On November 5^th, 2024 we will have a chance to use the full weight of the electoral process to determine who will represent us on the Contra Costa Board of Education for the next four years.

In an effort to help level the playing field, Radio Free Richmond has extended an offer to both candidates for the Board to post their own words to let you, the voters, know their positions on what they believe to be the important issues.

Radio Free Richmond does NOT endorse any candidate.  This offer is extended as a means to help ALL candidates get their message out unedited and at no cost to their campaign.

THIS IS FREE PUBLICITY.

The candidates have also been invited to post guest editorials on the issues of importance.

RFR will post a new candidate statement every couple of days.

RADIO FREE RICHMOND DOES NOT ENDORSE CANDIDATES—THEY OFFER A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO EXPRESS IDEAS ON ISSUES OF VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY

As a proud product of public schools, I understand the challenges and disparities in our education system. Growing up in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I experienced the achievement gap firsthand. My parents made a daily 45-minute drive so I could attend a high-quality elementary and middle school in an affluent neighborhood. This contrasted with my experience at a Title I high school near the border of Compton and Long Beach. I transitioned from schools with active booster clubs and involved PTA programs to a new high school whose first year was marked by a heavy police presence, where many students saw sports as their only path to success.

These early experiences taught me how resources can impact a student's education quality. But they also taught me that managing resources was even more critical. Well-managed resources, excellent school leadership, and high-quality teachers contributed to my former high school's 90% graduation rate despite 82% of its student body being economically disadvantaged. My high school teachers, counselors, and principal are models of high-quality education if the proper policy and support systems are in place. I thank them for contributing to me being the man I am today.

What policies and leadership are needed to create a thriving school environment for our most at-risk students? This was the question on my mind when I left Los Angeles to attend the University of California, Berkeley. My pursuit of this answer led me to work in West County and led me to meet my future wife, Mitzi Pérez-Caro.

During my college years, Mitzi and I, along with other students, were vocal advocates for higher-quality education in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. We fought for the sanctuary district policy to protect undocumented students, a resolution to prioritize a positive school climate, and the need to increase teachers' salaries to attract high-quality educators in the face of a state-wide teacher shortage.

After years of organizing, attending school board meetings, and building coalitions with community groups, my wife and I decided to take the next step in trying to support our community. In 2017, Mitzi became a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School, and I decided to run for the WCCUSD School Board. After losing my 2018 election, I joined the United States Army to gain life experience. During my time in Active Duty, from 2018 to 2022, I was stationed overseas in the Republic of Korea and Kuwait. My military experience is what taught me the meaning of servant leadership. I brought these skills home with me, and I plan on continuing the work Mitzi and I started many years ago.

I am running for the Contra Costa County Board of Education Area 1 to support our most at-risk students and close the achievement gap. Working with students and community members in WCCUSD and during my service in the military, I've seen the before-and-after effects the education system has on at-risk youth. With sound policy, good leadership, and proper support for our teachers, we can ensure our students have a clear path to success.

If elected to the county board, I want to create a pipeline of support and resources from the county to the district level to ensure our WCCUSD students have as much support as possible. For the students in county schools, I want to work diligently with the County Office of Education and WCCUSD to enhance our re-entry program. My top three priorities are community-based schools, college and career readiness, and teacher retention and growth.

Contra Costa County Board of Education Area 1, which includes Richmond, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, San Pablo, Pinole, and parts of Kensington, is not just a political territory for me. It's my home. My personal and professional experiences have uniquely positioned me to understand and address the needs of this community. Being married to a 7-year teacher and former United Teachers of Richmond executive board member, I am familiar with many policy issues unique to teachers. Before my time in the Army, I actively registered students of WCCUSD to vote and educated them on civic engagement. I worked with organizations such as Healthy Richmond, the RYSE center, and Contra Costa Community College. We pushed for gun violence prevention, school safety, and an increase in support for our teachers. Now that I'm back from Active Duty, I serve as a Sergeant in the United States Army National Guard. I have re-enrolled at UC Berkeley with the financial help of my G.I Bill, and I support myself with a career as a financial consultant. My lifestyle allows me to continue my education while having the time to advocate for improving the education of our students.

All of this has led to our campaign today. We are on a mission, a mission that can only succeed with the help of others. To serve the community, we need the help of the community. That is why our campaign's primary focus is coalition building. We have the support of the retiring incumbent, Consuelo Lara, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, County Supervisor John Gioia, the Mayor and Vice Mayor of both the cities of Pinole and San Pablo and many members of the local city councils. We also have the mutual support of Jesse Arreguín, who will be crucial in getting state-level policy passed when he wins his election for State Senate. Support is not limited to elected officials. I am in conversation with members of the business community, labor unions, and the building trades. With their support, we can build the most robust Career Technical Education Program in the state and prepare our students to join the workforce of the future. These endorsements reflect not only the broad support for our campaign for the County Board. They reflect the growing network I will work with to pass policy. As a single board member, I am limited in what I can do. However, through coalition and community, we can improve the quality of education we offer our students.

https://www.anthonyecaro.com/