3 Fil-Ams among 6 Vallejo school board candidates

VALLEJO, California –- With less than two months to go before elections, candidates for the Vallejo School Board election are gunning for the three open seats. Activities were held — from back-to-back fund-raising campaigns to many political forums including the one on September 12 sponsored by The Filipino Community of Solano County, Inc. at the Filipino Community Center along Sonoma Boulevard.

Out of the eight candidates who initially filed for their candidacy, two backed out. Of the six remaining, three are Filipino-Americans.

The race for the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education includes two incumbents: Hazel Wilson and Tony Ubalde, current school board president. Their challengers are  Ruscal Cayangyang, Shelee Loughmiller, Burkey Worel and Brisbain Pucan. The two who withdrew from the race were Richard Porter and John Lewis.

Current incumbent Vallejo School Board member Adrienne Waterman opted not to file for re-election early in the campaign for personal reasons, according to the Vallejo Times Herald.

Ubalde, Cayangyang and Pucan are Filipino-Americans.

Cayangyang

Cayangyang, 24, is a UC Berkeley student who belongs to the Green Party.  The Green Party states that he is one of its 35 candidates running for statewide office in California. This is his second campaign for the Vallejo School Board.

Cayangyang emphasized at the Sept. 12  forum that he holds a degree in Business from Napa Valley College, where he was a college trustee before he decided to run for Vallejo School Board.

"I was raised by a single mother, I know the value of public education," he said. "As a former College Board Student Trustee and City of Vallejo Commissioner, I’m experienced and prepared to tackle difficult educational issues."

He said Vallejo schools need improvement on many levels.

"Students and teachers are frequently assaulted, there’s bullying and a high dropout rate, all documented by three Solano Grand Jury reports. Both test scores and teacher morale are extremely low. There’s a lack of accountability, respect and transparency.”

He criticized sitting trustees for "denying" town students "the quality education they deserve." What's needed, he said, are "fresh and positive solutions” new board member can bring.

Robert Padilla, a Cal State Hayward student, upon learning of Cayangyang’s candidacy, used social media to voice his support.
Ubalde

Ubalde, meanwhile, focused on the importance of “collaboration.”

“A decade ago, the Vallejo City Unified School District was on the verge of financial collapse. Today the school district is much improved, a healthier place for both teachers and students, “ he said as he enumerated the progress he believes the school district has achieved.

“From its full service community schools to the wall-to-wall academies, the school district works not only to stabilize the district financial condition but also improve students grades and dropout rates,” he added.

“The whole issue of safety is a big concern for us, by strengthening our safety supervisors and stressing how their job is linked to best practices for our students and our staff, we are making progress.”
 
Ubalde, who was recently endorsed by the Napa and Solano Central Labor Council together with another candidate, Burky Worel, said that his diverse public education experience spans four decades from the 1970s where he co-chaired and developed bilingual education and advocated for the integration of  students in San Francisco schools.

He said he helped passage of two school bonds in Sacramento and Elk Grove’s school district as well as a school bond in Vallejo as a member of the Measure A committee. He also served for four years as member of the Solano Community College Board.

“It is a wide spectrum of experience nobody can challenge,” exclaimed Dolly Doria, an Ubalde volunteer.
Pucan

First-time candidate Pucan said it is her “personal quest”  to improve Vallejo.

“It must start from Vallejo Schools,” she said, citing how many  families and students in Vallejo are transferring to other school districts like Benicia and American Canyon because of the problems of Vallejo schools.

In her campaign statement, Pucan listed four essential needs for “better Vallejo Schools:  Quality Education, School Safety, Accountability and Financial Stability."

“I believe our children deserve quality education. The Board should create an environment where students have access to pathways that make them college-ready and career drive,” she said.

Pucan, who is originally from Kalinga, Apayao, is a dentistry graduate of Centro Escolar University in Manila.

“My dental practice in Vallejo and Solano County spans 22 years, and it’s time for meas a Vallejo parent and business owner  to advocate for better schools in Vallejo,” she declared. —Philippine News