Central Unified candidates want to get parents, students more involved in school

This election , voters in the Central Unified School District will decide two seats on the school board .

Trustee Phillip Cervantes is seeking a third term to represent the district's Area 3 and faces a challenge against former community college instructor Natalie Chavez.

Area 5 Trustee Richard A Solis, a retired social worker seeking his third term, faces 27-year-old challenger Jaspreet Sidhu, a registered nurse and Central Unified alumnus.

In Area 6, Fresno City College instructor Karla Kirk is running unopposed and will succeed incumbent Jeremy A. Mehling, who is not running for reelection. Kirk won't show up on the ballot.

The Bee talked to every candidate in person or via email. Here's what you need to know about Central Unified school board races.

Central Unified Area 3

Phillip Cervantes

What would you say to persuade someone to vote for you?

I'm not necessarily trying to persuade anybody to vote for me. If people look at my history and my true inspiration to help students and to improve our district for better academic outcomes and safe and clean schools — I think we still have a lot of work to do — but I'd think that record should speak for itself. I'm not a politician, I'm really just trying to do the best I can for the students of our district and for taxpayers.

What would you do to battle chronic absenteeism?

We are doing a lot better, but we have not completely recovered from the COVID pandemic, which has been challenging. One of the ways we're addressing this is that we have student and parent liaisons. So, the first period of class, our liaisons call the homes to identify, "Is there anything you need? Is he ill? Do you need a ride?" We're trying to be proactive with parents and students to continue to encourage them and let them know that they're missed, that somebody cares, that we're concerned for their well-being. That's working very well.

What can be done to get parents more involved in the education of their children?

I think it's not the parents, it's the school. When my daughters were kindergarteners, they wanted you to come and volunteer. Then the children went into junior high, we were told, "No you don't need to come." I believe the system took that away from parents, they set the standard, and the expectations are now they have to learn how to do things on their own. But they're adolescents, they're growing but they still need parental guidance. With parent involvement, I don't think that takes their ability to make decisions on their own. If parents want to, we should spend more money on the Title I Parent Education fund.

Natalie Chavez

Why do you want to be a Central Unified board trustee?

I have new insight and new ideas to contribute to my community, that's why I decided to run. I've been an educator working for the State Center Community College District for the past 17 years. My expertise is within the field of mental health and I've dedicated 25 years of service as a clinician and human service professional to vulnerable children and families in foster care and those who experience mental health struggles. My goal in running for the school district board is to represent people who could never get in the room to make decisions for their children. And I strongly believe that education is the pathway out of poverty. Community college changed my life, and I want to make it available to everyone.

How can the district better prepare students for life after graduation?

The transition phase between high school and college is so critical. Sometimes people think, "We have to get them to graduation," but we've never done a really good job of handing them off. Maybe through the school year, we can help them matriculate and get them fully enrolled in classes. Students graduate from high school and we could lose them over the summer. So I think strengthening that partnership is always going to be at the forefront of my priorities. We need to step in as a college, and the district needs to make sure that all the resources are available constantly at all the campuses.

How would you deal with chronic absenteeism at Central Unified?

Those young people who demonstrate those behaviors are coming from home environments where things may be chaotic. A lot of times, those absences are outside of their control. I've been a part of the truancy board, and unfortunately, those kinds of punitive measures aren't helpful. The majority of families just need help. Some of it is as simple as, "I don't have transportation to get my kid to and from school, can you help me?" I'm pleased to say that Central Unified has explored many additional supports for students. However, it can also be a band-aid to a bigger problem, so I think it's a good idea to make those resources available but there could be more underlying issues causing the absenteeism. There's a lot more that we can do.

Central Unified Area 5

Jaspreet Sidhu

Why do you want to be a Central Unified board trustee?

