Ramon Yepez

Why are you running for school board? I am running because the current school board is not going in the right direction. They are making decisions that endanger the future of students, teachers and the community. I am running because I am alarmed about the bad decisions that the school board has been making. I’d had enough, and I need to do something instead of waiting for someone else do something. The board is a danger to our community’s future. Students are graduating without the skills needed to thrive in society. Students in high school are learning woodshop when they should be learning to code. Coding is already an essential skill to have in a graduate’s skill set and will be even more fundamental in the future. I am running because I want to take the district in the right direction. I am running because we need to innovate in our approaches to education. I want to have a data science team at the school district that will be able to solve problems such as the decreasing rate of students going to college and the increasing rate at which students drop out. Data science will be invaluable to help tailor curriculum to individual students.

Why are you the best candidate for the seat? I am the best candidate for this position because I have the skills to increase the percentage of students who graduate and are able to go to college. I grew up in the district and I know what it’s like to be a student preparing for college and life. I know what is needed in the classroom and how to persuade fellow board members and teachers to reverse course and start focusing on college prep. I will ensure that parents are an integral part of the decision-making process.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish? 1. Increase the number of students going to college. 2. Teach coding K-12. 3. Create a data science team.

What role should a school district serve and how would you measure success? The school district’s main role should be to prepare students for their futures by giving them the skills to succeed. We improve our community by giving our students the education they deserve. Those students will become Lodi’s business leaders and skilled workers of tomorrow.

How can Lodi Unified School District better serve the community? The district should better prepare students for their futures. Also, the district should pay its employees a fair wage, so it can retain and recruit employees.

In what areas has Lodi Unified School District improved recently? How would you promote further improvement? Less students graduated in 2017 who met the UC/CSU requirements than in 2000. We need to reverse that. Also, Lodi USD is offering only some students a few technology classes. Computer science classes have to be offered to all students to be effective. I plan to change the curriculum, so more students are ready to go to college. I will add coding in the curriculum, so students can code by the time they graduate from high school. Finally, I will create a data science team to improve student outcomes.

What concerns you about Lodi Unified School District? How would you address these concerns? My main concern is that board members are not representing the interests of the whole community. They show no interest in the students. I think it is unfair for the students that these out-of-touch board members are making decisions that determine if they, the students, go to college or not. The current board members have been on the board for a long time — too long. Instead of giving them more experience to benefit the students, their time on the board has made them comfortable with the status quo. They aren’t interested in representing the interests of Lodi’s entire community.

Who’s a leader you admire and why? Abraham Lincoln, the best president this country has ever had. Also, one of its best writers. Without his calm and steady hand, the American experiment would have ended. He spoke unpopular truths in a difficult time with precision and elegance and common sense. His insight that American could only be destroyed from within is an inspiration and a caution. We work better if we work together.

Your thoughts on:

School safety/security We need to ensure that our students can study in a safe environment.

Student work/life balance Students need to work hard, but of course they should have a full life outside of school. It provides support and rest from the hard work of studying.

Low-enrollment schools We need to find the reason why some school have low enrollment.

Charter schools I believe that that charter schools and non-charter schools can coexist in the school district as alternative education opportunities for some students. However, the district should not sacrifice more resources than needed to charter schools.

Trade schools/skills Vocational education will always make up a part of the curriculum but should not be the entire focus of the curriculum.

Technology in education Technology isn’t the future — it’s already here and we need to produce students capable of using it. Our students should be as comfortable with coding as they are with correct grammar. The curriculum needs to acknowledge the reality of technology in the lives of its students.

School start times High students should start at after 8 a.m. so students are better prepared for school.

Teacher tenure/retention We need to work hard to prevent teachers from leaving the district to get better paying jobs in other school districts.

Local Control and Accountability Plan I think it great that the local community can take some control of our schools.

School discipline School’s need discipline and order, but we need to make sure that we are being objective across the board — the same discipline should be applied regardless of race or gender. There should be no disparities.

Taxpayer accountability We need to me more transparent with how we spend the taxpayer’s money.

Standardized testing Merely one of a few tools to measure student performance.