28 Apr Irene Cepeda
Irene Cepeda
for
Clark County School District D Trustee
Campaign Contact Phone: 7022810133
Website: www.irenecepeda.org
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2022 Questionnaire
Please share briefly what inspired you to run for this office and why you feel you’re qualified for the position.
My zip code did not define my destiny. I was lucky to have caring teachers and wraparound services like GEAR UP and LYLC to set me up on a college pathway and service focused oriented career.
My received my undergrad in Political Science and masters in Education. I've learned so much about governance in this role. I have learned difficult lessons in governance, policy, and politics. I will forever keep learning, and be as transparent as I can.
How do you propose that more funding be allocated to public education?
The majority of how funds are allocated are in personnel. At a recent board meeting, the board voted for a 3.4 billion dollar agreement with the teacher union. So naturally additional funds should/would be mainly allocated for personnel.
Parents are frustrated with the performance of public schools, its apparent nonresponsiveness to the community, and its current poor performance with student outcomes. What are your thoughts on how we can support public education and change this situation?
Setting student-centered goals and monitoring those goals is one of the most important roles of a trustee. Aside from monitoring, it also sets the tone for the conversations the board and conversations within the community. Monitoring goals also means more data is made available for the public and that also helps inform decisions at other local levels.
When goals are not set, then there is no focus. So, in my opinion, ensuring the board is setting and monitoring student-centered goals is one of the most critical means for change. "
When goals are not set, then there is no focus. So, in my opinion, ensuring the board is setting and monitoring student-centered goals is one of the most critical means for change.
How would you propose changing the current funding formula to make it more equitable for children from poverty, English Language Learners and special education students?
There are some changes with the new funding formula that will help address equitable allocations of funds. From what I understand, Special Education allocations under the new funding formula are not limited to a set amount - which is important because students with special needs can vary greatly. Emerging bilingual students have a set weight.
Both funding formulas are running concurrently to see the implications of the funding. I would want to continue to see how the new funding formula is doing before suggesting new changes.
Both funding formulas are running concurrently to see the implications of the funding. I would want to continue to see how the new funding formula is doing before suggesting new changes.
There is a rise of bullying and racism in our schools. If elected, what steps would you make to ensure that our children can safely attend school?
In February, the board set a student safety goal. As a governing body, we set and continue to monitor school safety items because it is important for our communities. If we continuously monitor performance measures, the board is in the loop and staff can adjust strategies that are not effective.
Comprehensive, age and developmentally appropriate, medically-accurate, inclusive sex education has been proven to improve students’ long-term health outcomes, yet it is not required that students be provided with this information in their sex-ed programs. Do you believe that public school sex-ed programs should be comprehensive, medically accurate, and inclusive?
Yes. I also fully support an opt-out policy.
Do you support ending the use of pepper spray on students by the school district police? Yes or No, and why?
Yes - I am supportive of preventative measures, de-escalation, and implementing restorative justice more fully. Since this is an operational item, staff would have to analyze and find alternatives.
Post Covid we have many students who have not been able to catch up in their learning. It is particularly alarming that the younger students, who did not acquire reading skills during remote learning, are very far behind in reading proficiency. At the other end, we have seen a drop in Nevada’s high school graduation rates, with minorities, special ed, and ELLs now suffering a significant graduation gap. How do we address the needs of the Covid generation?
It's a multi-faceted issue. Access to SEL and mental health services is important. There are also national trends that show rebounds in learning since the pandemic. Again, the board set a goal to monitor 3rd grade reading and middle school math, because this was an issue the community is concerned about. I truly believe that if the board is talking about these issues, it will cause ripples in our community. It also means that data on these issues are made public, which helps folks in our communities make informed decisions.
What is your position on legislation such as Don’t Say Gay, and forcing transgender children to use bathrooms of their birth sex?
These are radical-right policies that I hope and ensure they will never make their way to Nevada, along with book bans, teachers submitting lesson plans months before the school start, and CRT bans.
What is your position on restorative justice?
It was a unfunded mandate. It needed to be a funded mandate. Restorative justice takes a lot of people power, and training for it to be truly effective. I do not support using Restorative Justice as a scapegoat for the rise of school safety issues as some have claimed.