New board member shares his thoughts
The first in his family to graduate from college, a former
Gilroy High School student has found a place on the Gilroy Unified
School District board. Javier Aguirre is taking over a position on
the school board mid-term, replacing board president TJ Owens who
died of a stroke in October. After coming up with four final
candidates, the board appointed Aguirre for the remaining year of
the term with a 4-2 vote.
Aguirre has high hopes for his year on the school board, with
plans to reach out to Spanish-speaking parents to increase their
involvement as well as getting GHS alumni involved as mentors to
current students.
New board member shares his thoughts
The first in his family to graduate from college, a former Gilroy High School student has found a place on the Gilroy Unified School District board. Javier Aguirre is taking over a position on the school board mid-term, replacing board president TJ Owens who died of a stroke in October. After coming up with four final candidates, the board appointed Aguirre for the remaining year of the term with a 4-2 vote.
Aguirre has high hopes for his year on the school board, with plans to reach out to Spanish-speaking parents to increase their involvement as well as getting GHS alumni involved as mentors to current students.
The husband and father found his path at GHS when teachers and a college advisor helped prepare him for college. After graduating from Gilroy High School in 1992, Aguirre attended Stanford University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies, with honors. After that, Aguirre entered the Loyola Law School, in Los Angeles and completed his law degree in 1999.
Rather than pursue a career in law, Aguirre has been working as a senior policy aide for Santa Clara County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado since 2000. Outside of work, Aguirre is active in the community and in academia. He served as a Puente Program mentor at Gavilan College for the 2004-2005 school year, sharing his academic and career experiences with a community college student. Aguirre joined the board for the Mexican American Community Service Agency El Portal Leadership Academy Charter School in June 2004, a school that caters to at-risk youth.
Aguirre answered questions for the Pinnacle about his experiences as a student in Gilroy and what he hopes to bring to the school board.
Q: What are some of the unique perspectives you bring with you to the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education?
A: As a product of the Gilroy Unified School system, I have a unique perspective of understanding the many challenges and opportunities students face once they graduate from Gilroy High School. Having been raised in an immigrant household where Spanish was the primary language, I can draw upon my own personal experience to devise strategies to better engage Spanish-speaking parents in their children’s education. I will also bring my strong leadership abilities, which I have developed through my extensive service in Gilroy.
Q: Why do you want to get involved with the GUSD school board?
A: I want to serve on the school board to ensure that students obtain the skills necessary to achieve their dreams and goals, just as I did twelve years ago. I believe that every child has the opportunity to succeed in life and fulfill their dreams when they receive the best education. I look forward to working with the other school board members to make sure the district provides a high quality learning environment that creates well-rounded individuals who can make positive contributions to society.
Q: You have a background in politics, working as a senior policy aide for County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado. Coming from a field outside education, what experience or qualifications do you bring with you to the school board?
A: A school board is a governing entity providing public oversight of our public schools and ensuring fiscal accountability to the taxpayers and the individuals they serve. My experience in county government provides me with an understanding of how a government body functions during the budget process, how changes to policies impact the community and how creating partnerships with the community and other government entities are fruitful. In addition, my service on the advisory board for a local charter school provides me with a foundation on how a high school functions.
Q: How do you think your experience as a student at GUSD schools will affect your work as a school board member?
A: Throughout my education, I was motivated by my teachers and a college advisor to apply to college. I understand the value of teachers and how they influence a student’s future. Therefore, I will look at how we can provide teachers with the resources and support they need to operate at their fullest potential and ensure their student’s success. In addition, I understand the challenges of parental involvement. While I was a student, my mother worked a graveyard shift at Gilroy Foods and I know how difficult it was for her to be involved in my school, although she did find ways to do so. I will explore ways to get parents who work non-traditional hours more involved with their children’s education. Furthermore, I plan on drawing on my connections to Gilroy High School Alumni to look at how they can give back to their school by getting involved in a
speaker series where graduates speak about their careers and how they got there.
Q: Were there any challenges you faced as a student at GUSD schools because of your ethnicity or family background? How did you handle them?
A: A challenge I faced early in elementary school was not learning English fast enough. With the assistance of teachers and a tutor, and my mother’s persistence to learn English, I was able to progress. I recall in high school that some of many classmates that were Latino, including myself, were not adequately exposed to college preparedness and many did not consider college as an option. However, some Latino students who were applying to college and the school’s college advisor did advise us to get involved with the California Scholarship Federation, where we were able to develop a plan to apply to college.
Q: Do you think the major issues at GUSD schools have changed since you were a student and if so what are the major issues facing schools now?
A: The demands of satisfying new tests and new guidelines have certainly changed since I was a student at GUSD schools. Today, GUSD schools face the requirement to show progress in many areas defined by the No Child Left Behind Act. In addition, students must now pass an exit exam to graduate from high school. However, one issue that has not changed since I was a student is not having enough resources for arts and music programs.
Q: What role should the GUSD school board play in promoting higher education to its students, if any?
A: A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley shows that money invested in increasing the number of students entering and completing college results in increased workforce earnings, which in turn increases the state’s tax revenue, reduces poverty, reduces need for social services, and reduces incarceration. The GUSD school board must play a larger role in promoting higher education by creating a culture at our schools that prepares our children for a life after high school with the opportunity to continue their studies in higher education. In addition, the school board should collaborate with local businesses in a statewide endeavor called The Campaign for College Opportunity.
Q: Field trips have been a hot topic at GUSD school board meetings in the past. What role do you think field trips should have in students’ education and which type of trips do you think are warranted?
A: Field trips have a role in enriching a child’s educational experience since students will have an opportunity to explore real life skills outside a classroom setting. The trips that are warranted are ones that are related to class instruction, do not result in excessive loss of class time and adhere to district policies.
Q: Before you were chosen as the new school board member, candidates for the school board were questioned at an open meeting and one question that came up was whether the school board should reflect the student body ethnically. Do you think the school board should reflect the demographics of the student body? Why or why not?
A: The question asked at the special board meeting brings up a larger issue, one that asks what kind of school board should our community have. While I do not support quotas, I strongly support having diverse perspectives on the school board. There should be parents on the board with former, current and/or future students, business owners, graduates of GUSD, individuals that can communicate with our growing Spanish-speaking parent population, and former teachers or administrators. Let us remember that ultimately the voters determine the makeup of the school board.
Q: Your term for school board will be up in a year. What are the most important things you’d like to accomplish before you are up for re-election?
A: In partnership with the City of Gilroy and local businesses, I will work with the school board to initiate a plan to create homework centers where students can find a safe place at their school to work on their homework with the assistance of tutors. I will encourage more Spanish-speaking parents to get involved with their children’s education by telling them about my own experiences. I will support the board’s objective to advance the district’s Facility Plan by ensuring that we make progress in building the second high school. I will also work with the school board to develop a program that will engage more former students that had the opportunity to attend college and are now in the position to assist Gilroy schools by becoming role models and pledging financial resources.
