Science teacherwants to bring fresh outlook to board
CHICO » Caitlin Dalby wants to bring a fresh and updated outlook on public education to the Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Dalby, a current science teacher at March Junior High, is one of six candidates seeking a position on the board. Currently, there are two spots up for election. Current school board president Elizabeth Griffin and current school board member Linda Hovey are running for reelection.
“It’s time to change the gears when it comes to our public education system,” Dalby said. “I want to be
an analytical voice and someone who emphasizes our social justice issues
and has an understanding of those.”
Dalby, a mother of one, grew up in Chester and currently lives in Forest Ranch. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from UC Davis then earned her teaching credential from Chico State.
She’s been teaching at Marsh for eight years and in spring 2019 she earned her master’s degree in land resources and environmental science online at Montana State.
Dalby said she decided to submit the paperwork to run for the school board on the very last day. If she were to be elected to theboard, she’d have to resign as a teacher, a decision she was hesitant about because of her connection to students.
“I always form really good relationships with my students and thinking about skipping out on them three months into the school year hurts my heart,” Dalby said. “I had to reconcile with that, came to some realization, so I filed.”
Dalby said her experience as a teacher, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be an additional perspective added to the board if she were to be elected. She’s had first-hand experience with distance learning.
“Distance learning has been frustrating because our teachers are being gaslit. We’re being told how amazing we are, how hardworking we are, when in reality these surveys are filtered through somebody else wording the questions and making misinformed decisions,” Dalby said. “We’re given this canned curriculum that is great for independent learners. For independent learners, it works really great for but that’s not 95 percent of our students.”
She also added that distance learning during the
pandemic has revealed other concerns, like grouping kids who are the same age into the same grade level or having benchmark tests measure success.
“The thing about distance learning and COVID in general is really exposing these undercurrents we have in general education,” Dalby said. “We’re expected to fit kids in a box, inamold, and do things a very specific way for specific reasons that aren’t what’s always best for kids.”
Even though distance learning is the front and center issue right now, Dalby said she wants to address other issues she sees within the public education system.
“I don’t think that the school board is experienced enough with today’s issues. Whenwe talk about the transgender population, the LGBTQ community, our students of color — I want to look at our discipline policies,” Dalby said. “Things we need to normalize, like using appropriate pronouns, being open about our identities. These are things we need to face head- on like implicit bias and racism.”