Jorge Chavez

Jorge Chavez is running for the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) Board of Directors in District G, which primarily includes the City of Lafayette, but see the map below for better detail. BVSD Directors are elected by all voters in the entire BVSD area, though they run as residents of a given geographic district. Terms are for four years, and Directors are limited to two terms.

Relevant Experience:

Education

  • PhD in Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • MA in Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • BA in Psychology, University of Nevada
  • BA in Criminal Justice, University of Nevada

Work Experience

  • Associate Professor, School of Education and Human Development, University of Colorado Denver – 5 years
  • Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University – 5 years
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University – 6 years

Volunteer Experience

  • District Accountability Committee (DAC) – 4 years, Chair – 2 years, Vice-Chair – 1 year
  • School Accountability Committee (SAC), Escuela Bilingue Pioneer Elementary School, – 5 years, Chair – 3 years
  • Member, Latino Parent Advisory Council (CAPL) – 4 years
  • Member, Families and Educators Together Escuela Bilingue Pioneer Elementary School – 4 years
  • Member, Families and Educators Together – 2 years, Manhattan Middle School

Q – What made you decide to run?

I am a father to 3 BVSD students and have been volunteering with BVSD since moving here in 2018. My work as a volunteer has allowed me to connect with families, teachers, and administrators to learn about the challenges, opportunities and needs of BVSD. I am also an Associate Professor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver. Because of my volunteer roles and educational background, I have been able to leverage my research and academic experience as well as time spent connecting with families and educators in BVSD and learning about the issues facing our district to collaborate with and advise the Equity Council, the Superintendent and upper administration, and the Board of Education. I have been doing this volunteer work because I care deeply about public education. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the public education system. Our board needs to have members that know our district. I have the background, experience, and education to serve. I’m running for the school board to ensure that BVSD teachers and schools have the systems, supports, and resources to educate and meet the needs of all our students so they can be successful.

Q – Are there specific needs in your geographic district?

District G is a very diverse district in terms of race & ethnicity and socioeconomic status and is unique relative to the other districts in BVSD. The long-term decline in enrollment across BVSD and the associated budget reductions is one of the most pressing issues facing the district. However, in district G the school age population is growing, and we are filling schools as soon as they are built. It will be a challenge to address the growing diverse student population in district G in the context of district-wide budget reductions. Relatedly, there are long-standing inequalities in educational outcomes and disproportionate discipline for students of color, in special education, English language learners, and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. And at the same time, access to advanced coursework and gifted and talented programming varies widely across the district. To date, some schools in district G share Gifted and Talented program coordinators and only have virtual access to advanced coursework, and until last year, there was no access to bilingual education after the elementary school level in district G, creating a considerable barrier to achieving the biliteracy seal for our students. We need to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all BVSD students – regardless of socioeconomic status, race & ethnicity, language, gender identity, learning needs, or what school they go to in BVSD.

Q – How would you characterize BVSD’s current level of academic performance and your performance priorities? 

Overall, BVSD is a high performing school district, with BVSD regularly ranking among the best in the state, on the basis of standardized testing. However, CMAS data shows that there are long-standing inequalities in educational outcomes for students of color, in special education, English language learners, and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Relatedly, we have long-standing problems with inequalities in punitive discipline practices which affect these same groups of students. Black and Latinx students are also more likely to be disciplined for subjective infractions (categories like insubordination and disrespect) and are disciplined more harshly than white students for the same behaviors. We need to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all BVSD students – regardless of socioeconomic status, race & ethnicity, language, gender identity, learning needs, or what school they go to in BVSD.

Q – Do you believe BVSD has done a good job managing educational achievement gaps? If not, what can BVSD do to narrow the gaps? 

I support the new emphasis in the strategic plan to address inequalities in educational outcomes, which include continuing expanded investment in differentiated funding for schools serving the students with the most need, expanding promising pilot programs at schools that have shown academic improvement, and continued investment in restorative justice practices to reduce disparities across the district. This work has begun to show results but will require continue investment and expansion to move the needle. A positive next step would be expanding access to advanced course work and expanding programs like AVID, which shows promising results, which provides supports to academically proficient students in reaching and succeeding in advanced academic courses. In addition, recruiting and retaining excellent teachers, in particular those who reflect the student population, is an important step toward addressing these inequalities.

Q – What is your take on the use of or reliance on standardized testing in today’s educational environment, and would you favor changes?

Any single test is only a measure of a single point in time of one aspect of a child’s education. And the high stakes CMAS tests which are conducted on a yearly basis are a single data point that is not available for review until long after the student has moved on to a different grade. No single measure of success should be used to assert a child’s learning and no single measure should be used to assess a child’s teacher. There is considerable research on the ways in which there is bias in these measures and use of these measures ignores that public schools serve all students regardless of need. This means that our teachers and public schools serve those children who are most vulnerable and who need the biggest investment of our time, energy, caring, and resources. We should be using these tests to identify the highest areas of need with an eye toward investment and resources.

