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5C Parents Organizing Largest County Candi date Forum

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5C Staff
Published on:
September 18, 2024

Paola, Petronila and Felicia come from different backgrounds. Their kids are in different grades, in different stages of their educational journeys. They came together as powerful parents at Making Waves Academy.

Now, they are recruiting other parents to come together with 5C: the Contra Costa Charter Coalition and plan the largest parent-and-family-led forum for Contra Costa County school board candidates in the 2024 election.

“We all have the same mindset and what we are seeking for our kids,” Felicia said. “It’s not about charter schools, it’s about all the schools. Every child is entitled to a quality education, and that’s where the focus needs to be. It’s about us getting to know (the candidates for school board), working with them and having them work for us. Because that’s their job.”

5C parent leaders have been meeting with school board candidates from both West Contra Costa County Unified School District and Contra Costa County to learn more about their platforms, and to invite them to the forum.

Paola shared she is eager to hear from the candidates and she wants them to hear from parents like her who are making the best choice for their children of where they send them to school.

“I don’t ever see my kids attending the school that’s just a few blocks away,” Paola said. “It’s sad to say I have to drive further in order for my kids to receive a good education. I want to advocate for other parents like me so they can see us and hear from us. At some point, we were all not happy with our neighborhood schools.”

Paola said it is powerful being a 5C parent leader and she is working to recruit other Making Waves parents to join the coalition.

“It’s very powerful, like a big source of energy, when we come together as parents,” Paola said. “We all really care about our kids’ education. In this coalition, they are teaching us how to become leaders and advocate for our kids. Reaching more parents is crucial because they need to know what’s going on in our school community and how to use your own voice to advocate for your kids.”

Petronila has been a part of the Making Waves community for 5 years. She moved both of her kids from their neighborhood school (WCCUSD) to Making Waves because of all the opportunities available to them there, like extracurricular activities. In her experience, the education system has a lot to learn from parents like her.

“As parents, we can change the system,” she said. “In the vulnerable communities we come from, you see a lot of disparities. There are a lot of inequities and kids are not receiving the proper education they need in their designated neighborhood schools. So, I chose a better education for my kids.”

Petronila said she has been recruiting other parents to help plan the forum so they can also learn how to hold elected officials accountable and ensure they serve everyone and all schools in their trustee area.

“These are important people,” she said of school board trustees. “We need to see if their intentions are aligned with our intentions. We have the opportunity to inform parents so they can hold (leaders) accountable and show them they need to support the people they are elected by.”

Felicia is also a parent who has exercised school choice. She noticed the quality of education at the local district school her son attended was declining. She couldn’t afford private school, so what were her options? She said she feels fortunate to have found a school like Making Waves, where they started talking to her kids about college when they were in 5th grade.

“I think it’s extremely important for our children to be able to move to that next level and have the opportunity to go to college,” Felicia said. “That’s why as a parent, I’m trying to be as involved as possible.”

“That’s why as a parent, I want to talk to these trustees,” she said. “So they understand what is important to me and what is important to my children.”  

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