Ankur Patel, Indian American educator and longtime public-school advocate, has entered the race for a seat on the Los Angeles Unified Faculty District (LAUSD) Board of Schooling from District 4.
Working on a platform centred on systemic transparency and the enlargement of scholar help providers, Patel himself a product of LAUSD, seeks to bridge the hole between administrative coverage and the day by day realities of the classroom.
Patel’s journey is deeply intertwined with the San Fernando Valley, the place he attended native public faculties earlier than incomes a level in biology from College of California Riverside and a grasp’s in public coverage from California State College, Northridge.
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His marketing campaign emphasizes a “student-first” philosophy, formed by his years as a group coordinator and environmental advocate. Patel argues that the district’s huge price range typically fails to achieve the scholars who want it most, notably these in underserved pockets of District 4.
“I’m a product of this district, and I do know its potential,” Patel stated throughout a latest group outreach occasion. “However I additionally see the place the system is failing to help the holistic wants of our youngsters. We can not anticipate educational excellence if we aren’t first addressing the psychological well being and well-being of each scholar.”
A main pillar of Patel’s platform is the combination of extra strong psychological well being assets inside faculties. He advocates for a decrease student-to-counsellor ratio, arguing that the present workload for varsity workers prevents significant intervention for at-risk youth.
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Moreover, Patel is asking for an “open-book” strategy to the district’s funds. He intends to implement extra rigorous oversight of how bond measures and state funding are allotted, guaranteeing that infrastructure enhancements don’t come on the expense of classroom assets.
Patel can be leaning closely into his background in science and sustainability. He has proposed initiatives to greenify city campuses, suggesting that faculty environments play a vital function in scholar efficiency and native local weather resilience. By remodeling asphalt playgrounds into shaded, sustainable studying areas, he believes the district can lead by instance within the struggle in opposition to city warmth islands.
The race for District 4 comes at a pivotal time for LAUSD, because the district navigates the aftermath of pandemic-era studying loss and shifting enrolment numbers.
Patel’s entry into the race provides a grassroots perspective to a contest typically dominated by well-funded political pursuits. Supporters describe Patel as a persistent advocate who shouldn’t be afraid to problem the established order.
If elected, he can be one of many few board members with a direct skilled background in public coverage evaluation, a instrument he says is significant for dissecting the complexities of a multi-billion-dollar academic system.
Forward of June 2 nonpartisan main, Patel continues to have interaction with parent-teacher associations and native neighbourhood councils, betting {that a} message of accountability and empathy will resonate with voters.
