FUESD board candidate Ricardo Favela

With Fallbrook Union Elementary School District Governing Board members Siegrid Stillman and Lisa Masten not running for re-election, that leaves two vacancies on the board this November. And while Stillman and Masten were elected to their seats at-large – that is, representing the entire district – 2020 will be the first year in which FUESD elects its board members on a trustee area system.

The seats in trustee areas 2 and 3 are the ones up for election this year. Village News previously interviewed Suzanne Lundin, running unopposed in trustee area 2. This week, Village News has interviewed Ricardo Favela, also running unopposed in trustee area 3, which covers the central part of Fallbrook.

Ricardo Favela

What is your motivation for wishing to serve the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District and more specifically, the district you serve?

First, I would have to say that the community motivated me to serve on the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (board) based on the concern for having adequate representation for parents in the downtown district. Secondly, I have three children who attend FUESD schools, including a first grader at Maie Ellis, a fourth grader at Maie Ellis and an eighth grader at Potter Jr. High School. Our family strongly believes in education as the foundation upon which their futures will be built upon, and this applies to our community of Fallbrook in the broader sense. As a parent, I want to assure that our students' interests are taken into account in all decisions made at the district.

I will be serving District 3, which is the downtown district, and which is the majority Latino voter district. For the first time in Fallbrook's history, these districts will provide the basis for equity and adequate representation in the decision-making in our local boards. This is critical, keeping in mind that student enrollment at FUESD is 62% Latino and 68% socioeconomically disadvantaged. Coming from a migrant family that established roots in Fallbrook since the early '50s and having grown up in what is now the downtown district, I know I can represent and serve this district well.

In the upcoming term, what are your top three goals to address or accomplish for the district?

My first goal is to be accountable and accessible to families who live in the district. I believe it is important for families to know they have a representative who lives in their district and is open to listening to and serving them. Along with this goal is to make sure we have effective communication with parents regarding what takes place at the district and the options they have to assure their students are receiving the education they need and deserve.

Secondly, my goal overall for the school district is for students to be as safe and successful as possible while learning amidst a global pandemic. We are in a very challenging time and I am encouraged to see our school district serving as a lighthouse for our community where not only education is taking place, but our schools are also feeding all youth who are hungry and providing the technology needed to bridge the digital divide. Additionally, different learning options are available to our families and it is critical for all parents to be aware of their options and to know they have the right to advocate for the safety and success of their children.

Third, I value the cultural and historical wealth of our communities and I believe it is critical for students to learn to appreciate themselves and each other as part of their learning experience. Our schools should nurture self-esteem, mutual understanding and appreciation for the rich cultural heritage our families have as well as the diverse historical presence that has always been in Fallbrook. Doing so helps motivate learning and I look forward to exploring how we can not only educate our students but also appreciate and celebrate our students.

What do you bring to the board of trustees that is lacking if any? Or what do you bring to the table that makes the board better or more well-rounded?

I may be the only FUESD trustee born and raised in Fallbrook and who attended Fallbrook schools (Potter Jr. High and Fallbrook High School). I am very much a product of local Fallbrook schools having been a migrant student and an AVID student. I am very familiar with the migrant experience many of our students are navigating and having someone on the board with this background will definitely help make our board well-rounded.

What are the two biggest issues facing the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District in the next four years that you hope to address?

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with inequities in our students' education and in our district are critical issues. We are still amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with no clear end in sight. Some reports tell us that in the best-case scenario, vaccines may be widely available in 2022. This means that our approach to education is being reinvented in the moment and will need to continue to adapt to best meet our student's needs while observing public health guidelines and best practices. I believe our district has done a great job trying to meet student and parent needs by applying a blended-learning model to begin to return to face-to-face instruction while still offering a 100% distance learning option through the Fallbrook Virtual Academy. Regardless of the approach, our board still bears the responsibility of assuring student success. I also believe our schools should be active in further educating our community about reducing the risk to COVID-19 and should collaborate with the (Fallbrook Regional) Health District to promote education, access to testing and resources at our school sites, including De Luz.

Equity is also a concern I have regarding support for students to make sure they have the resources they need to achieve success and learning in the midst of a pandemic. I am very concerned about students in special education. To this end I am willing to listen to teachers who are on the front lines carrying out our educational goals while keeping our students and families safe. I believe equity goes across the board and our administration must exemplify equity as well.

What qualifications or personality/intellectual traits do you have that make you appropriate or the right person for the job?

Living and growing up in Fallbrook has cultivated my leadership skills since I was a student. I learned to always question anything that was not right and to take risks to address issues that need addressing. This has since become a passion that sometimes puts me in unexpected situations, like running for school board, where I continue to test, practice and confirm my values of fairness, equity and justice.

Locally, I have been very involved in the community serving over 10 years on the County Service Area-81 committee, which maintains and oversees our local parks and represents Fallbrook before the San Diego County Departments of Parks and Recreation. I am proud to say that I was a part of advocating for Clemmens Lane Park and am happy to see a large multi-use park being planned at this moment on Fallbrook Street that will include a skate park!

I am also a parent representative at Maie Ellis' School Site Council which makes recommendations on the use of funds earmarked for our students who need the most support.

Having my children involved in local sports, I also volunteer with Fallbrook Girls Softball assisting with their digital communications needs. I encourage collaboration with local sports organizations with our local schools.

Finally, I am fluent in English and Spanish which I believe is an essential trait for serving the students and parents in our district. I support the nurturing of languages students already speak at home as part of a holistic approach to developing English language skills.