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. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Emil Barham
Current job title: Retired educator/businessman
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: None
City where you reside: Temecula
Campaign website or social media: emilbarham.com, @emil.barham
How can the school district best meet the needs of all students, including those learning English, those who need mental health service, those in special education programs and those from low-income backgrounds?
Thousands of students attending Temecula Valley Unified are not at grade level. Fifty-two percent are not proficient in math. Thirty-eight percent of students are not proficient in reading/writing. Currently, the district has students behind screens to catch them up. Students are not engaged by these types of interventions. Teachers are not thrilled by them either. The district spends hundreds of thousands of dollars for screen time interventions. The most effective interventions, as a former educator, are small group engagements between teachers and students outside of the school day. I was a failing math student in middle school and in high school. Finally, targeted intervention in a small group set me on a path to becoming amath teacher. These strategies, depending on the needs of the student, can be very effective over the long term. Get rid of the screens and let’s make our interventions personal and engaging for students.
Some school districts have adopted transgender notification policies to notify parents if a student says they are transgender. If your district has such a policy, do you support or oppose it? Why? If yours does not, would you support or oppose such rules? Why?
Support it. I believe if the student is telling the school, the student wants to tell the parent. If the student is prone to suicide because of this issue, where is the suicide likely to happen? At home and not at school. Parents have a right to be notified so that as a family they can determine the right course of action which best fits their family dynamic.
What is the biggest issue the school district faces, and how would you address it?
Students are not functioning at grade level. See my answer to No. 1 above.
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities within the school district?
I know how to listen and bridge the gaps. At the beginning of my campaign, many harsh critics came out against me. Today, I have formed friendships with these individuals . How? We share experiences which are part of being human. We still don’t agree on many issues but speak often. These individuals are great people. We find common ground together.
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