Meet the Candidates: Maria Cruz

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SUHSD candidate for Area E Maria Cruz. Courtesy Maria Cruz. Photo by Robert C. Bain.

Name: Maria Cruz

Occupation: Professor San Jose State University/ Director of TRIO Programs Years residing in the zone: 15 years and born in San Mateo

Key endorsements: Martha Barragan, Vice Mayor of East Palo Alto; and Ruben Abrica, City Council member, East Palo Alto

Campaign website: mariacruzphd.com

Questions:

1. What makes you the best candidate, and what relevant experience do you bring?

I am the best candidate because I care deeply about equity and inclusion, specifically in public education. I am the first generation Chicanx/Latinx Indigenous person in my family to go to college and the first to receive a Ph.D. I was a student who graduated from public institutions, I also came from a low-income family, and my family did not understand the nuances of higher education, but this did not mean that they did not support me; it was just that they did not know how. I want to bridge the gap between parents who might not speak English and those who do but might not understand how to best support their children. With over a decade of teaching experience and expertise in grant writing, as well as implementing federal and state policies, for TRIO and SJSU. I will bring valuable insight to the Sequoia Union High School environment. I am dedicated to increasing the retention and graduation of all students, particularly those who are underserved. I am also a mother to a frosh at Menlo Atherton and want the best for him but also for all students. I want to be his go-to person and the community’s go-to person as well on clarity and transparency about policies that directly affect their children and mine.

2. What would be your top three priorities as a board member?

I want to understand how the board allocates funds more effectively to improve retention and graduation rates, especially for underserved and disabled students. I believe we can do more to support these students, and I want to be involved in developing solutions as part of the 2024-27 strategic plan. I would also like to see how we can help improve communication and education for our English Learner students and their families. I know that much is translated but I believe that a lot of the nuances get lost in translation and I want to help to support and improve the board’s communication with the community. I would also like to continue monitoring and evaluating the data on detracking, and discussing with parents the various ways that students of all educational levels and abilities can receive a challenging, robust, meaningful education that will help them with college and career choices.

3. What are some of the greatest challenges facing the district? What unique challenges is your trustee area facing?

I think many things are facing the district. 1) Parents who are concerned that all honors classes will be eliminated and the subject of detracking. 2) How will this affect students and their learning skills when they are in a classroom with students of varying learning abilities and skill sets? It is crucial to handle this situation with care and clarity, and it’s important to illustrate and share data to demonstrate the long-term impact. Additionally, it’s important to explore how to better serve the English learning community.

4. What class offerings or programs should the district consider adding?

I am a huge advocate regarding academics, but I do think we need a space where students can have a class on mental health and wellness and what that means to them. A space where they can maybe help to create the curriculum and have a say on what is important to them in that space in time. A place where they are not graded or judged and can be, a place that makes them feel welcomed and a place to belong, or a place where they can create community while learning about mental health and wellness and tools for navigating everyday life. I also think that parents need to do the same and learn about signs or signals of stress and anxiety their child might be going through if their child does not communicate well with the theme. This has to be a community effort.

5. Teenagers across the country are struggling with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. How should the districts be addressing mental health in schools?

They need a classroom to have a space where they feel safe and secure to talk about anything. If they do not trust the adults near them, that can feel very isolating, discouraging, and frustrating. This, of course, would have to be done with a specialized teacher/teachers who specialize in mental health wellness with diverse communities and spend their time only doing this. I also think that teachers need additional professional development training and support to identify mental health needs.

6. What sets you apart from your opponents?

As the mother of a high school freshman, I am deeply committed to serving on the board not only for my son, but for all students. I have a strong teaching background and currently teach at a large public university. In addition, I am well-versed in both state and federal policies and regulations and have successfully written numerous grants totaling over $15 million from the Department of Education. Representation is crucial; I am the only Chicanx/Latinx/Indigenous person running for this position. In a community with over 60% Latinx population, representation is essential. There hasn’t been a Latina/o on the board in, I believe, over ten years. I aspire to be a role model to inspire students from similar backgrounds, showing them that they can achieve their goals and contribute to making the changes they want to see.

7. What is the most important issue the district is facing in the next five years, and how will you address it?

I think it will be about mental health and wellness, and how we can better address these issues. I also think AI, will play a key role in how we use it responsibly and how it will affect education moving forward. Additionally, closing the graduation and retention gaps and improving college success rates for Black, Chicano/Latinx, and Pacific Islander students. I plan to engage with teachers, staff, parents, and students to gain a better understanding of the pressing matters faced by the district and how the board and community can work together to make positive changes.

8. What could the current school board be doing better?

I want to ensure transparency, accountability, and accessibility in how the board operates and how we serve the community, particularly in California and especially for underserved populations who have immigrated or emigrated to the state. I am eager to learn more about how the board can ensure fairness and openness for everyone in terms of our actions and processes.

Translated in Spanish:

Me preocupa profundamente la equidad y la inclusión, específicamente en la educación pública. Soy la primera persona Chicana/Latina de mi familia que fue a la universidad y la primera en recibir un doctorado. Fui una estudiante que se graduó de instituciones públicas. También provengo de una familia de bajos ingresos, y mi familia no entendía los matices de la educación superior, pero esto no significaba que no me apoyaran; era solo que no sabían cómo hacerlo. Quiero cerrar la brecha entre los padres que quizás no hablen inglés y aquellos que sí lo hablan pero tal vez no entiendan cómo apoyar mejor a sus hijos. Con más de una década de experiencia docente y experiencia en redacción de subvenciones, así como en la implementación de políticas federales y estatales para TRIO y SJSU, aportaré conocimientos valiosos al entorno de Sequoia Union High School. Estoy dedicada a aumentar la retención y graduación de todos los estudiantes, en particular aquellos que están desatendidos. También soy madre de un estudiante de primer año en Menlo Atherton y quiero lo mejor para él, pero también para todos los estudiantes. Quiero ser su persona de referencia y la persona de referencia de la comunidad en materia de claridad y transparencia sobre políticas que afectan directamente a sus hijos y al mío.

Quiero entender cómo la junta asigna fondos de manera más efectiva para mejorar las tasas de retención y graduación, especialmente para los estudiantes subrepresentados y necesidades especiales. También me gustaría ver cómo podemos ayudar a mejorar la comunicación y la educación para nuestros estudiantes que no hablan inglés y sus familias. Sé que mucho se traduce, pero creo que muchos de los matices se pierden en la traducción. También me gustaría seguir monitoreando y evaluando los datos sobre detraking, y discutir con los padres las diversas formas en que los estudiantes de todos los niveles educativos y capacidades pueden recibir una educación desafiante, sólida y significativa que los ayude con las opciones universitarias y profesionales.