importantly, anyone can run for school board if they are 18 years or older, a citizen of California, registered to vote, and live in the school district area.
CSEA has a variety of trainings to help prepare for leadership, organizing, negotiating, and more!
“I took every training possible, and two of the biggest were Organizing Institute and Leadership Academy,” said DeJonge.
Ramirez also attended trainings available to members and received a campaign donation, via her chapter, from the member-funded Victory Club, a non-partisan voluntarily-funded committee that supports classified-friendly candidates.
Anna Ramirez being sworn into the Turlock Unified School District school board.
“I was able to tap into some incredible training,” she said. “How to run a campaign from our River Delta Field office to Leadership Academy at CSEA headquarters. Active and retired members helped with phone banking, canvassing, and organizing. Victory Club was vital for my success.”
If you are interested in change in your district, CSEA resources are available to utilize for your school board race in trainings like Leadership Academy, Organizing Institute, and more, and the support of the Association, your union siblings, and fellow chapters.
“I would not have been able to do any of this without CSEA backing me. I have to give a huge thank you to each and every member and CSEA staff who pushed me along the way, so thank you,” DeJonge said.
DeJonge was initially nervous about running but said the support from CSEA staff, his regional representative, and union siblings kept him going.
“Yes, you can do it! You can do this, and you can make a difference in someone’s life--I did!” said Mora, “Si Se Puede!”
Bea Mora with fellow CSEA members and friends on the campaign trail.