Q – General thoughts on BVSD finance, including whether you could favor running a future ballot measure that would improve revenue for BVSD? 

I supported Issue 5A, which provided the critical funds necessary for the proposed new elementary school in Erie, in district G. Schools across Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, and Broomfield are filled to capacity and are continuing to grow. We need the infrastructure to be able to serve our kids. At the same time, we need to make sure that we are fiscally responsible and that our decision making is based on a long-term strategy, is evidence based, and is equitable across the district. I also support advocating for improved funding for education in Colorado. For example, Proposition HH reduces property taxes, helping families directly, while also allocating resources to education. This is an important first step toward adequately funding our schools, but we must continue to advocate for improved education funding at the state capital.

Q – What are your thoughts on censorship in school districts, and what would your thought process include if there were calls to censor materials in BVSD? 

I am opposed to book bans and censorship. This is one of the reasons why I am running for the school board. I support current BVSD policies and recent efforts in support of inclusion of contributions by individuals who are LGBTQ and individuals of color in state social studies standards. An inclusive curriculum provides a more accurate representation of our community and of our history. Representation and diversity of identity and experience should be the default. Our kids need to recognize the wonderful diversity of individuals and families that exist in our society from the earliest point possible. We also need to recognize that these students are kids who are navigating what can often be a difficult transition into young adulthood. And kids who are LGBTQ, and transgender in particular, are at much greater risk for abuse and victimization, suicide, and mental health issues during this time period. So, the last thing we want to do is isolate or marginalize our kids. Our curriculum needs to allow our kids to see themselves in it.

Q – Has BVSD done a good job managing pandemic-related learning loss, or does work remain to be done? 

The pandemic has had a negative impact on the growth and development of all BVSD students and exacerbated existing inequalities in educational outcomes and opportunities. I support the work that BVSD has done to address this issue. BVSD has made considerable progress in moving toward a standards-based scope and sequence and data driven instruction across the district and invested in differentiated funding for schools serving the students with the most need. This work has begun to show promising results in targeted schools. This approach has provided accountability and an equitable allocation of resources which is focused on student need. Relatedly, youth in Colorado, like those across the nation, are experiencing a mental health crisis. I support recent efforts by BVSD in the form of evidence based Social Emotional Learning curriculum in schools, as well as expanded use of culturally competent, trauma-informed, licensed health professionals and wrap around services in schools. BVSD has also partnered with Impact on Education to place 6 Wellness Centers in our schools. I support BVSD expanding and continuing to scale up these strategies district wide.

Q – What are your thoughts about education related to diversity in BVSD? 

Representation and diversity of identity and experience needs to be at the core of our educational curriculum. Our kids need to see themselves in our curriculum and understand the diversity in our broader social world. However, given the long-standing inequalities in educational outcomes and in punitive discipline practices present in our schools, it is not enough for our curriculum to just reflect diversity and inclusion. We also need to focus on building an inclusive school climate where our practices reflect our values. This means working with both our students and educators to make sure that all feel welcome, safe, and supported. I support expansion of training on bias, cultural competence, and equity for all school staff. In addition, district wide expansion of training on de-escalation and conflict resolution, social emotional learning, and coordination with school counselors and other student support professionals would facilitate building an inclusive and welcoming environment where all students may feel safe and welcome.

Q – Changing demographics within BVSD might mean there could be school closures or other changes. What factors would enter your thought process if closures are considered?

This is a multifaceted issue. I support the recommendations of the BVSD long-range advisory committee which focused on declining student enrollment. This includes reviewing the district’s open enrollment policies and school attendance districts, because enrollment looks very different across BVSD. Enrollment changes provide an opportunity for us to reimagine what our schools like and would allow us to consider new models like mixed grade learning communities, focus schools to attract students from across the district, or right sizing schools with large numbers of students with high needs so that they can be better served. However, we need to continue to make sure that this process is collaborative, working with parents, educators, community partners and all stakeholders at every step of the process. Schools are a lynchpin of our neighborhoods; we need to explore all options before closing schools.

Q – How do you keep in touch with the thoughts of students and parents now, and/or how do you plan to keep in touch if elected?

It is critical that our school board members be connected to and engaged with our students, families, and educators. I have 3 students in BVSD schools, twins at Escuela Bilingue Pioneer Elementary School and my oldest at Manhattan Middle School. And since joining BVSD, I have served on numerous family groups and school and district committees. I have spent countless hours talking with families and educators about their experiences in BVSD and developed relationships that have allowed me to learn so much and continue to learn about our schools, district and community. This is the work of a school board member. I will work to maintain these relationships and look forward to the new relationships to come. This work requires building a community. And that means that you have to care and that you have to put the work in. If elected to the school board, I will continue to care and continue to put the work in.

Digital Information:

Websites:
https://www.jorgeforbvsd.com/
http://www.jorgeparabvsd.com/

Instagram:
@jorgeforbvsd

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jorgeforbvsd

Email:
jorgeforbvsd@gmail.com