Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below.
Name: Brandon M. Macias
Age: 20
Current job title: Student Assistant II
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: None
City where you reside: South San Jose Hills
Campaign website or social media: Brandonmacias.com
What are the top two needs of your school district, and how are you prepared to address them? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
As a former student, a current classroom employee, and a longtime community organizer in the Rowland Unified school district, I believe we need to expand universal access to competitive courses and to further develop academic supports. I work in Rowland Unified classrooms and I’ve noted the decline in student enrollment as have my colleagues.
If we want to not only retain our student population, but expand it, we need to invest in competitive courses for both vocational and collegiate career paths. Offering in-house career pathways such as HVAC, welding, and construction while simultaneously offering AP courses like microeconomics and AP world history prepares our students to be as competitive in the job/college admissions market as possible.
But as a former school site council president of four years, I know we can’t just provide additional opportunities without the support to ensure our students succeed. That’s why I’m pushing for an investment in free in-person tutoring at our school sites. My job is to provide academic intervention in the classroom, which is why I understand that our students need the individualized support available to them.
To you, what is the role of a school board in education? Is it driving policy, being involved in curriculum, something else entirely? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
School boards are policymakers, and their job is to propel a vision for free, high quality, universal education above all else. However, in a community like ours, where we have no mayor, no city council, or local municipal government, I believe our school board members must be more, and must do more.
The fact is that one’s school board member (whether you live in South San Jose Hills or Rowland Heights) is likely to be among the only elected officials that families regularly interface with. Office holders in unincorporated areas have a unique mandate to be incredibly persistent and engaged advocates for their community. I expect a school board member to be at every meeting, listening, taking notes, and advocating for the concerns of their neighbors and community.
How do you feel artificial intelligence is, or isn’t, safe in the classroom? In what instances should it be expanded in the classroom? What about when it should be limited? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
As a fierce advocate against the data center wave sweeping our nation (and the Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council’s delegate to the No Data Center in SGV Coalition), I believe we need to approach the incorporation of technology into the classroom thoughtfully and with clear boundaries to protect student learning.
In a time where concerns regarding student behavior and attention span are worsening and screen time is becoming ever present, I believe we should work to limit reliance on artificial intelligence as much as possible, especially in early grades. As AI on social media becomes dangerously passable for real footage, literacy curriculum on how to detect and engage with this technology should be integrated into the classroom.
How do you believe schools can better teach or engage students in civil discourse? How would you like to see your district tackle this issue? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
As a former RUSD student advocate who founded the Student Advocacy Union (an organization that works directly with administrators for better student conditions), I am extremely proud to be deeply immersed in how Rowland Unified students engage with civil and political discourse.
At the end of the day, our job as educators is not to teach students what to think, but how to think. We need to prepare students to be contributing members of society that are capable of advocating for what they see as a moral vision of a just world.
I believe Rowland Unified has an opportunity to bridge a major gap when it comes to an understanding of how civil discourse functions. Often students, residents, and even teachers see civics on a theoretical level, as a set of “what values do I think government should reflect” questions, but where our schools could step in, is in giving students opportunities to interact directly with local government. By having students observe city council proceedings and talk to the people who make decisions over fundamental resources like water, we empower students to be future advocates who actually know how to affect the change they want.
Some school districts around California are recruiting teachers by building subsidized housing. How would you suggest your district could better attract — and retain — educators? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
Being a public school teacher is one of the most stressful careers in the nation. Teachers are responsible for anywhere from 20 to 36 students at a time, they have to juggle the needs of students at wildly different levels, manage behaviors, and communicate with families on a regular basis. While a livable wage and livable benefits are always priorities for retention, I believe the strategy to retain and expand our amazing team of educators is simple: give them the tools to succeed.
We need to combat burnout, a massive epidemic in this career path, by abolishing combination classes (where 2 different grade levels are placed in the same class) that demand that teachers juggle between curriculums. We need to focus on hiring a full team of intervention staff, such as instructional aides and student assistants, staff members who can not only support instruction, but assist in the management of behaviors in the classroom.
And most importantly, we need to make sure our administrators are creating consistently supportive workplace climates at our school sites by ensuring our teachers are respected for the work they do by both students and parents.
What experiences and priorities do you bring to this role? What have you learned in prior leadership roles that makes you the person for the job? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
I’ve been going to school board meetings since I was 14 years old. I’ve spent my life dedicated to these schools, to our community, and to making our town better. I am proud to say that I’m the only candidate on the ballot who works for the Rowland Unified School District, works in Rowland classrooms, and attended Rowland Unified in the last decade. I bring the perspective of a recent student who now works in our classrooms and has spent his life fighting to make them better.
I served four terms as the Nogales High School School Site Council President, working with my fellow council members and the principal to allocate federal and state dollars towards educational goals. I’ve earmarked dollars for college and career programs, spoken directly with staff and students about what resources are working, and written strategies designed to improve academic performance.
I also serve as the Vice President of the Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council (RHCCC), where I regularly work with county officials, public agencies, and community organizations to deliver services for residents. During my tenure I’ve introduced live streams, community newsletters, expanded social media, and directly lobbied legislators on behalf of the Rowland community.
If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be and why? (Please answer in 200 words or fewer.)
Our mascot would be a swallow. A swallow signifies hope, renewal, and loyalty. These values are exactly what this campaign is about: hope for schools that work for every child, renewal of our promise to prepare every student for a future of their choice, and unwavering loyalty to our students, parents, and staff above all else.
Bonus question: What is the best book you’ve read this year? Explain why you found it compelling.
Eichmann in Jerusalem: A report on the Banality of Evil. I found it compelling because it explores the way in which ordinary people can become complicit in great extraordinary evil through a failure to critically think about the nature of bureaucratic systems. A reminder that moral responsibility doesn’t disappear just because one is following orders.