Frank Lara

Education In order to “stop the bleeding” when it comes to privatization, the Frank for SSPI Campaign proposes a statewide voucher ban, as well as a moratorium on charter schools and private schools. When Frank is SSPI, he will push for all existing charter schools and private schools to be unionized wall-to-wall, and for a regulatory system to be developed to match the regulations for public schools. Existing charter schools and private schools would no longer be able to discriminate against students with disabilities or kick out students who exhibit difficult behaviors—they will need to follow the same regulations that protect students in public schools from such measures. Education When Frank is SSPI, the California Department of Education will promote the creation and maintenance of language pathways, as well as support partnerships between school districts and universities to develop teaching pipelines for training bilingual educators. While some of these programs have been launched, they have not been maintained or prioritized. Frank would be committed to their implementation, and would make California a true leader in bilingual education! Education It is the duty of the California Department of Education to end the school to prison pipeline and commit every resource available to schools in addressing the root causes and societal factors students struggle with that prevent them from being safe and productive in school. As SSPI, Frank will push for policies that keep cops and ICE out of our schools completely! Education Rather than overtest our students with biased metrics that benefit billionaires, Frank will advocate for the use of quality, project-based formative and cumulative assessments, developed by educators, students and community members, who will all be compensated for their involvement. Standardized testing should be limited– there is no reason to test every student multiple times per year. Education When Frank is SSPI, he will push for free college for all, with special attention to teacher education programs and other pathways for educators. He will fight to support higher education workers, and will push for free and expanded adult education and technical-trade programming as well. Education When Frank is SSPI, he will push for California to fill the gaps the federal government leaves and fully fund special education, while also pushing the federal government to fulfill its promise. Fully funding special education and making it a priority of the California Department of Education would mean access to qualified educators (who would receive specialized training through state-funded educational and career pathways), early identification of special needs, and early interventions that ensure students can reach their full potential, regardless of their identification. Additionally, Frank will call for fair assessments that would end the overrepresentation of Black and Brown students in Special Education. He will address the racist practices that often qualify poor children who have experienced trauma with labels like Emotional Disturbance. We believe all students deserve a quality educational experience; fully funding special education and addressing racial inequities is an important step towards turning that belief into reality. Education As other states implement smart, just policies that benefit working people, we must fight for the same here. As the fourth largest economy in the world, free childcare and universal Pre-K, along with wage increases for early childcare workers, should be a priority. As SSPI, Frank will take inspiration from New Mexico and push for free childcare and universal Pre-K for all! Education By better utilizing existing tax dollars to taxing corporations and the rich, we can absolutely fully staff schools, and ensure fair wages and working conditions for all educational staff, including paraeducators, nurses, academic workers, custodians, librarians, social workers, and more. We can provide modern schools ensuring safe, gender inclusive, clean, and functional facilities to safely support and welcome our students and families. Education As SSPI, Frank would help redefine what a school can look like when it meets the community where it’s at, and actively serves the community’s needs. He will support and push for extended learning opportunities in all subject areas, including arts, sports, and technology both during and after the school day so that students can explore and find their passions and live a balanced and healthy life. These centers of learning and innovation will be fully staffed by union workers, who will receive quality training on how to best support students outside of the traditional school day. Education District and state funds should go towards supporting our students in the researched, proven way we know how, rather than on trends and gimmicks. When Frank is SSPI, class size will be reduced to eighteen or fewer k-3, 20 or fewer for grades 4-8, and 25 or fewer for grades 9-12.