I want to represent our students on the school board because as a former student, I feel like I can offer insight and perspective to what the needs are. A lot of former teachers have already endorsed me and I've also been endorsed by the Trade Union Fresno. The idea is to put somebody from the community on the board who is connected on the ground level to represent our staff and our community. I went to my former school a week ago and the pipes are still leaking, they're the same pipes from when I went there 17 years ago. There have been no changes made. That's where I come from as a student. That's the school I went to. That's where my attention will be.

What can the district do to improve students' academic performance?

We need to match up to the 21st century. We need to bring more technological advancements to our schools. Our district is falling behind because students are finding easier ways to get answers online, so how do we match the technological advancements that we have and still teach them how to do homework? The focus has to be student-oriented. Sit down with the students, and be open ears to what they need and what they want to work on.

If you had two minutes to talk to a voter, what would you say?

I was a student here at Teague Elementary, Rio Vista Middle School for two years, and Central East for four years. As a student, I understand the district's needs, and what the teachers need, and I'm leaning on staff, the community and our students. That's the vision I bring forward. The goals are simple: we want to focus on our dual enrollment classes and make sure we're expanding the program. I want to make sure our schools are renovated. It has to be a good learning environment. And I'm in the healthcare field, I want to make sure that there's a perspective on the board that represents the mental health concerns. Every school should have a nurse on site.

Richard A. Solis

Why are you running for reelection?

I'm seeking election mainly to keep the direction. The district is keeping the momentum. When I first came on, we had teachers putting pots and pans on the floor to catch the water coming through the roof. We no longer have that. We are in the process of building a brand new elementary school and moving on to other buildings. We had some security issues. There are a lot of things, like vocational training, that I'm interested in. So I think we have a really good start and have a lot of academic and vocational projects, but it doesn't mean they can't be improved.

What can the district do to improve students' academic performance?

There are several projects we're advancing for academics. One of the things we found helpful is reading labs, which we have now spread out through every campus. The other thing is the small group teaching method, and we are sending our teachers to training to encourage them to utilize this type of teaching method to improve the academic curve. We're trying to increase these approaches, when you start getting traction on a particular project, you try to repeat that project in other school sites.

If you had two minutes to talk to a voter, what would you say?

I would go over my philosophy, I call it the "ABCs" of being a trustee. A is for accountability. B is for belief and academic achievement, and C is for clarity of services. Usually, if those rules don't follow through, the public is upset. I do hear from the public, there are a lot of times they get my phone number and call me for certain things they want for information.

Central Unified Area 6

Karla Kirk

What are your priorities and goals as a board member?

My first priority as a new board member is to ensure that the students and families of Area 6 have a strong advocate and representative voice for the concerns and needs of the south side of our district. I am a lifelong resident of the district and a proud Central Unified parent for the past 20 years, and want to ensure a high-quality educational experience for all of our students.

My areas of interest as I begin my term are the sustainable implementation of our equity and inclusion goals, the development and implementation of the high school ethnic studies graduation requirement and, if it passes, transparent and responsible oversight of Measure X funds.

What expertise and skills will you contribute to the Central Unified board?

I bring the experience of 20 years as a very involved Central parent as the mother of Warriors, Eagles, and Grizzlies. I also bring the experience of 15 years as an educator at our local community college — the next step in many of our students' educational journeys. Finally, I have served as an elected faculty leadership representative for the past seven years gaining experience and expertise in educational policy and collaborative work with faculty, staff and administration to best serve our students.

What can be done to get parents more involved in the education of their children?

I believe that when students are engaged and excited about what they are doing in school, that excitement and engagement extends to their families. I believe that celebrations of our students' accomplishments and activities, like award ceremonies, performing arts events, academic competitions and athletic events could be excellent opportunities to engage with parents and encourage involvement. I also believe that intentional and informative communications with parents that highlight resources and opportunities within Central Unified could increase parent involvement. If we are clear about what we offer our students and their families, I believe more parents could see the benefits of being engaged and involved at their student's educational journey and the school sites they attend.