Fremont Union High School District Governing Board
Rosa Kim
To support every student's success by creating a welcoming and inclusive culture in which each student feels they are a part of the school community. To help the community benefit from our rich diversity by seeking out and acting on the voices of diverse stakeholders.
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In a recent poll by Choose Children 2022 of likely general election voters, more than half of parents with children under age 18 say they are likely to move out of the Bay Area in the next few years. What do you think are the top three issues affecting our children and families and how will you make our region a place where all families can thrive?
First, for families with younger children, it is very difficult to find the right childcare at affordable cost. Second, middle/high schoolers feel so much academic pressure from highly competitive environment in the area. Lastly, schools are losing high quality teachers and programs due to declined enrollment and high living cost. I strongly support the comprehensive high school model where various programs are provided to serve our diverse student population. Supporting our under-resourced students to be succeed in their schools and actively communicating with diverse district stakeholders will be fundamental to address on the issues and work together.
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As we have learned over the past three years, without quality, affordable, childcare, parents can’t go to work. What will you do to address challenges accessing childcare and preschool programs in our diverse communities?
As a high school district, our students are not directly impacted by this critical issue. However, it is a significant challenge for our staff and community members. Our adult school has a high-quality pre-school program with experienced, credentialed teachers. The pre-school currently utilizes a facility at one of our feeder school district campuses that we have renovated. I will explore if we can offer an affordable childcare program for our staff members and local parents using this facility as well as surveying the needs. Working with feeder district schools which are closer to our school sites to provide childcare can be another option.
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Much of the student achievement gap has been linked to the opportunity gap that children in low-income families and children of color confront (e.g., lack of access to healthy food, preschool, tutors, and enrichment activities). If elected, what will you do to increase equity of opportunity?
During the pandemic, I have volunteered to help low-income students’ college application as a certified college advisor. I have witnessed how much challenges they had to face and endure. As a school board member, I will strengthen the support for our under-resourced students with my experience to guide them to plan their career paths and majors. Providing a variety of CTE programs could be one of the supports. Getting disaggregated data on their academic outcomes and thoughtfully targeted student survey should be preceded to plan for the support. Paying attention to district wide resources to address their needs will be one of my priorities.
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What steps will you take to support inclusion and outcomes for children with special needs or with disabilities and their families to be fully included in our community?
Our district has a very dedicated team for our Special Services department and the board has opportunities to get updated about our special Ed programs regularly. It is very helpful for me as a board member to better understand our offerings. I will thoroughly review our current practice and challenges that we have for students with special needs. Unlike IEP, RTI and 504 Plans remain on the general ed side. I will continue to check about our students with 504 plans and how to improve our practices for them. I will also ensure rigorous communication with the families of students with special needs.
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There is a mental health crisis among children, youth, and those who care for and educate them. If elected, how will you use the resources of your new role to improve access to mental and behavioral health services?
I am a strong advocate for students' social and emotional well-being because it is a foundation for their success during their high school life and even after the graduation. I have heard concerns for mental health services from students and parents, but they were not fully aware of our district offerings. I'll promote sharing resources more broadly with students and families. Creating a diverse communication platform with students, such as more student surveys, and evaluating their needs will be fundamental to improve access to our mental health services. I will explore how we can further implement our students’ voices in our mental health services