Natomas School Board Race: Support

STAFF REPORT
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

FINAL IN A SERIES

We invited the FOUR candidates running for Natomas Unified school board to answer questions submitted by readers. Today’s question asked:

“As a school board member, what will be your role in supporting marginalized and vulnerable students, including LGBTQ+ students as well as those with differing beliefs or backgrounds from your own?”

Monique Hokman

MONIQUE HOKMAN

All students should attend Natomas schools with the assurance that they are safe, supported and being prepared to engage in a global environment. As your board member, I will lead efforts in expanding staff development to include training ways to create safe learning environments for all our students. Additionally, I will ensure that teaching soft skills will help students navigate difficult situations while maintaining relationships is also part of our curriculum.

Cindy Quiralte

CINDY QUIRALTE

I believe it is essential that school board members are supportive in creating safe, accepting, and supportive environments for all students. If elected I plan to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ students face higher rates of bullying, higher school drop-out rates, and higher rates of homelessness. California Educational Code and various safety and anti-discrimination policies are in place to protect LGBTQ+ students and supportive teachers; however lack of awareness of these policies create a disconnect between students needs and available resources and protections. The Fair Education Act requires that California public schools provide Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful representations of our diverse ethnic and cultural population in the K-12 grade history and social studies curriculum.

Noel Mora

NOEL MORA

I think one of the most important roles of a school board member is to ensure safe and inclusive schools in our district. This means taking necessary steps to affirm our students from all backgrounds and identities, so that students know that they belong and are going to be supported to succeed. I remember my own time at our Natomas schools, and had there been more support for LGBTQ+ students then, I would have been able to embrace my identity and existence a lot sooner in my life. Our Natomas school board has many opportunities to further support LGBTQ+ students, including ongoing training for staff and teachers to understand how to best support LGBTQ+ students, developing more leadership programs for LGBTQ+ students (as so many other school districts do), and of course celebrating our LGBTQ+ students and LGBTQ+ history to reflect the values of equity and inclusion that Natomas itself has.

Megan Allen

MEGAN ALLEN

I haven’t mentioned this thus far, but I was sixteen years old and in high school when I got pregnant with my oldest son. This led to me being a single parent for ten years. I have compassion for students that are overlooked and/or vulnerable, because I was that student. Now as a parent of a biracial child and another with special needs, I know the need of our students to be treated with dignity and respect even more so. We need to start with empathy. One of my main goals in life is to love people where they’re at. If I receive the honor of earning Natomas Unified Area 1’s vote for School Board Trustee, I will lead with love.