Jessica Pereira, candidate for Maize school board District 1
Name: Jessica Pereira
Age: 42
Occupation: Self-employed
Previous government service: Precinct committeewoman
Have you run for office before? (Please list any previous offices sought)
Precinct committeewoman
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it?
I believe that the top issue for our district right now is that parents are not able to be heard and involved. Communication is one of the most important things to have when building strong relationships. When we email the board, we may get a 20% response rate. All the big decisions over the last 2 years have been made during special meetings where parents aren’t allowed to speak, or they are made through consent agenda. This is not ok. Education is like a 3 legged stool, parents, educators, and students are all necessary to not fall flat. Parents and staff need to be heard, and we need to do our best to ensure that we are providing the best education our children can get.
What would your top 3 policy priorities be?
Efficiency - I have a Masters in Business and hold several certifications in process improvement. I enjoy digging into processes to find ways to improve safety, service, and satisfaction all while saving money. I would like us to work on improving our transportation process, improving school lunches, and improving math and reading proficiencies.
Communication - I vow to open up special sessions for visitor comments and to respond to every email with original thought, no canned responses from me. I will also work hard to reach out to parents, teachers, and students to ensure that we are moving Maize in the right direction.
Transparency - I would like to help explain the reasons why we are making the decisions that we are. I want the board documents to be easily accessible and meetings to be stored on our website until at least the next regular board meeting. I will answer all questions, research topics, and come to meetings prepared and ready to contribute.
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